Athlete, Commentator, Coach
Jenny Meadows is a retired British 400m and 800m runner. She started her Athletics career in January 1989 just a few months before her eighth birthday when she went down to her local Athletics Club, Wigan & District Harriers & Athletic Club. She competed in a range of track events as well as trying long jump and cross-country, however she realised that it was on the track that she excelled. She recalls watching the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games and seeing Sally Gunnell bring home the Gold-medal for Great Britain in the 400m Hurdles. This inspired Jenny to work hard and one day she may be able to win Gold for Great Britain too.
Meadows won the English Schools Junior Championships 800m title in 1995 before then moving down in distance to the longer sprint events during her age-group years. She was part of the Gold-medal winning 4 x 400m at the World Under 20 Championships in 2000 in Santiago de Chile as well as winning two further 4 x 400m medals at the European Under 23 Championships in 2021 in Amsterdam and 2003 in Bydgoszcz. She went on to represent Britain at six World Championships and five World Indoor Championships, as well as three European Championships and six European Indoor Championships. She was a member of Team GB at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and a member of Team England at both the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
During her career she won medals in the 800m at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, the 2010 World Indoor Championships in Doha, the 2010 European Championships in Barcelona and the 2011 European Indoor Championships in Paris. She also claimed 4 x 400m medals at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, 2009 World Championships and 2011 European Indoor Championships.
Middle: Jenny in her role as Team Coach for British Athletics Futures Programme in South Africa for athlete training camp, April 2022.
Right: Trackside and ready to interview athletes at the Oregon World Athletics Championships 2002
Photographs courtesy of Jenny Meadows
Since retirement in 2016 Jenny has taken on several board/trustee positions including being a member of the European Athletics Development Commission. She is keen to share her experiences and lessons with other athletes and coaches and is now a team coach for British Athletics. Along with her Husband, Trevor, Jenny helps to coach GB’s Keely Hodgkinson. She also works in broadcasting and has been in a commentary role at several major Championships in recent years.