Holly Bradshaw: Chorley Olympian gears up for sixth world championship appearance

Tomorrow (Monday, August 21), the 31-year-old pole vaulter, who attended Parklands High School in Chorley and then Runshaw College, is set to compete in her sixth world championship.

Holly took to Instagram today (Sunday, August 20) to promise fans that there’s still “some life in her yet” as she shared images from her five previous world championships – in 2011, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020.In the caption, Holly wrote: “It's been one hell of a rollercoaster since 2011 but I am very grateful to be contesting my 6th world championship qualification round tomorrow and I am ready for the fight because this old dog has some life left in her yet

“It's no secret my body has struggled over the last 2 years for various reasons, however training pain free this last month (including full approach jumping ) has been bliss and I intend this to be the start of an injury free year leading into Paris.

"I hear people say "I'm not exactly where I would like to be" but where is that anyway! For me it is certainly not sitting at home watching the World Champs on the TV because I'm "not fully ready".

“You miss 100% of the chances [y]ou don't take so here I am taking a chance”

The 2023 World Athletics Championships started in Budapest on August 19 and is due to end on August 27.

While competing in the qualifying competition for the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Holly's pole snapped and she had to withdraw from the competition.

Holly is also set to compete in the Paris Olympics in 2024, where she will be hoping to replicate or even better her last Olympic appearance in 2021, where she won the bronze medal.