How training with baked beans helped an Olympic pole vaulter through lockdown

Team GB star Holly Bradshaw tells Tom Harle how she had to think outside the box for her training during the coronavirus pandemic

Holly Bradshaw had to think outside the box for her training during lockdown (Getty Images)

Pole vault star Holly Bradshaw’s lockdown training inspiration came from the unlikeliest of places – baked beans.

The Euxton-born Olympian reached the final at London 2012 and Rio 2016 and was aiming for a medal at Tokyo 2020 before the Games were postponed to 2021 due to COVID-19.

Locked down in Loughborough, a matter of metres from the athletics High Performance Centre, Bradshaw had to get creative alongside coach Scott Simpson.