What athletics has done for me – Laura Muir
The role athletics has played for Laura Muir has developed in tandem with her growing up. For every stage, there has been a different benefit.
“It’s very hard to say one thing in particular because it’s so important to my life," she says when asked what the sport has done for her. "Growing up, it was a really nice way to meet friends and to go away to competitions at the weekend. Whether that was travelling on the team bus or staying in hotels with team-mates, it has given me an opportunity to travel.
“I remember going to London for the mini marathon and thinking ‘wow, this is amazing’. It just provides those opportunities that you might not have had otherwise.
“Building lots of friendships with people, getting to travel and in terms of university it was a great switch-off from my degree and a very good stress reliever.
“In terms of mental wellbeing, it’s huge and you can never underestimate how good that is for you. The physical benefits of running are fantastic as well and something that I love about it is that it’s available to everybody.
"You don’t need fancy equipment or fancy facilities. Obviously it helps, especially at elite level, but anybody can do it – you can grab a pair of trainers, head out the door and run, however fast you like or however slow you like, however far you want, wherever you want.
“It’s so universal and it’s so helpful.”
Lead photo by British Athletics via Getty Images
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