She seems cool. Probably one the best clean 5000 meter runners on Earth.
She seems cool. Probably one the best clean 5000 meter runners on Earth.
Several points.
1) Athletics is not a big sport in the UK anymore. The only athletes that get a major sponsorship deal are those who transcend athletics and become "household names", such as Mo, Paula and, for a brief period Jo Pavey. The ""person in the street" probably doesn't have a clue who McColgan is.
2) Lottery funding is geared towards success - medals - at World and Olympic levels. European and Commonwealth games don't really count. She is very unlikely to get a medal at world level so will not receive much support from the lottery. It's not a rational strategy - those athletes at that level can earn a good living from the sport without lottery funding- but that's the way it is and it is not going to change!
3) Treatment for sports injuries on the NHS is very hit and miss. You might get lucky with a sympathetic GP and local physiotherapy department but more likely not. Almost certain never to get the daily treatment that an injured top athlete requires.
UKmessedup wrote:
IT kinda seems like running is messed up in the UK, like other things. There was a tweet from Lily Partridge saying how she was having to pay her own travel and for her own healthcare since teh national health system wasnt responsive enough. Now I have no idea how good Lily is or isn't, but I have the impressiojn that in the US she would at least be able to snag a hoka sponsorship and have someone looking out to make sure she gets proper medical care. Meanwhile that whole twitter conversation was just complaining about how there wasn't enough/any national funding for Lily; in the US that would be taken care of by the private sector mostly I suspect.
As a nation, we have more important things to fund other than perks and discounted travel for a random average athlete. They can apply for lottery funding if they are good enough.
Uhhh wrote:
slowcoach wrote:
i haven't lived in the UK for a long time and others will be able to correct me if things have changed - but most runners would not expect the NHS to provide all their sports injury treatment and physio services; but would be perfectly fine with the NHS providing all "normal" healthcare. i am sure "paying her own healthcare" isn't the same as it would be in the US, but more like paying for her sports related healthcare which will be a small fraction of the cost, and something most runners expect to do.
The NHS is very good at responding to emergencies ... if you break a leg or get infected with a nerve agent like Novichok ... you'll get treatment immediately.
If you rock up saying "I need a sports massage because my calves are a bit tight" you're going to be out of luck.
If you have a injury you will get physio / treatment / scans for it but it could take you 2-3 months to get appointment. I think that's what she means about it being non-responsive.
Indeed, I was laughed out when I complained about pain and suggested I had abductor tendonitis. They diagnosed a tiny hernia and then said '...but that won't be causing your pain...'. End of treatment. So, I just live with it... :)
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