Walker glad to have youth and Young on side
IF Eloise Walker ever needs inspiration, she need look no further than the lanes next to her every day in training.
Walker joined Andy Young’s lauded training group, which also included Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie, in September and with Muir having long been a world-class runner, and Reekie more recently pushing herself into that bracket, there can be no better environment for the teenager to pursue her athletic career.
The 18-year-old may have only been a part of Young’s group for a few months, but already she is starting to reap the benefits.
Earlier this month, she set a new Scottish under-20 record in the 3000m while at the weekend, at the British Indoor Championships in Glasgow, she set a new indoor personal best in the 1500m, finishing in fifth place in the final.
Walker has been in impressive form since the turn of the year, and it is impossible not to attribute much of her improvement down to her decision to join Young’s training group.
The coach has masterminded the rise of both Muir and Reekie from a similar age to Walker and the teenager is thriving in her new group, admitting she has learnt so much from being alongside Muir and Reekie day in, day out.
“It’s amazing,” she said about being part of Young’s group.
“Having Andy as my coach is great – he coaches world-class athletes so he knows exactly what he’s talking about. And having Laura and Jemma on the start of each rep inspires me every time.
“They’re such down-to-earth, lovely people. They have this aura about them and I was thinking, ‘Oh my god, they’re amazing’. But when you speak to them, they’re just really normal people and you have the same conversations with them that you have with anyone.
“I’ve learnt so much from them. I’ve learnt how to train hard and also how to recover well. I wasn’t that good at doing that before but I’m getting PBs already so I’m really pleased to have seen improvements already having only been with the group for a few months so far.”
Reekie may have broken a fair few records this year but Walker’s Scottish record-breaking run earlier this month eclipsed her training partner’s time of a few years ago.
She broke Reekie’s record by a whopping seven seconds and that was, she says, a big lift, and she only hopes it is a sign of things to come.
“The Scottish record was a huge confidence boost because obviously Jemma has been running so well so I’m thinking if I can break her records, hopefully I can follow the same path she is,” she said.
“She’s only 21 and she’s got all of this international experience already. She messaged me before the final of the British wishing me good luck so that was lovely and it’s so inspiring having her in the group.”
Walker now heads into a block of training ahead of the outdoor season and having been a part of the GB team for the European Junior Championships last summer, finishing in eleventh in the 3000m, she has one eye on making the team for the World Juniors this summer.
However, she is putting no pressure on herself.
“If it comes, it comes,” she said of selection for the World Junior team. “The qualifying standards are a lot higher than they were for the Euros last year. I’m still young, I’m still gaining experience so as long as I keep improving, I’ll be happy.”