#53: Anna Purchase's journey to her World Championships debut

The England Athletics Podcast

Hammer thrower Anna Purchase says it has been a "journey of determination" to make it to her World Athletics Championships debut in Budapest. The 23-year-old started competing as an Under-11 athlete at Notts Athletic Club, and tells of how she persevered through a number of 4th and 6th places at English Schools Championships, before getting on the podium with silver in 2018. Since then, she has made a breakthrough while studying in the USA and working with coach Mohamad Saatara, improving her lifetime best to 73.02m to move up to second on the UK all-time list behind Olympic medallist Sophie Hitchon. Among her career highlights to-date was being part of the England team for the 2022 Commonwealth Games. In the podcast, Anna pays tribute to her mother who bought her a first hammer for Christmas before she sadly passed away. She also explains why she is passionate about showcasing strong and powerful women on social media. Photo: Getty Images for UK Athletics