Former GB hockey player is now lighting up the track and is curious to know how far she can go in the sport
Kate Axford had a dream of representing Great Britain at the Paris Olympics on the hockey pitch but now has ambitions of doing it in athletics.
The 24-year-old decided to switch sports after a labral tear in her hip joint – an injury she picked up changing direction in training – meant she couldn’t handle the force of sharp movement that you need to play hockey.
It forced Axford to re-think. She turned to running and started training under the stewardship of Charlie Dickinson at Belgrave Harriers at the end of March.
Since then Axford has clocked 16:39 over 5km, won the Comeback 5000m at Battersea in 15:49.79 (April 23) and took victory in her first ever 3000m race at the Loughborough International with a time of 9:06.02 (May 21).
Axford was also chosen to represent England Athletics in Loughborough and the former hockey pro, who was contracted with Great Britain up until January, can’t quite believe how the last few months have gone.
“Not leaving anything out on the hockey pitch or track is my mentality.”
Kate Axford was a GB hockey player but injury meant she switched sports to athletics 🇬🇧
She has now run 16:39 over 5km and yesterday won the 3000m at Loughborough in 9:06.02 🔥
🎙️ @TimAdams76 pic.twitter.com/8CFoLLqel7
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) May 22, 2023
“It means an awful lot to get an England vest,” she told AW. “You’re running with some incredible athletes in Loughborough. It’s exciting and my first mentality is to go out there and enjoy it.
“Being totally honest, I never thought it would go that well. I was running with incredible athletes who had already had really fast times. I wanted to just perform to my best in the race and I think I’ve got that grittiness to always try and win. So I managed to pull it off!”
Axford isn’t a complete stranger to running. She finished 68th overall at the 2013 English Schools Cross County Championships and also competed in the 1500m at an East Anglian meet during her teenage years.
However, in the last few months, she has made the kind of waves that start to get people excited about what is possible further down the line.
It’s only May but she has run the third fastest 3000m and sixth quickest 5000m of any female athlete in the UK so far this year.
Kate Axford wins in Loughborough (James Rhodes)
Axford isn’t getting too far ahead of herself though and…
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