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| Human Interest | |
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General Interest | |
| Other information | SELF-COACHING She has been self-coached since mid-2019, with support from a small team including her husband Joe. She ran her first marathon in late 2018 before parting with coach Geoff Wightman. "I have turned 'me' into 'we', because at first it did feel like I was starting from scratch, just me going with my gut. I thought, 'Who can I bring along on this journey with me? Because I'm going to need to tap into some knowledge'. I tapped into very broad, general questions like, 'What's a typical marathon mileage?' That sounds crazy but when you're already in a coaching relationship you automatically fall into the belief system of that coach, and I wasn't able to question other people's views which would align more with my own." (athleticsweekly.com, 03 Dec 2019, 02 Dec 2018, 01 Apr 2021) OLYMPIC MARATHON DEBUT The 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo will be her third Olympic Games, but her first competing in the marathon after she took part in the 1500m at the 2008 Games in Beijing and the 5000m at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. "I actually do believe people are probably in the shape of their lives after the marathon, if they recover and come out of it with a positive experience. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like it's even better than my first and my second [Games]. I feel like a third Olympics symbolises my love for the sport." (athleticsweekly.com, 03 Dec 2019, 01 Apr 2021) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied for a postgraduate degree in psychology at Kingston University London in England. In 2016 she undertook a Postgraduate Certificate of Education [PGCE] at the University of Winchester in England, having previously worked as a teaching assistant. (scotsman.com, 07 Jun 2015; dailyrecord.co.uk, 10 Jan 2014; london-athletics.com, 01 Jan 2015; LinkedIn profile, 01 Nov 2020) OTHER ACTIVITIES She is an Athlete Commission Member at UK Athletics. She has worked for Rushmoor Borough Council in England as a lifestyle and behaviour change intervention co-ordinator, and as a community lottery sports representative. (LinkedIn profile, 01 Nov 2020) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Footedness | Right |
General Interest | |
| Ambitions | To compete at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. (athleticsweekly.com, 03 Dec 2019) |
| Famous relatives | Her husband Joe Morwood ran the London Marathon and Frankfurt Marathon in 2019, and he has paced her in marathons. (athleticsweekly.com, 03 Dec 2019, 01 Apr 2021; thepowerof10.info, 28 Apr 2019; bbc.co.uk, 26 May 2019) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Languages | English |
| Family | Husband Joe Morwood |
| Higher education | Sports Science - St Mary's University, Twickenham: London, ENG |
| Residence | Aldershot, ENG |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | Aldershot, Farnham and District: England |
General Interest | |
| Injuries | In 2020 she suffered from plantar fasciitis, which led to high hamstring tendinopathy. The issue caused her to pull out of the 2020 London Marathon in England midway through the race. (athleticsweekly.com, 01 Apr 2021; germanroadraces.de, 04 Oct 2020) She suffered a hip injury in 2014. (scotsman.com, 07 Jun 2015) She broke her ankle in three places in February 2011. She had two operations and did not run for seven months. She suffered a stress fracture in the same area the following year. The injuries kept her out of action for two years and meant that she did not qualify for the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (telegraph.co.uk, 02 Aug 2011; bbc.co.uk, 04 Mar 2015, 05 May 2015; spikes.worldathletics.org, 29 Sep 2020) She suffered from a back injury that forced her to pull out of the 2008 World Cross-Country Championships in Edinburgh, Scotland. (croydonguardian.co.uk, 31 Jul 2008) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | "I always enjoyed competing in sports day at school and found I was very competitive." |
General Interest | |
| Hero / Idol | British runners Paula Radcliffe and Kelly Holmes. (thescottishsun.co.uk, 08 May 2012) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | She began running in primary school. |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Steph (express.co.uk, 28 Oct 2011) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Success is only ever achieved through hard work. There are no shortcuts to success. Don't follow where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." (scotsman.com, 29 Oct 2011) |
| Awards and honours | She was named European Athletics Rising Star of 2008. (european-athletics.org, 30 Sep 2011) |