Why golden swimmer Aimee Willmott is switching lanes at Commonwealth Games

The 27-year-old from Middlesbrough could head to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games with a gold medal to defend, but instead is shifting her focus to the administrative side of sport, to help the wider athlete community prosper from what are affectionately known as the ‘Friendly Games’.

Willmott earned her place on the Commonwealth Games England board last month as one three athlete representatives.

And as her focus transitions from competing to delivering, she believes the many experiences she has had across three Commonwealth Games gives her plenty of wisdom to impart.

“I’ve had some success in my career and the Commonwealth Games has been a huge part of that journey,” says Willmott, who is also a two-time Olympian.

“I was 17 in Delhi when I made my debut in an international meet, and then to improve and go up from fifth to silver to then winning gold over the next two Games, it made me appreciate the journey I had been on.

“That environment Team England create is so special and it’s such an exciting team to be on, that I want to be involved in that and learn more from the other side of that. If I can play a role in shaping the next generation of athletes with this director position, then that’s the aim.

“There’s always problems that organisations face in the run up to an event, and being an athlete you don’t appreciate how hard the decisions being made are to arrive at.

“So being now on the flip side, I can hopefully help ensure the decisions being made are as athlete-focussed as possible and help the next generation have a smooth transition into the Games, whether it’s their first event travelling across the world for the first time, or whether they’re coming to the end of their careers.

“Hopefully it will be a great learning opportunity for me as to what goes on.”

Athlete well-being is very much part of the conversation at the minute.

When the International Olympic Committee took the decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Games by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic, the inability of some competitors to train was one of the factors.

As a swimmer, Willmott knows that all too well. She has not been in a pool for seven weeks.

“I’m doing home workouts, cycling, walking etc,” she says.

“As a swimmer you can concentrate on core stability, shoulder control etc, things you’d have to be working on regardless, but just not having access to the pool, you can’t really replicate swimming at all.”

Willmott had already announced that 2020 would be the final year of her competitive career.

The postponement of the Games means she will have a third crack at the Olympics next year, but as it stands, there is to be no fourth Commonwealth Games; the business suit replacing the swimsuit for 2022.

“I aim to get back in whenever that is and work towards next year,” adds Willmott.

“We don’t know how long we’re going to be in this situation for, we just have to plan that Tokyo is going to go ahead next year.

“There are rumours already it might get put back again but we’ve just got to ignore that, get back in to training and presume that next year will be the Olympics.

“I don’t think I’ll make Birmingham. It’s ifs and buts but I’m at that stage where I want to explore new challenges.”

Reflecting on her career, victory in the 400m individual medley at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018, is the highlight.

“It was a really special moment,” she says.

“I went into the Games in Glasgow (2014) quite nervous and apprehensive, thinking I should be winning, so when I fell short and won the silver I was gutted. I didn’t really enjoy the medal ceremony. I saw it as a failure instead of a success.

“Reflecting on it later I was probably a bit hard on myself, so going in to 2018 I was determined that whatever the result that I be grateful and just enjoy it, enjoy the race, enjoy the podium if you get on it, whatever place that might be.

“I went into the final with that mentality, trying to be a bit more relaxed, and that probably helped me on the day without really knowing it.

“I’ve achieved what I wanted to achieve in swimming.

“I’ve got new chapters in my life, new challenges, new opportunities, looking forward to being involved with and the Commonwealth Games board is one of those.”

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