Tap-dancing’s loss is athletics’ gain... how Muir kicked on from karate and got on track for glory

HOCKEY, karate, rock climbing, kayaking… the list of ‘random’ sports enjoyed by a young Laura Muir hardly seems out of step with so many elite athletes; the very best tend to have tried their hand at just about everything during their formative years.

But tap dancing? Actually, given Muir’s reputation for fast footwork, it probably makes sense.

Muir, who’ll line up in Tokyo in pursuit of a first Olympic medal, readily admits that she was something of a sporting butterfly in her youth.

‘I had a great childhood; I was involved in lots of different sports,’ said the middle-distance star.

‘I had a younger brother and we used to get a bit competitive with each other on a lot of things.

‘I did tap dancing when I was really young — and then I did karate for quite a few years, a little bit of school hockey.

‘I liked doing the summer sports programmes with the schools, so I would do kayaking and rock-climbing and all these random things. I loved everything.’

Muir’s achievements on the track are a good advert for getting involved in sport at a young age.

And the spread of activities she was involved in possibly offered a clue to how her career would pan out.

Because the Team GB superstar has never been a one-dimensional athlete. She’s maintained a balance between her sport and the real world.

A late bloomer who didn’t begin to fulfil her potential until she was enrolled in a veterinarian studies course at the University of Glasgow, Muir famously combined her two passions right through graduation.

Now fully focused on chasing a podium finish in Japan, the former Diamond League winner and European champion has managed to devote herself to life as a full-time athlete — without ever losing her simple joy in running.

‘I was about 11 years old when I really started to show an interest in athletics and joined a local athletics club,’ said Muir, recalling those first steps on track.

‘I did it because I really enjoyed it. I loved the sport, it kept me fit and kept my mind in a good place.

‘Growing up, I always wanted to be a vet and running was always just a hobby. It never even crossed my mind that I could do it professionally or make a living out of it.

‘Within a couple of months of

joining university, I got my first GB cap at the European Cross-Country Championships, a competition I didn’t even know existed before I went to uni — then, all of a sudden, I was running in a GB vest.

‘It was quick but it showed me the potential I could have if I trained in a different way I hadn’t done before.’

Like so many Scottish athletes, Muir can regularly be found handing out medals at local youth races — or even just sharing her time with kids coming into the sport.

On a basic level, she loves seeing youngsters take an

I would do kayaking and rock-climbing and all these random things. I loved everything

interest in something that changed her life. Beyond that, she can pass on advice to any who have the potential — and the desire — to spend their life in pursuit of medals and records.

‘if anyone is considering getting into sport and hopefully going on to make it a career, my message would be that it does take an awful lot of work and it will take a long time,’ she said. ‘But the reward is phenomenal and the opportunities it will open up for you are fantastic.

‘Sport gave me a lot of confidence and belief in myself that i didn’t have before. i never would have thought i could go and do the things i’ve done and have the experiences i have had.

‘it can do so much for you, not just in terms of physical health but also your mental health.

‘Just give it a good shot. You’ll definitely have down times and you’ll have ups and it will be a bit of a rollercoaster.

‘But that’s sport. That’s life. But it’s so worth it.’

Muir is reaping the rewards of

Sport gave me a lot of confidence and belief in myself that I didn’t have before

having invested so much at the moment. Everything is focused on these Olympics.

‘i’m really excited for Tokyo,’ she said. ‘it’s been a long time coming, four years is a long time to wait in between Olympics but it’s now five.

‘Fingers crossed when it comes to the Olympics everything goes to plan. i’d love to win a medal, that would just be amazing.’