MARA YAMAUCHI

 But life is never straightforward, and it took 24 years before I realised my dream by lining up at the start of the 2008 Beijing Olympics women’s marathon (I finished 6th). During that long journey, I learned a huge amount about going after your dream, motivation, perseverance, overcoming setbacks, and never giving up. In 2012, I competed in my second Olympic Games at the historic London Olympics, and retired from elite competition in 2013.  

My career as an athlete has been interspersed with working as a diplomat. After studying at Oxford University and LSE, I wasn’t fast enough as a runner to earn a living from athletics. So I joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and was posted to Tokyo, Japan for four years, where I learned a huge amount about Japan – the language, culture, society and its passion for the marathon!  

But I never forgot my dream of becoming an Olympian, and for ten years I did my best to combine working as a diplomat with training. In 2006, at age 33, I finally became a full-time athlete. The highlights of my career were winning the bronze medal in the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games 10,000m, winning the 2008 Osaka Ladies’ Marathon, finishing runner-up in the 2009 London Marathon, and finishing sixth at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (the joint best performance ever by a British woman in the Olympic marathon).

Running is a wonderful sport – simple, inexpensive, exhilarating, and good for your health. I want to help others to get as much enjoyment, confidence, and self-belief from running as I have. But I also want to show people how the skills, attributes and experiences of being an elite athlete are very relevant and useful in the workplace and the wider world. 

Although I have retired from elite competition, I still run regularly to stay fit and for enjoyment. I now have dreams of winning Masters competitions so watch this space!