Olympics to the NHS frontline, athlete does it all

Both of her parents come from a healthcare background. Her father is a scuba diving doctor and her mother is a nurse.

She said the family connection was the “initial spark that set off my passion for being a doctor”, and “I really loved the idea of the problem solving, but also the difference you can make to people’s lives”.

But doing it all came with its challenges, combining long days studying with her training schedule as an elite athlete.

“It was a very full-on schedule and routine’s really important for me to be able to keep going with that week in, week out,” she said.

“I had an amazing support network around me which helps me do that. But I had to make a lot of sacrifices that the average student probably wouldn’t”.

She graduated from medical school in 2023 and qualified for her first Olympics the same year after a run of top international results saw her become the European champion.

Despite her disappointment at not getting a medal in Paris, Bryson now sees the experience as a huge achievement.

“It was so incredible, and to be shoulder to shoulder with people who I have looked up to as inspirational role models for so long and being able to go out and do my thing in front of a crowd that big, it was just like a dream,” she said.

“I didn’t quite get the result I wanted in the end, but it was my first Olympics. Nothing can prepare you for all the variables and pressures of competing at the games, but I was very grateful to have so many friends and family there to watch me and just such an amazing team around me.”