Natalie Kipps

My Dad is a boxing coach and used to take his boxers on early morning runs in Trent Park on Saturday mornings. I was really keen on running and so my Dad used to take me with him when I was about 10/11. At the boxing club was a lovely man called Alf Camp, who knew Ron Stone at Orion…my training started then!

800m

In terms of times, it was when I ran 2:11 for 800m at the SESSA (South of England Universities) championships at Lee Valley – I can’t explain what that race felt like! Achievement-wise it has to be winning the senior bronze medal at the Essex XC Championships at Hadleigh. It was the hardest race I have ever done.

When I first started at Orion, I was still doing quite a few other sports, so I didn’t take it as seriously. As I got older I started to drop the other sports, and at the age of 18 I decided I wanted to train harder with the aim of getting my 800m time down. I had a few years where I took running very seriously and I loved it. Because of injuries and setbacks, running is all about enjoyment for me nowadays.

When I was four years old I remember watching Sally Gunnell run in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and winning the gold medal. For a lot of my childhood, my main ambition was to be an Olympian just like Sally Gunnell.

It’s a lot easier if I list them!

• Plantar fasciitis
• Metatarsal fractures
• Torn hamstring
• Iliotibial band syndrome
• Multiple ankle sprains
• Avulsion fracture in my ankle
• Trapped sciatic nerve
• Medial tibial stress syndrome (shin splints)
• Morton’s neuroma

My first bad injury was the plantar fasciitis and it was at a period where I felt like I was running well and had a lot to give. That was very tough mentally, as it was hard watching everyone else still training and competing when I couldn’t. Going on from there, I’d get a few good months’ of training in and I’d had another setback, so it was difficult. As time has gone on I’m better able to deal with injuries now, and I appreciate and enjoy just being able to run more than anything else.

INJURIES!

Every time I got an injury it would knock me back both physically and mentally and I have taken a few small time-outs from running, but I ALWAYS want to come back. You have to enjoy what you’re doing and that’s the most important thing. I think a big part of overcoming the injuries was the support I got from my coaches and friends at Orion – I enjoy the social side of the club as much as the training and competing. My family has been amazing and I’m lucky that at my age I still get a group of family supporters coming out to see me race when I can, which makes me happy.

Enjoy and appreciate the ability to run