Nelson made the Team GB squad to compete in the two-woman bobsleigh alongside pilot Adele Nicoll to become the second British woman ever to compete in different sports across the Summer and Winter Olympics.
World and European medallist Ashleigh Nelson reflected on her Winter Olympics bow as a lesson in resilience after making history in Italy.
Nelson made the Team GB squad to compete in the two-woman bobsleigh alongside pilot Adele Nicoll to become the second British woman ever to compete in different sports across the Summer and Winter Olympics.
After fighting back from an Achilles injury that had scuppered her Paris 2024 Olympic dreams, it represented an achievement that is still sinking in two months on.
“My first race, day one at the Winter Olympics was also my 35th birthday. You couldn’t see this because I had my blackout visor on, but my cheeks were right below my eyes because I was smiling so hard,” said Nelson.
“I was just so happy to be there and race because I thought my career was done. To be standing on an Olympics start line two years later it really taught me how resilient I am.
“It taught me that we can all pivot when we want to or when we need to and it was just incredibly special to have had that opportunity when I thought I was down and out.”
Milano Cortina 2026 represented Nelson’s fourth Olympics Games, having made her Summer Olympics debut at Beijing 2008.
But despite having been through the experience before, the high of her experience in the Dolomites still saw Nelson struggling with the post-Olympics blues.
“There are a lot of days in bed, a bit of moping because when you come home from the Games it’s like you’ve been working for four years and whether the result was good or bad, it’s done and you’ve got to go, ‘what’s next?’” she explained.
“In the lead up, you can’t deviate from that one thing. It’s always about the Olympics so you have no time to plan what you’re going to do afterwards.
“I felt a bit empty, a bit sad and then it was like right pick myself up and figure out what is next for me, but it’s difficult. The post-Olympic blues is 1000% a real thing.”
Luckily for Nelson, when it comes to her first love of sprinting, there is plenty to be excited about this summer.
The Stoke-on-Trent-born sprinter won her first individual major medal at the Zurich 2014 European Athletics Championships, and the event will arrive in Birmingham for the first time the UK have been appointed hosts from the 10th-16th August.
“It’s super exciting,” Nelson enthused. “I can’t believe we’ve never had a European Championships.
“Being from Stoke-on-Trent myself, growing up at Alexander Stadium with all the competitions like English Schools – this is a real opportunity for the Uk to get involved in athletics.
“I already know there’s been a lot of interest in the home straight tickets. I would definitely encourage people to do that because you’re going to be up close and personal with some of your favourite athletes.”
Nelson won bronze in the 100m at Zurich before adding 4x100m gold at the same championships. It proved a pivotal moment in her sprint career, as a springboard to her World Championship and Olympic endeavours that would follow.
“It is something that I hold really dear to my heart because going to the Europeans and coming away with that bronze medal let me know, actually you are good at this, actually you can do something,” she said.
“Nobody believed that I was going to come away with a medal but once I’d done that, it gave me the confidence to go out there and race the rest of the world.”
Fans can still get their hands on tickets for the Birmingham 2026 European Championships with a new release of home straight seats on sale from Tuesday 21 April at 10am.
While Nelson will not be among those on the start line this time around, the memories of gold medal-winning endeavours at Alexander Stadium at the 2022 Commonwealth Games live on vividly.
“I remember looking up into the stands and my mum was there with one of my friends that had come to watch me. She had managed to convince at least 20 people to shout Ashleigh. It was so special,” she said.
“A home championship for British athletes is second to none. The atmosphere is incredible and the crowd always support really hard.”
Home straight tickets for every session will return to General Sale at 10am on Tuesday 21 April. To book and find out more, visit tickets.birmingham26.com.