Year of birth: 1984
Home town/city: Nottingham

Nisha’s involvement in the sport spans 30 years, from a cross county and middle distance runner to a 10-time Northern champion over 400m hurdles, England representative, and European Masters champion in the W35 category. She is also involved in supporting athletes at her former clubs – Morpeth Harriers and Trafford – and coaches at Amber Valley and Erewash.

In Nisha’s own words: “I wanted to become a panel member so that I could contribute to advancing our sport at club and championship level, and give back to the sport that has given me so much. I feel it is important that we keep looking at innovative ways to engage with all athletes at all levels within our sport, as it should be fully inclusive.

“I am hoping as a group we can help to make some changes that will improve the overall experience of participation and competition for the athletes, coaches and parents within the sport and bring back some of the excitement, buzz and enjoyment to all competitions.”

email: ndesai@englandathletics.org
Twitter (X): @nisha400hdesai
Instagram: @nisha400hd

Year of birth: 1998
Home town/city: Worcester

Beck’s passion for the sport was shaped by her father, an athletics coach, who coached her from the age of 11. After competing through her teenage years in cross country and on the track at 1500m, Beck still describes athletics as an ‘integral’ part of her life, and she regularly runs long distance recreationally and takes part in grassroots competitions.

In Beck’s own words: “I want to drive a collaborative approach with individuals from around the country from a variety of backgrounds, in order to improve the provision of the sport from grassroot to elite level.

“I am enthusiastic about driving engagement and I would love to give athletes at all levels a voice to promote inclusion and increase retention in athletics.

“I hope that collectively as a group, we can listen to the voice of the athlete and act accordingly to better improve athletics. Retention is a key target of work that I would like the group to tackle; I believe the group can ignite the excitement and love that athletics brings to so many people, including myself.”

email: bbennett@englandathletics.org
Instagram: @beck___bennett

Year of birth: 1994
Home town/city: Newcastle upon Tyne

Calum has established himself as a leading distance runner in England, with notable success across cross country, road, and marathon running. He claimed the English National Cross Country title in 2020 and has consistently placed among the top finishers in subsequent years, including 5th in 2024 and 4th in 2026. His achievements also include victories at the UK Inter Counties Cross Country Championships in 2022 and 2024, alongside strong performances on the international stage at the European Cross Country Championships. On the roads, Calum has recorded three top-10 finishes at the Great North Run and ran a marathon best of 2:13 in 2023.

In Calum’s own words: “I wanted to join the National Athlete Panel to help strengthen the link between regional athletes and decision-making at an England level. Athletics has given me a lot of valuable opportunities over the years, and I’m keen to give back to the sport and offer my help where possible.

“I believe athletes should have a stronger voice in the sport and play a central role in shaping areas such as competition, training environments, and coaching, ensuring that the sport is more athlete-led.

“I hope to help build a stronger and more unified athlete voice across all levels of athletics. I want to bring athletes together to share experiences and drive positive change. I aim to help create a more athlete-focused environment so the sport can continue to grow and thrive nationally and within each region.”

email: calumjohnson@englandathletics.org
Instagram: @caaljohnson

Year of birth: 2004
Home town/city: London

Ella competes primarily over 400m and 800m, and has been part of England Athletics’ Youth and Junior Talent Programmes. A BUCS medallist in the 4x400m, she is on the Athletics Club committee at Oxford University, and also competes for St Mary’s Richmond and Thames Valley Harriers.

In Ella’s own words: “I wanted to be a member of the panel to use my experiences in the sport to help drive positive change, especially in regard to the youth system and teenage drop-out, as well as looking into other areas such as increasing equality in competition access and further growing the sport at a grassroots level.

“I hope the group can become an invaluable link between the athletics community and England Athletics, to ensure that as many opinions as possible are heard and so that the sport can be shaped according to the interests of everybody involved.”

email: efryer@englandathletics.org
Instagram: @ellafryer_

Yearof birth: 1996
Home town/city: Brighton

Fabienne is a T34 wheelchair racer, double Paralympian, Commonwealth and World bronze medallist, and current double European champion. She trains with Velocity Wheelchair Racers and is coached by Chris Parsloe, as she continues to build towards future international success, including the LA 2028 Paralympic Games. Alongside her athletics career, Fabienne works part-time as a therapy assistant at Chailey Heritage and is planning to return to university study.

email: fandre@englandathletics.org
Instagram: @fabienne_1996

Year of birth: 1992
Home town/city: Kenilworth

Shamira has been running competitively for around a decade, taking part in both cross country and road racing. She represents Kenilworth Runners and regularly contributes to the team’s scoring performances in club competitions. In recent years, she has achieved podium finishes in several local races, although she still describes herself as a middle-of-the-pack runner. Alongside her racing, Shamira is also a qualified Coach in Running Fitness (CiRF), reflecting her commitment to supporting others within the sport.

In Shamira’s own words: “I wanted to join the panel to use my experiences as an amateur athlete, alongside my background working in and researching sport development, to help influence the future of the sport. I am passionate about inclusion and addressing inequalities in sport, and I hope that through my role on the panel I can contribute, even in a small way, to tackling these challenges within athletics.

“I hope that as a collective we can represent the voices and opinions of the wide variety of athletes who engage in the sport at all levels, and contribute towards positive and meaningful change. Personally, I would like to ensure that inclusion, participation and addressing inequalities are central to the work we do.”

email: snaiduyoung@englandathletics.org
Instagram: @shamiras_running