Keely Hodgkinson has revealed she eats out almost every day during a visit to Manchester United. The British middle-distance runner made the admission while being shown around her beloved football club by old friend and United women's star Ella Toone.
The pair are friends from school and have gone on to achieve exceptional success in their careers, with Hodgkinson winning Olympic 800m gold and Toone claiming the Women's European Championship twice with England.
Reunion at Carrington training base
The pair were reunited for Sky Sports' Minus 1 series, which saw Toone, 27, give Hodgkinson, 24, a guided tour of United's Carrington training base. Starting out in the canteen, Toone detailed how she loaded up on carbs before a match.
When she asked what Hodgkinson does for mealtimes, the athlete replied: "I eat out probably every day." Given how careful she needs to monitor her food consumption, Hodgkinson will stick mostly to a healthy, nutritious diet.
The tour moved on to the treatment room, where the pair chatted about their careers while receiving massages.
Life beyond the sport
Hodgkinson, who revealed she hates getting her feet massaged, highlighted how their careers don't just revolve around running and kicking a ball, saying: "I think what people don't realise about being a professional athlete in any sport is that it's not just that sport."
"You don't just go and play football and go and run. It's the gym, the stretching, the mobilising, the physio. They think it's relaxing sat here, but it's not that relaxing."
In a previous interview with Sky Sports' Kelly Cates, Hodgkinson revealed how much she gets annoyed by social media comments questioning her commitment. Away from the track, Hodgkinson enjoys herself with friends and indulges in her other main passion, fashion.
Dealing with online criticism
She documents her exploits on Instagram, where she has more than 700,000 followers. While her posts are well-received by most of her fans, others unfairly question her dedication.
She said: "I get a lot of comments about that, which really irritates me. I'm like, 'If only you'd known what I'd done today [in training]!'"
"The perception of an athlete [constantly training], that is not sustainable. Me and my friends love to mess about. When I'm on a training camp, there's still a lot of time to kill. I started my YouTube channel a year ago to bring people on the journey about what it's really like to be a professional athlete."
After a long season, Hodgkinson will combine downtime with training over the winter ahead of a big 2027, which will feature the World Championships in Beijing.
