Tom Bosworth: Inspiring the next generation of race walkers
The Olympic Games are underway and the athletics started with the 20km walks where Team GB’s Callum Wilkinson represented and finished a respectable 16th place. At our recent England Senior Championships, we were lucky enough to speak to 2x Olympian and British record holder Tom Bosworth as he reflected on his career and how he is seeking to inspire the next generation of race walkers in the UK.
Experiencing the Olympic Games
As a double Olympian and Commonwealth silver medallist, Tom Bosworth has experienced the highs of competing on the world stage, an opportunity which he relished.
"The Olympic Games is the pinnacle of sport, and to have made two Games still doesn't feel real. I look back at my career and I feel so privileged to have experienced what I did. Securing your sport is an awesome moment. Getting that call after a lifetime of work and dreaming comes true, being on the startline and then finishing the race is a big relief."
Throughout his career, Tom has set the standard to the race walking world, holding world and national records across a variety of different distances from 1km all the way up to 20km. Pre-pandemic Tom was challenging the record books and the podiums with a Commonwealth silver medal in 2018 and a 6th place finish at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. This Games may look a little different for Tom as he is currently working for Eurosport commentary and Team GB across social media, so keep your eyes peeled!
Inspiring the next generation in retirement
Despite retiring after the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Tom hasn't fully stepped away from the track. He is now focused on inspiring the next generation of race walkers.
"I am currently working with athletics clubs, visiting and training their endurance coaches so they can deliver race walking as part of their sessions."
"There are so many opportunities for athletes of all levels to win medals whether nationally, regionally or at a club level and we need to build up the pool of athletes in this space. I have seen such a positive response with lots of endurance groups giving race walking a go alongside their running training and they have achieved some great things. It is important for athletes to realise you don't just have to do race walking and that running can go hand in hand.
"My overall goal over the next couple of years is to build the overall numbers in race walking especially at a younger age. I would like to try and get more low level local races for people to give it ago so that they are not put off by a 5k or 10k race."
"I want race walking to be put back into mainstream events to make sure that it continues, and so does our success for many years to come."