THE younger me would be absolutely freaking out at the thought of racing ShellyAnn Fraser-Pryce,” laughs Amy Hunt as the (still very young) British sprinter tries to wrap her head around the task which awaits her at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix.
“It’s kind of mind-blowing to think that I’m going to be a part of it and racing women that I’ve watched on TV and idolised for so long. Actually being on the start line with people like Shelly-Ann and Murielle (Ahouré) is going to be absolutely insane.”
Tackling the dual Olympic and nine-time world champion Jamaican superstar and the world indoor champion over 60m in Glasgow is indeed quite a challenge, but things have moved quickly in the life of a 17-year-old who remembers her feet feeling like they were on fire after scorching her way to a world under-18 200m record of 22.42 in Mannheim at the end of June.
Double European under-20 gold followed, in the 200m and 4x100m relay, in what proved to be a sensational summer. In truth, the buzz has only just begun to die down for the woman who was featured in the pages of British Vogue towards the end of the year, though her agenda is no less packed.
With mock exams in store one week after the upcoming British Indoor Championships and plenty of studying to be done, there is no danger of this athlete suffering from boredom – and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I definitely think it’s really good for me,” says Hunt, also a keen musician, of her varied workload and interests. “I think it varies depending on who you are as a person but I think I’d get so bored if I just did athletics.
“I want to do more with my life than just train and then sit around in the house all day but at the same time I don’t think that’s true of everyone. It’s definitely particular to each athlete.
This story is from the February 13, 2020 edition of Athletics Weekly.
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This story is from the February 13, 2020 edition of Athletics Weekly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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