Calum Johnson - National cross country champion - a podcast by Helen Murray

This is a brilliant chat with a brilliant athlete! Calum Johnson is a British triathlete who was Non Stanford's training partner in the run up to the Rio Olympics. Calum is a fine triathlete in his own right, with numerous podiums on the European Cup circuit. But after a debut 63.44 half marathon in 2021, the national cross country champion has a new goal - to qualify for the marathon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. It's a really honest and engaging chat about high performance, trying to scrape a living in the sport, being happy, baking, and the ups and downs of being a triplet.
You'll hear:11:18 About his half marathon debut and why it was the first time he had ever worn a watch in a race.
17:12 Whether he sees himself as a triathlete or a runner...21:02 why he feels so good about having a new goal, which isn't triathlon 'I felt like a kid again'
22:20 We talk about whether he started to feel a bit beaten up and spat out by triathlon. "I felt like I was chasing these goals and trying to do the right thing and please people just to get on a team"25:06 We talk about what it's like to train at a National Performance Centre when you're not at the ITU level and why it can sometimes feel quite lonely 'I used to sometimes forget why I do the sport and I wasn't happy and when that's the case you're not going to get the best out of yourself'
27:05 Calum gives a really good insight about racing on the second tier level - World and European Cup level, and not having the funding. 'Money doesn't just come from anywhere and towards the end of the last few years of racing ITU, it became a huge strain.'32:35 Why Non Stanford saved Calum from stopping triathlon. She asked Calum to be her training partner in the run up to the Rio Olympics. And what it's like to be a training partner for someone preparing for one of the biggest races of their career.
42:37 Some good baking, cooking and cafe stop chat50:20 His thoughts on the Tokyo Olympics and who we might see on the podium
53:30 Life as a tripletFind out more about this week's guests
Calum Johnson InstagramCalum's baking and cooking instagram
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