Keely Hodgkinson has opened up about how she maintains a level head despite her status as one of the world's most successful athletes. Her comments echo those of World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, who previously praised the runner for her down-to-earth nature.
Hodgkinson's Pursuit of the World Record
Hodgkinson will look to smash the women's 800m world record, set by Jarmila Kratochvilova, at the Diamond League meeting at London Stadium on Saturday. She will be more determined than ever after facing heartache at a Diamond meet earlier this month due to injury.
The 24-year-old won gold in the 800m at the 2024 Paris Olympics and again claimed gold at this year's World Indoor Championships. As a superstar of the track, one might assume Hodgkinson is somewhat divorced from reality, but that is not the case.
What Keeps Her Grounded
Speaking to Runners World, Hodgkinson was asked what keeps her grounded, and her answer speaks volumes about the humble star. She said: "I would say friends and family. I think it's so important who you have around you – they influence what you believe and who you become. So I have really great friends and amazing family. I love them very much. And I just like spending time with them, not talking about anything to do with what I do, just being Keely the daughter, the sister, the older sister."
She added: "My sisters have very different lives from me and I like going into other people's lives and just doing normal things. I also pick up hobbies – every month I try to learn something new. Currently it's kick-ups. Every time I'm in the gym with the boys, we're always kicking a football around, and I just thought, I really want to do an 'around the world'. So that's this month's hobby."
Reflecting on her broader interests, Hodgkinson said: "Over the years I've had piano lessons, tried to learn a language, even DJ'd at one point. I'm fascinated by trying to experience everything."
Life After Athletics
She also touched on her future beyond running: "I think it's cool to have skills and do other things to see what else you like. When I was injured last year, it did get me thinking about what I'm going to do when I retire. Nothing can really replace the feeling of what we do, but I'm hoping that when the time rolls around, that I get to finish on my terms and I'm ready to step away. That would be amazing, but at some point I'll have to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. So if you see me in Ibiza, you'll know it was the DJing!"
Coe's Praise for Hodgkinson
Coe, who claimed 1500m gold at both the 1980 and 1984 Games before orchestrating London 2012, appeared on the UNTAPPED podcast where he was asked about Hodgkinson. He said: "What I love about Keely is she is probably the most, forget athletics, she's probably the most authentic person I currently know. What you see with Keely is what you get. She is very funny, she's totally driven, but she puts things in perspective. I was up in Manchester not that long ago and I bumped into her one night going into a restaurant."
Coe continued: "I was on my way out. I'd sort of done the early shift and she turned up and it was her birthday. It was a couple of weeks... I mean she'd only just broken the indoor world record. She was only literally a few days away from destroying the field and winning her world indoor title and she was just out celebrating her birthday. She's just completely normal, but she is incredibly well talented. She's got a great coaching team around her. I'm probably going to lose whatever fan base I've got left in the south of England, but she's absolutely rooted to the north of England and that for me counts for a lot in life."
