Emily Campbell up for Athletes’ Athlete of the Month

Britain’s elite athletes are now voting for their April 2023 Athlete of the Month, facilitated by the British Elite Athletes Association.

Four athletes have been nominated for the award after achieving personal triumphs over the last few weeks, and one will be chosen as the winner by their peers on World Class Programmes.

This month’s shortlist comprises: Emily Campbell (weightlifting), Claire Danson (para-cycling), Penny Healey (archery) and Sophie McKinna (athletics). The four have been selected not just for competitive success, but for a range of accomplishments.

Campbell won her third European weightlifting title despite a string of recent injuries. She had knee surgery at the start of the year and a back issue that threatened her participation in the championships, but posted 110-143-253 to claim her third consecutive title. The next day Emily’s interview about body image and exclusion on the Monday Mile podcast was published.

Danson was paralysed when her bike collided with a tractor in August 2019, severing her spinal cord. A triathlete, she took up handcycling, and completed her first three international races with Great Britain in Italy; a major milestone.

Healey moved to first in the world rankings aged just 18 thanks to her debut individual gold at the Archery World Cup. She started the year ranked 15^th, and also won European Grand Prix gold in April.

Finally, McKinna, a shot putter, publicly discussed her sexuality for the first time in interviews with Sky and the BBC. She said that while she doesn’t want coming out to overshadow her sporting career, she wanted to “use her really valuable platform” to “help somebody else.”

Elite athletes can vote for their Athlete of the Month now by heading to their latest BEAA email, with the winner to be confirmed across the BEAA’s website and social media channels shortly.