From a Sussex junior school to double Olympic medal glory: Amber Anning’s road to stardom

In two nail-biting races at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Amber won bronze medals in the mixed 4x400 metres relay and the women’s 4x400 metres relay.

“It was amazing,” she said. “Not many can call themselves Olympians, and even fewer can say they are Olympic medallists, so it was a special moment.”

Besides her medal wins, Amber now holds the British record for the 400 metres with a time of 49.29 seconds, which she set when finishing fifth in the individual women’s 400 metres final at the Olympics. She broke the record previously held by her mentor, Christine Ohuruogu.

Earlier in the year, she also broke Katharine Merry’s 25-year-old British indoor 200m record with a time of 22.60 seconds. All of this stems from her love of sport.

“I used to do everything,” Amber recalls, listing running, netball, swimming, tennis, and dance among the many sports she enjoyed as a child growing up in Hove.

This is also her advice for young people getting into sports. “Do everything; don’t limit yourself to one sport or event at first. Have fun with it and find your passion.

“I used to do long-distance, multi-events, and sprinting. I also played netball at a regional level. I was around 15 when I decided to specialise in sprinting.

“I could see where track could take me, and I wanted to take it more seriously.”

Amber, who attended West Hove Juniors, Brighton and Hove Girls School, Roedean, and BHASVIC, joined Brighton and Hove Athletics Club (B&HAC) at age nine after a brief time with Brighton Phoenix. She is now a Life Member of her club.

It was at B&HAC that her passion for running grew. “Running is good for my mental health,” the 23-year-old says. “I always loved competing as I enjoyed meeting friends and the camaraderie. I was inspired by older athletes and wanted to achieve what they had achieved.

“I’ve always been determined and results-driven, both in life and on the track,” she adds. “As I continue to progress through the ranks, it has opened up many doors for me, including meeting new people and travelling widely.

“It’s given me the opportunity to attend university in America on a full track and field scholarship. I started at Louisiana State University before transferring to the University of Arkansas, where I completed my degree.”

Amber, who won the Sussex Personality of the Year Award at Active Sussex’s Sport & Physical Activity Awards in November 2023, is back in Brighton for a few months before returning to the USA.

“Family support is key,” Amber says, praising the continuous support of her parents, family, and friends, many of whom came to watch her at the Olympics.

“My coach wanted me to continue competing, but I needed to rest and spend time with my family. I just needed a break,” she explains. “I’ve done 50 races this year, as I had a full collegiate season before the Olympics, whereas most professional athletes do around 20 competitions.”

Despite this gruelling schedule, Amber clearly loves what she does and believes coaches play a key role in maintaining a young person’s enthusiasm for the sport.

“I feel that the coach should inspire and make it enjoyable,” she says. “There’s no point in doing it unless it’s fun. The coach needs to know what’s best for the athlete, but they must have the athlete’s best interests at heart.

“Being heard, being listened to, and working with the coach is important, as well as understanding each other’s expectations.”

Amber has been sharing her story with young athletes and will be speaking to club members at Brighton and Hove AC later this month. She hopes her story will inspire others to follow in her footsteps.