Weightlifter Campbell wants to 'leave real legacy'

Two-time Olympic weightlifting medallist Emily Campbell says she is undecided about lifting again at Los Angeles 2028 - but adds that her future away from elite competition is already clear.

Just a week after the 30-year-old from Nottingham claimed Team GB's 65th and final medal of the Paris Games with bronze in the women's 81kg category, she was back at her training base in Alfreton, Derbyshire.

But her latest session in the gym was not about lifting weights, but lifting those around her as she spoke to and helped train a group of local women.

So when Campbell was asked about 'what comes next', her attention turns to what she is capable of beyond the Olympic spotlight.

"I want to be more than just an athlete," she told BBC East Midlands Today.

"I would love to open my own gym for, predominately, youth and development. But I want anyone to be able to walk into my gym, to be able to have that community space to learn weightlifting, to learn physical literacy and to be comfortable and to live a healthy lifestyle."

Campbell's efforts to open a gym and get increasingly involved her her local East Midlands community have been boosted by the newly-established ChangeMakers fund - an initiative established by the National Lottery, UK Sport, Team GB and ParalympicsGB.

Athletes can apply for money for community projects, with a total pool of £100,000 made available.

Campbell, who claimed a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, feels she has the chance to "make a proper impact" with the help.

"This is first time we have actually done something that I feel like will make a real legacy," she said.

"It's all right coming back and having athletes walking around and parading their medals and having photos with the kids - that lasts a short amount of time.

"This is something we can go into our communities with and something that is long-lasting."

Attracting a wide range of people to the gym, and continuing to promote body positivity are all subject she smiles through when talking about her future.

That smile only got broader when she spoke of her "wild" time winning bronze in Paris, and she was still beaming when asked the inevitable question about the possibility of yet another Olympic bid.

"LA is four years away and it's going to be a big decision that me and my team have to sit down and talk about if we are going to do it or not," she said.

"I'm also in my 30s now, I'm not getting any younger and there are other things I want to achieve in life as well.

"I have to balance things up, is it going to happen now or after LA? I don’t know.

"I will go on holiday next week, eat all the food and enjoy myself and then when I get back have a debrief with the team and see what is next for me."