#138: Eloise Wellings on Freedom, Running Fast and Bouncing Back

Eloise grew up in a family of runners and, while watching the Olympics at the age of 10, set the goal to become an Olympian. By 16, she had qualified for her first Olympics; the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. But sadly, Eloise’s early career was beset by injuries. As one article I read so painfully wrote, ‘it would be 12 years, 11 stress fractures and 3 failed attempts later’ before she finally made her Olympic debut at the London Olympic Games in 2012. Eloise and I recorded this conversation in midst of the Covid-19 crisis and so that’s where we start our conversation today - with how she’s navigated the impact of it with two small children at home and how it’s affected her training and her attempts to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (now being held in 2021). Eloise is also the co-founder of an extraordinary organisation called the Love Mercy Foundation which she co-founded with Ugandan Olympian and former child soldier, Julius Achon that works to empower communities in Northern Uganda to overcome poverty caused by the horrors of war. Eloise shares how you can help to support the work of Love Mercy by participating in their virtual “Mother Run” which is on this month (May, 2020). Get the full show notes for the episode here. — Visit the Sparta Chicks Radio website here  Follow Sparta Chicks Radio on Facebook: facebook.com/SpartaChicks Follow Eloise on Instagram: @elzywellings