My low moments shaped me into the person I am

Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson explains to SARA KEENAN how she's learned to go with flow

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BRITISH heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson says her biggest lessons have not come from winning, but from “the low moments”.

The 33-year-old, from Liverpool and now based in Loughborough, admits setbacks have ultimately shaped her mindset and helped her rediscover joy in competing.

“I definitely think that some of the low moments are the things that shaped me into the person I am. The lessons learned in those low moments changed me for the better,” says Katarina, who is a double World champion, double Commonwealth Games champion and an Olympic and European silver medallist.

Katarina, who is an ambassador for Radox, explains that her right calf injury at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 completely changed her perspective.

“I used to think I deserve this because I've done this or I’ve trained for something, therefore this should happen and it was very black or white. Now, I've definitely gained the mentality of going with the flow,’ she says.

“Bad things happen, good things happen and that's just life. We're all just trying our best. I feel like that mentality definitely helped me chill out a lot more in training and approach the competition as a joy instead of a pressure pot.

“Early in my career I was just so focused on trying to win but I missed out on a lot of joy.”

Now with major competitions including the European Championships and Commonwealth Games on the horizon, Katarina approaches elite competition with a different perspective, focusing less on pressure and more on being present.