Poppy Tank: invaluable experience at the Commonwealth Games
For Poppy Tank, the Commonwealth Games was her first England vest on the track and whilst the competition was tough, it was a great building block for her future. We caught up with Poppy at our recent South West Volunteer Awards to hear more about her experience at the Games.
An invaluable experience in Glasgow
Having started the year thinking that the Commonwealth Games were out of her reach, Poppy was delighted to be selected thanks to her ranking. She was excited to have the opportunity to represent England at the highest level, but one of her highlights was being part of the team.
“One of the best parts for me was that they had the para-athletes alongside the able-bodied athletes and that was a really special experience because I wouldn’t otherwise have met a lot of those athletes. It was really inspiring to hear their stories, get to know them and just hear more about para-athletics.
“We would sit at dinner altogether on big round tables and it was really enjoyable to hear a different side of athletics that I wouldn’t otherwise see, being an endurance athlete.”
Poppy raced in the 10,000m and the race was tough with a strong field of athletes and an inconsistent pace, but it was an invaluable experience for Poppy to take forward.
“You can be disappointed in the moment, but I think there’s lots to take away from it, positives to look at and it’s a great building block for the future. You only learn how to do those sorts of things and run those sorts of races by being in them, so it’s very invaluable experience for me to take forwards in my career. I’m really grateful that I got to represent England at the highest level possible.”
The support from City of Plymouth AC
Before her race, one of the coaches shared messages with Poppy from people at her club, City of Plymouth AC and this support meant a lot to her.
“It was really emotional actually. It’s so nice to have all these people supporting that I haven’t personally met. One girl said that I was a really big role model to her and it was such a nice feeling to have somebody from my club at home look up to me, so it was really special.”
Volunteers at the club played a big role in Poppy’s journey to the Commonwealth Games, so it was great for her to join us for the evening at the South West Volunteer Awards to say thank you to those who have given their time to make our sport special.
“Tonight was really inspiring at the awards because hearing about all the impact that volunteers have on the clubs is really inspiring and special.”
“My first coach Simon Anderson was so generous with his time. He just made athletics fun and that’s a big part of why I’m still part of the sport now. It’s easy to get serious and competing is important but what’s the point if you don’t enjoy it, especially for young athletes.”
Travelling the world and making friends
Poppy continues to enjoy the sport now and values the experiences it has brought her just as much as the running itself.
“I’ve been to so many different amazing countries, cities and places I might not have thought to go and visit otherwise and I think that you get such an amazing experience.”
Bedsides the travelling, Poppy has also met lots of amazing people through the sport, like she mentioned with the team at the Commonwealth Games.
“It’s very much around the people that I get to travel with and most of my best friends are from the sport. I met a lot of really lovely women when I was at university and they’re lifelong friends. We still catch up now, albeit periodically because we’re on different time zones, but it’s the people that make the sport and I’m so lucky to have met so many amazing people.”