Emily Campbell: All you need to know about Bulwell’s bling queen as she goes for Olympic glory in Paris

Britain’s top weightlifter and queen of bling keeps her hometown of Bulwell with her wherever she goes.

Emily Campbell wrote her name in the history books as Team GB’s first women’s weightlifting medal winner at Tokyo 2020 with silver in the +87kg category.

The 30-year-old tends to go for gold these days, becoming one of the few athletes ever to win four consecutive European titles in Sofia earlier this year.

She quickly became a household name for her infectious smile and squeal of delight, but it’s her journey that sets her apart from the rest.

A HAPPY ACCIDENT

Campbell first picked up a barbell to build strength for athletics, but was surprised by her own raw potential.

To some extent, it was no surprise – her mother Lynda threw the discus at county level, while her sister Kelsie competed for Jamaica at the World Short Course Championships.

“When I started lifting weights I started to realize I was stronger than most of the guys and it was really amazing,” she told Nottingham-based Leftlion magazine.

“But I was 21 and I thought, why would I start a new sport? After six weeks of training, I’ve achieved the maximum you need to qualify for the British Seniors.

“I quit athletics, won my first national title, then qualified for my first international.

Within a few years, she was a medalist at the Commonwealth Games, winning bronze at the Gold Coast. But few could have predicted what happened next.

TOKYO DREAMS

Campbell self-funded his way to history in Tokyo, working 36-hour weeks and relying on a few odd jobs and the support of his local community to propel himself to an unlikely triumph.

“It wasn’t easy,” she told the Guardian. “I’ve worked almost my entire weightlifting career to fund it and make sure I’m in the best shape possible. But the spirit of my community is just amazing.

“Every time I go to the local market, they give me free fruit and vegetables. The shoemakers mend my boots and collect money for me.”

The Olympic debutant was fourth after the clean and jerk, but made it to the podium with successive lifts of 156kg and 161kg for a total of 283kg, bettered only by China’s Li Wenwen, who set a new Olympic record of 320kg.

“I’m speechless, for the first time,” she said according to BBC Sport.

“You know you can get in shape going into these things, you know you want to give it your all, but to put it on stage, I’m really excited.”

She added: “You can achieve anything you want. I picked up a barbell five years ago for the first time, and now I’m an Olympic silver medalist.”

A NEW PLATFORM

Back in Britain, Campbell was big news.

Her triumph in Tokyo almost single-handedly changed the perception of the sport, leading to packed stands and back-to-back headlines when she won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“The Olympics was about telling the world, ‘This is me and this is what I do,'” she told the PA news agency.

“The Commonwealths wanted to cement it, proving that it wasn’t a fluke that I got an Olympic medal, that I won it because I went out there and was good enough to win it.”

Competing in the +87kg super-heavyweight category, Campbell has long been aware of the significance of her success in the context of body image issues among young girls.

She never takes for granted her role in highlighting the opportunities available to aspiring female athletes seeking a less conventional path to sporting glory.

“My message has always been about changing that narrative that as women it’s all about how we look and that sports and lifting can empower you and help you make decisions in life that are more important than how we look and what we behave and how we dress. it’s the hair and what weight we have,” Campbell told the PA news agency.

“I appreciate that I can do some good in terms of using my position to inspire people to do whatever makes them happy. I’m a private person and sometimes I find the whole celebrity thing a bit overwhelming, but I know it’s a privilege to be in the position I’m in and I feel like I’m helping to make a difference.”

NEW BOB, NEW GOALS

Looking ahead, Campbell is not only looking to up her game in the sporting arena, but also in the style stakes.

“If I go out with a mediocre hairstyle, everyone will be upset, won’t they?” she told the Daily Star, referring to her blue and red bob from Tokyo.

“I heard there are some really cool stylists in Paris. The nails will be done, the eyelashes will be done, the hair will be done and we will be ready to conquer the world.”

True to character, Campbell is also determined to give back to the community that supported her dreams in Tokyo, devoting time to a new ChangeMaker initiative that will see Olympic and Paralympic stars get involved in local causes in the two weeks following the respective Games .

It’s hard to think of a better ambassador for the program than Campbell.

“Everyone goes to the Olympics and everyone wants a medal, but for me now it’s more about giving back and being part of something that actually means something,” she explained to The Independent.

“Instead of sitting there and saying, ‘I’m an inspiration and I want to be a role model,’ it’s about putting your money where your mouth is and doing it. And you never know, we might find another little Olympic champion somewhere.”

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