A 14-year-old Phoebe Gill stayed up until two in the morning to watch Keely Hodgkinson run in the 800metre final at the last Olympic Games.
Now, she will be lining up with her in a GB vest after a meteoric rise in middle-distance running for the teenager.
Gill was crowned British champion last month for the 800m after Hodgkinson, already guaranteed Olympic selection, opted to instead run the 400m at what doubled as the Olympic trials.
And on the eve of her Olympic debut, Gill said: “Tokyo 2021 was such a memorable watch. I stayed up until two in the morning to watch the 800s and watching Keely get that silver was unforgettable. To think I’m running on this stage is unbelievable. I can’t wait.”
Gill marked her national title by returning to her old primary school for work experience on the Monday morning.
And, having only just finished her first year of A-levels a few weeks ago – she is studying biology, chemistry and maths - almost immediately she headed off to Paris for the Team GB holding camp before running next week.
She has not run since the trials, instead opting to be in the stands to watch Hodgkinson break the British record at the recent London Diamond League.
The pair have talked a few times since the national championships while former Olympic champion Kelly Holmes has also been in touch in the wake of her impressive outings on track.
Holmes first made contact via a voice message on Instagram, which almost reduced Gill to tears, and Holmes’ advice has been to take it all in her stride.
As for her target in Paris, at the age of 17 it is understandably relatively low key in terms of expectations.
She said: “I definitely want to get everything I can out of it: the village, the atmosphere, being around all these legends of the sport. It’s easy to say I’m coming in with no expectations but I think every athlete always puts some goals in their head.
“For me it’s just to progress through as many rounds as possible and to have fun and run with freedom the entire time. I know that’s when I start to excel, when I’m not too stressed out by the environment around me. I can’t wait to run with this amazing crowd of people. Hopefully it will produce some fast times but let’s see what happens.”
