Friday 24 March 2017 11:14, UK
"The best way to predict your future is to create it."
These were the words of Holly Bradshaw on Instagram, two weeks after coming fifth in the Olympic pole vault final, reflecting on rebuilding her career, in between a few extreme sports and chomping cheesecake on a Greek island.
After a seventh at London 2012, missing out on a medal again at Rio was hard to take. But this bright, talented 24-year-old is using all these experiences, including 18 months on the treatment table, to help plot world domination.
Here are the thoughts of the Sky Academy Sports Scholar.....
After the Olympics I went with my sister to Rhodes island. Before flying out I had three no jumps in Newcastle at the CityGames so the first two days on holiday I was still very frustrated. That soon went though because my sister's a good laugh and I was able to switch off and have a great time.
I'm an adrenaline junkie so got stuck into the water slides, we had a boat trip, we went to the beach, a water park, rode on scooters and ate lots of naughty food like desserts, cheesecakes and ice creams.
There was lots of thinking as well. I am a big optimist and very excited for what happens next. I feel there's been a chapter closed and I want to start a new chapter for the lead-up to the Tokyo Games in 2020.
As a pole vaulter you peak at 32/33, so I've got two more Olympics and I want to start a family so I want to make this count. I want to take my future in my own hands and do exactly what I want to do and win an Olympics.
Over the next four years I want to be smart, so I can get in a good position and go to Japan and win. That's what I want to do.
My Olympic final is very difficult to watch and I've watched it quite a few times! I only just knocked the bar off on my third and final attempt. I was capable of jumping 4.80m on that day. [Holly jumped 4.70, 15cm behind the winner].
After the year I had, I was too inconsistent and my inconsistencies with lack of vaulting showed at the higher heights.
I just didn't have enough practice at those heights. The first one I bailed. If I had cleared that third height on my first attempt then I'm sure I would have cleared it. Practice is crucial to get you into the groove. But I wasn't able to and that cost me. That third jump was so, so close but you can't dwell on it - it's nice to see that I am that close.
Not a lot really went wrong in Rio. I got injured in January and it took me four months to get back and I was playing catch-up. But when I got to Rio, I was physically in the best shape ever. I was just lacking pole vault practice.
Five minutes after I knocked the bar off and I was out of the final, I knew I could clear 4.80 and I could have won a medal. I was initially gutted and so was my coach. As soon as I came out, my husband told me I had done amazing.
That evening I sat with my coach, we had a chat and we both ended up being very excited. I had jumped a season's best and had done well.
I'm actually really happy with fifth. It would have been amazing to get a medal but looking back, I loved the final. After I finished competing I told my husband that I had loved being out there, qualifying and then in the final.
I just love competing. Whether it's the Europeans, Commonwealths, Worlds, whatever, there are medals up for grabs and that's what I'm doing it for. I love every minute of it.
I want to get to every championship and win medals. I'm so excited to look at what 2017 could bring, competing with the best and thriving in that arena.
London was completely different four years ago. I was young, I was winging it and going off pure talent with no strategy. Over the last four years, I've become a better athlete - physically and mentally. The only thing stopping me now is being healthy.
I'm in great shape to clear 4.80-90 .My focus in the lead-up to Tokyo is stay healthy and build on what I've already got. I don't need any massive improvements like after London.
Next year if I can put a block of eight months of training into the World Championships [London are hosting] and I can have a good year then I'll be really happy and I'll be able to show the world what I really can do.
WHATS COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS....
OCT 3-6: Jack Bateson, GB boxing camp
OCT 7-10: Elise Christie, Speed skating Invitation Cup
OCT 10-12: Elise Christie, Speed skating training days in Hungary
