The 17-year-old exceeded expectations by reaching the Olympics in 2024 and explains why she wants to keep having fun on the track for as long as possible.
Walking through the curtains and onto the purple track of the Stade de France is a feeling Phoebe Gill will never forget.Looking out at the vastness of the arena and preparing to take part in the biggest race of her life, the 17-year-old spared a glance at the thousands of people gathered around her.
“It was an indescribable thing,” he says. “I was almost in tears at the start line of the 800m heats when I saw my face on the big screen. I was so overwhelmed and so proud of myself to make it to the Olympics.”
It was an understandable reaction given she was the youngest British athlete to compete at the Games in 40 years, but Gill is blessed with the maturity of someone twice her age and she soon refocused on her work.
After a few deep breaths and self-talk, he set off for two laps and soon began to grasp the magnitude of the situation.
Making the top three automatically, Gill sat third as the halfway mark was clocked in a quick 57.6.He was fourth in the 600m, but mustered all the strength and willpower that got him to the start line in Paris in first place, securing a 200m penalty to secure his place in the semi-finals.
Phoebe Gill (Getty)
The St Albans AC athlete finished fourth in the next round, just missing out on the final, and after that race the build-up of what had been building up over the previous months came to a head.
“I was proud of myself for handling the pressure and the feeling of the Olympics,” he says you take it all in. It was an incredible feeling.
“You know, it’s funny. The Olympics are the pinnacle of athletics, but I still didn’t realize how big it was. Paris was decorated with so many banners. It was very easy to get exhausted even before the race. Nothing prepared me for this, even talking to athletes about their experiences.
“At the end of the day, I did everything I wanted to at the games. I didn’t care about personal bests, reaching the finals or a medal, it was all about the experience.”
Natoya Gul leads the way with Phoebe Gill (left) (Getty)
And what an experience it was.It was truly an unforgettable year for this budding talent that ended with the vote AWs British Under-20 Sportswoman 2024
“I’ve learned a lot this season,” says Gill. “There was a lot of mental pressure with the new challenge of the senior race, but I’m very proud of myself and how I handled it. This award means a lot and it shows that hard work has paid off.
“Looking back to January, I didn’t think I’d be in the position I’m in now. I thought my first Olympics would be in Los Angeles 2028.”
Gill had been making waves on the junior circuit for some time and won the 800m title at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games, but it was at the Irish Milers Meet in Belfast on May 11 that everything changed for him thanks to 1 run. :57.86 On the Mary Peters track that broke Marion Geisler-Huebner, 45 European under-18 record.
Not only did she improve her personal best by nearly four seconds, she also broke the Olympic 800m qualifying standard of 1:59.30.
“I knew the training was going well, but I didn’t expect to go this fast in the first race of the season,” he says. “It was just a strange feeling because it was an Olympic year and I felt a lot of luck brought.
“I remember at the Youth Commonwealth Games I finally got under 2:03 (2:02:30) and it was so hard for me to do that. It was so strange for me to go under two minutes this season. and I was really confused that it happened. In retrospect, though, I was training really hard in the winter, and maybe it shouldn’t have been such a shock.”
Phoebe Gill (James Rhodes)
The attention that followed was considerable. Suddenly in talks for a place in the Olympic team and much of the spotlight at the British Championships, which doubled as trials for the Games, using different tactics to his usual first-round blitz, he seized the opportunity to become the British senior 800m champion, sparking a negative split. To see off Gemma Rickey: Unlike her ‘nothing to lose’ attitude at the Olympics, however, Gill’s attitude in Manchester was very different.
“I felt so much pressure to try to make it to the Games,” she says.
“I wasn’t in the best mental space at the time and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to do it, so when I actually crossed the line first and was able to call myself an Olympian, it was the highest moment of my life; The commentator told me. “How did I feel?” and I couldn’t even express it in words. I’m still struggling to do that.”
Phoebe Gill (Keith McClure)
To cope with the pressure of trying to make the Olympic team, Gill put all her thoughts into a journal.She also reveals how mental exercises prescribed by her longtime coach Deborah Stier at the age of 12 helped immensely.
“The pie chart is big,” he says. Deborah really put it into perspective.
“He told me to draw everything that was important and put a percentage next to it. It made me realize that running is just a hobby and life goes on whether you do well or badly in life there are much more important aspects like family and friends.I’m Phoebe, I’m not Phoebe’s athlete.
“Trying to get that perspective was really helpful for me this season because I thought, “Well, if I don’t make it to the Olympics, it’s not the end of the world because I could move on and get other opportunities.” I have learned so much now that I can continue my athletics career.
Gill is also keen to stress the importance of fueling. He is now working with a nutritionist and, combined with strength and conditioning work over the past winter, his training and subsequent performances have improved significantly.
“For young athletes, especially as we develop, it’s very difficult to understand how much energy we use for everything we do,” he says. “For years I had a huge energy imbalance and struggled with RED-S (Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports) symptoms.
“I now realize how much more alert and energetic I feel during training by eating right. It’s something I suggest young athletes pay attention to because we see such a high dropout rate among athletes in these age groups. A lot of it has to do with RED-S and people don’t even realize it.”
Phoebe Gill (Getty)
After the Olympics, Gill considered going to the U20 world championships in Peru, but decided against it. However, he competed for the club he has been a part of since the age of six in the National Cross Country Relays, anchoring the St Albans U20 team. :
After returning from Paris, he and Stier received a standing ovation from club members, who also created a tunnel for the pair to pass through.
“It was a very emotional moment because everyone I loved was in one place cheering and congratulating me,” he says. “It was very emotional for both me and Deborah.
“I hope he doesn’t mind me saying this, but he was crying. Everyone was praising him. I feel bad because they wanted me to perform and I’m horrible to them.”
Phoebe Gill (Graham Smith)
As for what’s next, Gill’s immediate focus is on his education and completing his A-level exams in June doesn’t mean he’ll skimp on training.
“I’ve always seen running and training as a break from revision,” she adds worked out. A-levels is a whole new ball game but I know how to revise so hopefully I’ll be good.”
For now, Gill just wants to enjoy the sport. He ignores the stories of younger athletes who showed a lot of promise but burned out before reaching their potential. That’s not a trap he intends to fall into.
“Being an Olympian is great, but I want to do so much more than that,” she says : Running is my safety net, and it really gives me insight into everything else in life.”
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