Nine ‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes - Charlotte Best, Tara Bird, Laura Finucane, Alison Leonard, Emma Pallant, Charlotte Purdue, Stacey Smith, Simon Horsfield and Ricky Stevenson – travelled to the Aviva GB & NI Team Preparation Camp in Portugal and the IAAF World Championships in Berlin to experience what it is like to prepare for and compete in a major international senior championship.

Three of the athletes’ coaches - Arthur Almond, Steve Shaw and Mick Woods - also took part in the trip to the preparation camp in Monte Gordo, Portugal, on 5-8 August while others – Ayo Falola, George Gandy and John Nuttall - were there as coaches to GB Team athletes.

As well as carrying out their own training, the group were educated about the organisation of a preparation camp and what to expect when competing at a senior international championship.  UKA staff who talked to the group included Head Coach Charles van Commenee, Performance Programme Manager Simon Nathan, Head of Endurance Ian Stewart, UKA Doctor Noel Pollock and Physiotherapist Alison Rose.  The athletes also spent time carrying out media interviews and having photographs and had the opportunity to visit the GB Team hotel and chat with GB Team athletes.

The athletes were in Berlin from 19 to 22 August during which time they were privileged to witness Usain Bolt set a world record in the 200m as well as Britain’s Jenny Meadows win a bronze medal in the 800m.  As well as watching the action in the stadium, they took part in a behind-the-scenes tour of the stadium led by none other than 800m world record holder Wilson Kipketer.  They visited the warm up area, experienced the 400m walk through a tunnel from the first to the second call rooms and saw where the athletes entered the stadium before attending a press conference with 400m world record holder Michael Johnson to unveil the new IAAF logo.

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