Former Sky Scholar and 400m runner Nicola Sanders on learning to respect her athletics career

Nearly nine years ago, a roar erupted inside Osaka's Nagai stadium as three exhausted runners stormed into the last 10 metres desperate to be 400m world champion.

Nicola Sanders lurched towards the line ahead of Jamaican Novlene Williams, who had led for most of the race, and although GB team-mate Christine Ohuruogu won gold, it was still an incredibly gutsy show from the former Sky Academy Sports Scholar. 

Injuries were a source of frustration for Sanders for the rest of her career and she reluctantly retired in October 2014.

As well as that silver in Japan, the High Wycombe-born athlete, coached by Scholarship boss Tony Lester, can boast a load of other medals including European Indoor 400m gold at Birmingham in 2007, clocking 50.02 seconds which is still a British record.

So 16 months after hanging up her spikes and now running around changing nappies, how does Sanders reflect on her career, being a mum and how the Sky Scholarship (2010-2012) boosted her?

I was looking at my phone the other day and one of my 'Facebook Memories' popped up. It was a photo of me and my running group on a hill session in the rain. And I thought - 'do we really miss this?'

I don't miss athletics when it's freezing cold. By the end of my career, I was fed up with being away, but at the same time I miss going to South Africa and being in the sunshine and training with people doing what I love. 

So I have mixed feelings. Overall though, I don't miss it - which is good because it means I retired at the right time. I knew I was ready. 

I was chosen for the relay in London 2012 but they didn't end up picking me, so I lost all my funding. After the Games, I decided to change event and try the 800m.

I did that for a year and competed a few times in 2013 and then I got injured again. I thought I'd give it one more year but got so injured, I couldn't even compete. I got more and more frustrated. There are only so many times you can say 'if I wasn't injured, I could have...'. I knew it was time to stop.

The good part of my career was a long time ago and it feels like I was a separate person. My peak was in 2007. That's nine years ago, which is crazy. Even when I was doing my best times with silver in Osaka, I thought I could have won that final. I was disappointed and I couldn't appreciate it then. 

At the start of my career, to say I'd be the British indoor record holder and have all the medals I won, I wouldn't have believed it. It did become frustrating but over time, I've learned to appreciate it. 

With all the injuries, I feel I could have got more out of it but over time, I feel I've had a pretty good career and one that many would kill for - even those that aren't injured.

At the moment, I'm very happy being a mum. I will start some different work and eventually I will get back into coaching. I've always wanted to go into physio because of my injuries but not at the moment. 

I'm very happy looking after Oliver [6 months old]. It wasn't that long ago I was training, but as soon as I started being a mum, it felt like I had been doing it for years. The transition from athlete to parent has been pretty comfortable. You do have to be self-centred as an athlete with your body, where everything is geared towards training and competing. 

But I was ready to change that part of my life so it all happened and my life is now all about Oliver. That all happened quite naturally and it doesn't seem such a change because it's so normal now - although I obviously have less sleep than I used to! 

Looking back, being on the Scholarship scheme was brilliant. Tony was my coach and it really assisted in so many ways.

It helped me buy essential equipment and I was given the opportunity to learn from some of the mentors, who were Sky presenters where I worked in the studios.

It also enabled me to have warm weather training. It helped so much with the injuries being in the sun and doing quality training. 

In the build-up to the 2012 season, we went to Florida for five weeks. The whole of our group went and Tony also managed to get out for most of that time. The training was great and that just wouldn't have happened without the Scholarship. I will always be very grateful for that.

In the build-up to London, being a Scholar also helped with our profiles and the sport's profile. I remember seeing a poster of me running in the middle alongside Sir Chris Hoy and Andy Murray.

It was so weird thinking people were seeing it all around the country. I was in a shopping centre and these guys were trying to sell me Sky TV in front of the poster and I was saying "hold on... that's me!"

For any new Scholar starting the scheme, I would say 'grab it with both hands'. It's such an amazing opportunity. 

Plus having the chance to see the Sky set-up was amazing. It gave me exposure to some great training with media and it gives you money to do the sport you love. I recommend taking every opportunity it gives you.

So what's next for me? Before having Oliver, I did some sports massage and personal training. I might go back to that when my son is old enough and maybe some coaching but I don't have definite plans.

As for Oliver, my partner and I were joking about him becoming an athlete recently! We will definitely encourage him to do sport. 

When he was born, he was diagnosed with Down's Syndrome so we were chatting about signing him up for the Special Olympics and deciding what events he'd do! He's very active though, so he'll be into all of this as it is.