As Charlotte Worthington prepares for her first European Games, the Olympic champion is searching for balance.
The 26-year-old BMX freestyler has to juggle the tag of being a cyclist while producing displays far removed from the sport's more traditional disciplines.
To find equilibrium, she has turned to the athlete who started her love affair with Team GB – Tom Daley.
“Team GB is something I always looked up to here as a child, I looked up to Tom Daley a lot,” the 2019 European champion said.
“He was really one of my idols within sport, and to be on the same team that he was is really incredible.
“He was very much the face of Team GB when I was a teenager in high school, and I admire him even more so now, because since meeting him I find we've got a lot in common in our sports.
“He's classed as a swimmer, and I'm a cyclist. But, for instance, I don't like cycling around a circle 80 times, and then he doesn't like swimming back and forth following a black line.
“We both like to make it a little bit more exciting, and it's very individual and creative and that's really something that I admire and strive to, I love working with Tom.”
In recent months, Worthington took the decision to pull out of competing to prioritise her mental health and her long-term future in sport. She again turned to an aquatic inspiration, speaking with admiration at swimmer Adam Peaty’s bravery in talking about his own struggles.
Worthington added: “It has felt like a brave thing to do. I had a lot of help and guidance to get me there because I felt very lost.
“It was happening in the build-up to a contest, I didn't feel like myself and how I usually felt in those build-up weeks.
“But I’m thankful to the inspiration of so many other athletes that have spoken out and made that decision, in particular Adam Peaty.
“He's spoken out a lot about his mental heath and we’re in very much a similar position, so that really inspired me to speak more confidently about it.
“I'm very used to keeping my cards close to my chest, hence, at the Olympics, no one knew the 360 flip was coming.
“Your mind can be your greatest ally or your worst enemy and I feel a lot better about speaking out about it.”
Worthington is pleased to say she is now coming out the other side of a dark tunnel that followed her rise to national recognition as she won gold in Tokyo.
The Manchester-born rider became the first woman to land a 360 backflip in competition on her way to the top of the podium.
It is one achievement in a long line of firsts, first European champion, first Olympic champion, first woman to land a 720.
Another first could follow at the European Games in Krakow as BMX Freestyle makes its debut at the multi-sport event.
🇬🇧OLYMPIC CHAMPION!!!🥇 IT WAS ALL OR NOTHING! 4 YEARS WORK PAYING OFF! WORDS CAN’T EXPLAIN HOW THIS FEELS AFTER ALL THE BUMPS IN THE ROAD, THANK YOU BMX!!! 🇬🇧❤️🔥 #teamgb #bmx #olympics pic.twitter.com/2yvaLjysbH
— Charlotte Worthington (@chazworther) August 2, 2021
But Worthington is having to balance the innate competitor in her that is always searching for wins – and in this case qualification points for Paris 2024 – with the desire to find enjoyment in competing again.
“I think on my personal journey right now, enjoying myself is more important than winning,” she said.
“And it's really hard to admit that because I am someone who strives to be the best they can be all the time, and I want to fight for that medal.
“I know I have the physical capabilities to do it but sometimes you've really got to take that sensible, brave step.
“I've got to re-establish my why. Why I'm doing it, why it's enjoyable because I know all this. I can tell you exactly why, but you've really got to feel it in your belly.
“I reached that point of burnout, so I needed to rebuild and then come back way stronger with way better perspective.”
Sportsbeat 2023