In the present economic climate, the notion of packing in your job in pursuit of shiny baubles might appear fraught with hazards, but Eilidh Child exudes the impression that she doesn't mind financial risk if it leads to an Olympic medal.
The former PE teacher, who sped to silver in the 400m hurdles at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi last year, has recently relocated to Bath, where she is training in the company of the world champion, Dai Greene, under the tutelage of experienced coach, Malcolm Arnold. And, although Scottish athletics has not had too many success stories during the last decade, the emergence of such hardy individuals as Child offers resounding proof that they didn't break the mould when Liz McColgan hung up her spikes.
On the contrary, the 24-year-old, who also excelled in swimming as a teenager, possesses rare speed and technical expertise, allied to an unstinting commitment to the rigours of training; an alchemy of qualities which have assisted her advance up the rankings in the last couple of seasons. Indeed, her mentor, Arnold, who has guided some of the best in the business, has no doubt Child has all the ingredients to make a serious impact in London. "There is no secret, really. If you want to succeed at the highest level, you just have to work hard and Eilidh always does that," he said this month. "She is technically sound, she is very fit and, hopefully, it is all going in the right direction."
With the Olympics looming, Child believes she has benefited from travelling to the West Country. "I have made a big jump this year, and my preparation for the Olympics is going really well, especially since I decided to commit myself to athletics full-time," said Child. "I reached the semi-finals at the World Championships [in Korea last August], and getting to the final was a little bit too far, but my aim now is to improve on my recent results and do my best to qualify for the final in London, because once you progress to that stage, anything can happen. I definitely think that is realistic, and so does my coach, and you can already feel the expectation building. I've been training with Dai and there has been lots of media along at the track, filming him, and wanting to talk to him, and there is a buzz. The Olympics are always special, but with them happening in Britain, it is an even bigger thrill."
Child realises the coming months will be crucial to her aspirations and she won't fail for lack of meticulous planning.
"I'm going over to South Africa to train in the warm weather with the UK squad in January, then it's back to Bath, before I head to Portugal to continue my preparations for the national trials in June," said Child. "I am confident that I can go faster in 2012, so these next few months are about making sure I am as ready as I can be."
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