Elite isn’t a level. It’s a standard.

After years training alongside national and international athletes, in 2012 I joined my friend Phil on the DreamDecathlon Project, chasing Rio 2016. Within 18 months a ruptured Achilles ended it, and I never made it back.

It taught me what elite really means: taking a human, individual approach, managing load, respecting each athlete’s tolerance and testing instead of guessing.

I never wanted anyone else to lose their dream the way I did. Now I help athletes at every level reach their goals and return to sport after injury, and I share what I’ve learned on BBC radio, on stage and in print.