by Stuart Weir
This is Stuart Weir, RunBlogRun’s senior writer for Europe, for Innes Fitzgerald, the up-and-coming British distance runner, and her desire to improve the world.
Innes FitzGerald – a green runner
Innes FitzGerald successfully negotiated the prelim in her first senior track championship, coming fifth in the 3000m and looking comfortable. She said afterwards: “I am excited. I was nervous going into that heat as I thought anything could happen; someone could fall, and I may not get through. I am in the European Indoor final, and no one expects anything of me. I am happy that I am already in the top 12 in Europe as I have made that final. I have nothing to lose, I will go out there and fight for it”.
Aged just 18, she is an athlete of potential, finishing fourth at 3000 in the World U20s last year. She also won the 30th SPAR European Cross Country Championships, Antalya – U20 cross country championship. She is a full-time student studying Sport and Exercise Science and fitting training into everyday student life – remember, there are no sports scholarships in the UK.
Her modesty comes out well in this comment to GB athletics writers last week: “Yeah, I think going into the winter, I never really thought I’d have this opportunity. So, I’m grateful to have been selected to become a senior champ. It’s really exciting. There’s not too much pressure on me because of my age and first senior GB vest. So I just want to go out there and enjoy it, hopefully get into that final. That’s where I believe I belong. And, yeah, do the best I can and, hopefully, compete for one of the medals. But just getting close, that’s the main thing”.
She adds: “I am not putting too much pressure on myself. I’m just gonna go out there and enjoy it, and that’s the main thing. Just soak it all up and get some experience competing against some of the best in the world, because all the experience I can get now will only help me for the future”.
Asked about her training and why she works off a relatively low mileage, she spoke with a great deal of common sense: “I think there’s lots more years of my career left. I don’t want to jump into anything too soon because I’ll have nowhere to progress. So it’s just about gradually building up the mileage and intensity so I have somewhere to go in the coming years. I’m improving a rate that’s like, along with my like body development and things like that, so that I don’t risk injury and get there sustainably”.
Her attitude reminded me of Gabby Thomas, who told me that she had decided to do a Master’s because she liked to have something else in her life. “If track isn’t going well, I go to the science lab, and if I am fed up with studies, I go to the gym.”
Innes has a great passion for environmental issues. One frustration about this week is that the team flew to the Netherlands: “I do feel like I should be getting the train there, and that’s something I will do in the future. And for me, it’s gutting that the whole team isn’t going together on the train, considering it’s so close and easy to do. But I will continue discussing environmental issues in the future because I know it’s essential. I strongly believe that we as athletes have a responsibility”. When she competed in Italy, she and her parents decided not to fly, taking the bus, train, and even cycling, an experience she described as a “a bit of a crazy adventure”.
“Whenever I’m getting on a flight, I’m always thinking, ‘Oh, I shouldn’t be doing this’, but I know that I’ve got to go to these championships to fulfil my dreams as a professional athlete, so it’s just about balancing that and trying to do as much as I can in other areas of my life to make up for it, and also just speak out and raise awareness about it. Even though I might be doing the wrong thing, just saying that it’s terrible is better than doing it and not saying it’s awful.
“I think it comes from my respect for other people. I always seem to feel like I have a responsibility to look after the people in the Global South or those directly affected by extreme weather events. We’re not in the UK affected by it, but I feel the pain that they’re feeling, and it’s my responsibility in a more privileged position to kind of help them and raise awareness for the situations they’re in as a result of our actions”.
She was also quick to commend World Athletics: “Yeah, I think it’s really positive to see World Athletics doing things, but there’s always more that people can be doing. And as much as I’m very grateful that they’re doing something, I will always fight for them to do more because there’s always more they can do, whether they’re part of World Athletics, British Athletics, or any other organization. I think there’s always more to be done, and I’ll continue to campaign”,
It was inspiring – and challenging – to listen to an athlete with so much passion.
