"I’ve become the person I needed when I was younger – and that’s the greatest gift I can offer the athletes I coach today."

Jenny Meadows is a former world-class middle-distance runner and now one of Britain’s most respected athletics coaches. Recently honoured – alongside her husband – as BBC Sports Personality Coach of the Year, Jenny is a European and World medallist whose success was forged through resilience, grit and a quiet determination to prove she belonged, even when she often felt like an outsider.

In this deeply honest and moving conversation, Jenny shares how sport transformed her from a shy young girl who let her brother speak for her, to someone who found her voice, her power and her purpose through athletics.

Affectionately known as the “pocket rocket”, Jenny speaks candidly about the mindset challenges she faced, and how it took her decades to believe she deserved her place at the top of the sport.

She discusses the devastating impact of doping in athletics, the heartbreak of missing out on  podiums and finals, and how, ultimately, it was a broken heart that led her to retire.

Today, Jenny co-leads the M11 Track Club in Manchester with her husband and long-time coach, Trevor Painter, guiding a group of elite athletes including Olympic gold medallist Keely Hodgkinson.

She reflects on the joy of coaching, the role of empathy and the emotional intelligence needed to support high-performing athletes as whole people - not just performers.

A passionate advocate for greater gender diversity in coaching, Jenny also shares her hopes for the future and her commitment to creating more visibility, opportunity and community for women in the coaching space.

This is a powerful conversation about identity, belief, and finding meaning beyond medals.

Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.

Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers

Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media

A Fearless Women production