Newbury’s Izzy Fry will take on the “best of the best”, having been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Athletics Championships in Rome this weekend.
The 24 year old cross-country and long distance runner has had a month to remember, setting a new personal best over 1500m, before getting the call which confirmed she’d be on the plane to Rome.
That event in Manchester two weeks ago saw Izzy set a time of 4:11.89. Not bad for an outing which was just meant to “turn the legs over”.
“I went into it with no pressure. I don’t see it as my distance”, said Fry.
“I knew that if I was going to be selected for the European Championships, doing a 1500m race beforehand would be beneficial just to turn the legs over.
“It feels very short and fast for me, but I set a six second PB which I was really happy with.
“I came away having really enjoyed it. It was good fun!”
This marks the end of a year long road to recovery for Izzy, having suffered a tear in her plantar fascia, the part of the foot which connects the heel bone to the toes, in March 2023.
“We’ve worked back really sensibly”, she said, while admitting that she’s enjoyed aspects of her recovery.
“It’s nice, once you’ve had a big injury and you’ve been out of the sport for a while, you see improvements week on week.
“It can be quite motivating, building consistency and confidence all together.
“Even now, a year on, I’m completing sessions in a way I’ve never done before.
“Every time I’ve raced this year I’ve set a personal best.
“I’ve got that snowball effect at the moment. Everything’s trending in the right direction and the training has definitely been a big part of that.”
Izzy’s reward for all that hard work is a call up to run the 5000m for Britain at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome, which starts on 7th June.
It’s something which has provided motivation throughout her recovery, but not a call she expected to receive.
“Since my injury, it’s something I’ve had on my mind for that whole year.
“I thought, if I could make my first senior track team a year after coming back from injury, I’d be over the moon.
“But at the same time, I knew that I had to run the standard, which at this time last year felt like a really big ask.
“I hit that back in February, then backed it up again in May.
“I was obviously very happy, but when there’s other girls that have also hit it, it’s very hard to know if it’s enough.”
Receiving the call last week marked the end of a long journey for Fry, who described exactly how much it meant:
“I wasn’t expecting the call at all! When it came, I burst out crying!
“The relief of the last year, all in one.
“I don’t often tell myself I’m proud, but it made me reflect.
“I’m proud of the last year and what I’ve achieved. It makes all the hard times worth it.
“Now it’s done, just enjoying the Championships is the aim.”
Izzy is looking forward to the Championships as a learning experience, a chance to test herself against elite athletes.
“I’ve never raced in a senior track race before.
“It’s the best of the best. I don’t know what to expect at all!
“Every time I’ve represented Great Britain, I’ve finished in the top ten. I’d like to continue that streak, but I know it would be a really big ask.
“I want to learn a lot and have fun! It’s a straight final, so there’s nothing to lose!”
As she prepares to join up with the rest of the squad in Rome, Izzy is relishing the opportunity to rub shoulders with stars such as Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith.
“It’s surreal actually!
“Most of my GB events have been cross-country, so you don’t get the likes of the sprinters and the throwers.
“It’s not something I’ve thought about until now! It’s really exciting to be in amongst it all. I’ll try to soak in as much as I can.
“I think my race is one of the first, so I can get that out of the way and then become a fan!”
Having received one surprise call up already, Fry is ruling nothing out for the rest of the year.
“I’m heading to Vienna for a 5k, which is the last window for running the Olympic time.
“I do feel like that’s out of reach, but stranger things have happened!
“I’ll give that my best shot. After that I’d like to focus on some 1500m races, they were a bit of fun!
“It’s about enjoying the rest of the season, now I’ve achieved my main goal.”
Fry seems to share a trait with other great athletes, who consistently exceed their own expectations. In Rome, she’ll hope to continue that trend as her career reaches new heights on the elite stage.
