Women in sport: Eilish McColgan

As part of our ‘women in sport’ career features, we had the opportunity to speak to the incredible Eilish McColgan. Eilish is a Scottish middle-distance runner who has appeared at both the 2012 and 2016 Olympic Games representing Great Britain. She has taken two silver medals, one at the 3000m European Indoor Championships and one at the 2018 European Athletics Championships.

At such a young age, Eilish has already hit some pretty impressive sporting milestones and I imagine that her career still has many more to come. When it comes to life and running, read below to see what Eilish had to say, what keeps her motivated and how she feels as an accomplished sportswoman.

What made you want to start running for the first time and how old were you?

It was my teacher at Primary School who first entered me into a local cross country race and I absolutely loved it. From there, I begged my mum and dad to let me join the running club around the age of 12 and haven't ever looked back. 

Which other female athletes do you admire?

My mum is a huge inspiration for me. She was World Champion in 1991, less than a year after giving birth to me which is an incredible feat. So she's definitely a female athlete that I look up to and continue to look up to today.

Do you think there is a lack of light shed on female long distance runners outside of larger competitions like The Olympics?

There isn't really any light shed on female distance runners even at the Olympic Games. The shorter events really are the blue ribbon events and a lot of the focus will remain on those. Unfortunately distance races are being cut from international events and televised streams so it won't be long before they are removed entirely which is a real shame, as it doesn't give the younger generation any role models to follow.

Which other women inspire you?

Women from all different walks of life inspire me but of course I'm more drawn to professional athletes because I can relate to them. I'm inspired by hard working females who have managed to reach the top of their field because I know how challenging that may be, no matter what the sector is.

What has been your career highlight to date?

Competing in two Olympic Games has been pretty cool because I know how difficult it is to just make the team but I would say, personally, my stand out moment was winning a medal at the European Championships. So much work went into that one moment and it's something I'll always cherish.

What kind of pressures do you face as a female sportswoman?

There is a lot of trolling with regards to our appearance. We are thought to look a particular way but then are told we look too skinny or look too weak. It's something I'm told almost daily on social media, but this is just my natural body shape and my body is a strong one. It's taken me to two Olympic games and continues to get faster each year. I treat my body with respect and I've always been healthy, but it's frustrating when you are constantly challenged by people who know nothing about you and purely make an assumption off one picture they have seen!

Long distance running is as much mental as it is physical, how do you prepare mentally when you’ve got a big race coming up?

Nothing really changes, as I've prepared day in day out within my training. I've already done all the hard miles and talked myself through the tough days so the racing part for me is the best part! It's what I've prepared for.

What advice would you give young girls looking to pursue sports or more specifically long distance running as a profession?

Join a local running club. It's the best thing I ever did. Not only did I learn so much about the sport but I learned so much about myself. I became more confident. I became aware of what dreams I wanted to chase. I became accountable. It really shaped me into the strong female that I am today and I also met some brilliant friends in the process.

What’s next for you?

I'll be training hard and working towards making my third Olympics in Tokyo 2021.

__

It’s clear that Eilish is extremely driven and knows what she wants and we cannot wait to see her get another medal in Tokyo next year (coronavirus permitting). Follow Eilish on Instagram @eilishmccolgan to keep up to date and help support female runners without casting shade and opinions on their appearance - because we aren’t about that life.