Wales track star Hannah Brier Puts Job, Clients, Weddings and Partner on the Backburner to Chase World Championships Glory with GB

Hannah Brier’s selection for this month’s World Athletics Championships set off the kind of chain reaction the sport’s superstars like Mondo Duplantis and Femke Bol are unlikely to need worry about.

The much-coveted call from the Great Britain selectors for the championships in Tokyo meant the Swansea Harrier had a number of important conversations ahead.

They included booking leave with her employers at Neath Port Talbot Council and explaining to her youth service clients that she’d have to rearrange their appointments for the next few weeks.

While the likes of Duplantis and Bol spend their lives training and travelling the globe to compete as full-time professional athletes, many others like Brier combine full-time day jobs with their international athletics careers.

Which makes the sprinter’s selection as part of Great Britain women’s 4x400m squad in Japan all the more impressive.

Brier is a top-class athlete having competed at two Commonwealth Games, a World Junior Championships, World Youth Championships, European Junior Championships and World Indoor Championships.

Last month, the sprinter reinforced her status as Wales’ fastest ever woman over 100m by breaking her own national record in a now rare outing over the distance.

But her most recent accolades have been achieved while holding a demanding nine-to-five job and getting to grips with a new discipline – the 400m.

READ MORE: Melissa Courtney-Bryant Ready For Home Straight Glory in Tokyo

Speaking from the GB team training camp in Japan, the 27-year-old said: “I work a normal nine to five job, Monday to Friday, and then train six days a week, which is a little bit ridiculous.

“There have been those early morning sessions, all those evening sessions where I really don't want to do it.

“And, you know, being here now, and being around all these amazing athletes and learning so much, it's just made everything completely and utterly worth it.”

Brier says she wouldn’t be able to juggle her two careers if it wasn’t for the understanding of her employers and her coach Rhys Williams – himself a former world class 400m hurdler for Wales and Great Britain.

“Rhys is brilliant,” said Brier of the Olympian, who won a European 400m hurdles title. 

“I really enjoy having him as a coach. He's the most positive person I've ever met.

“Regardless of how I'm feeling, it could be the worst day ever in work, Rhys will go ‘right, come on, spikes on. In 10 years’ time, you're going to look back on days like this and wish you could still do it’.

“I think that's the unique aspect he brings into training. He's done it all before, he's been an athlete. He knows exactly what it's like to retire from a sport, and he's gone, ‘look, you really need to enjoy the time that you're in now’.

“He's a perfectionist. Everything is very much detailed. Everything is in order. He's really caring, and he really wants the best for me and my performance.

Hannah Brier competing at the Novuna UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Pic: Owen Morgan

As for her bosses at Neath Port Talbot Youth Service, Brier said: “They are absolutely brilliant. Honestly, I could not ask for better employers.

“They have been just the most supportive people ever. I pre-warned them, and I said, ‘look, I might be considered for a selection, and that selection may mean that I have to leave for three weeks’.

“And they've honestly blown me away. They just went like, ‘right, Hannah, we're not going to punish you for being selected for your country. This is absolutely brilliant. You're inspiring all the young people that you work with, and it's just something you've got to grab with both hands and go’.”

Despite the logistical difficulties, Brier says her two careers complement each other in many ways.

“I work with young people who are not in education, employment or training,” she explained. 

“They could be dealing with a lot of personal issues. It could be their mental health, youth homelessness, or their confidence is really low.

“It's my job to get them back on a positive path. That could be getting them back into education, getting them back into some sort of training, or it could mean finding them somewhere to live and being that friendly person that they can come to and help solve any of the problems that they have.

“My lifestyle is a bit chaotic. But for me, I think it works really well, because they both complement each other in terms of a bad day on the track is not a bad day in reality.

“When I'm dealing with some really, really big issues that some young people have, and I'm thinking, ‘gosh, the time that I ran on the weekend is really not that bad compared to some of the issues that some young people are facing’.

“So, it really helps. It puts everything into perspective. And I do really love it.”

READ MORE: Welsh Athletes Ready to Feel The Power of the Dragon As Commonwealth Games Countdown Begins

Brier hopes her on-track achievements, which included representing Wales at the Commonwealth Games at the age of 16 while still a pupil at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, help her inspire the young people she works with.

“Sometimes I've got to take a step back and think, am I actually doing anything to help some of these young people?

“But, quite often they're like, ‘you know, Hannah, you're a role model to me’.

“When I had to phone all of the young people I work with and said, ‘look, I'm going to be gone for three weeks but there's a good reason for it . . . I'm in Japan’. They were like, ‘wow, I can't believe you do that. That's absolutely amazing’.

“Some Googled my name, and that was quite funny, because they were like, ‘I can't believe you kept this a secret from us’. And they were like ‘this is why you're so positive all the time!

“It's really lovely. And I do hope that some aspects of my athlete life transfers into the lives of these young people.”

Apart from making her work-related arrangements, Brier also had to make some difficult decisions in her personal life following selection.

As well has having to hastily rearrange a long weekend away with her partner, Brier added: “I'm actually missing my friend's wedding to be here, which is a little bit disappointing, but they all completely understand.

“They were like, ‘Hannah, we would never, ever let you turn down an opportunity like this to come to our wedding’. I've got some really good friends, but, yeah, it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. It's something I've worked so, so hard for.”

Hannah Brier in winning form. Pic: Owen Morgan

Not so long ago Brier had considered giving up athletics altogether as she was no longer enjoying the sport.

But the decision to move up from 100m and 200m to 400m has helped revitalise her career.

“The completely new challenge for me was the 400 which people might think, ‘what are you doing’!?

“You're stepping up from ones and twos to a 400, but it's honestly been the best decision ever. It's completely changed my mindset. The training is so much fun.

“I know people say it’s the worst training in the world, but I actually really enjoy it, and it just took the pressure off. I started enjoying the sport again.”

READ MORE: Jeremiah Azu Leads Welsh Foursome Heading for World Championships with GB

Despite her successful transition to the one lap distance, selection still came as something of a surprise to Brier.

“It's quite surreal,” she said. “I can't believe a week ago, I didn't really know I was going to be here. All of a sudden, I'm in Japan. I'm quite jet lagged, but I'm absolutely loving it.

As well as having her coach Williams’ expertise to call on, Brier also has the benefit of having another Great Britain 400m international in her family.

Younger brother Joe Brier has also competed at the World Athletics Championships and an Olympic Games – in Tokyo.

“I rely on Joe a lot,” said Brier. 

“Obviously, Joe is so knowledgeable in terms of the 400 and how to run a 400 metre relay. He's done it all before. He's been on the big stage.

“My first four-by-four was in a mixed relay with Joe. And I remember, the last thing he told me was, ‘do not go off flat out, because you're going to die on that home straight’.

“And honestly, if it wasn't for Joe telling me that, I probably would have gone flat out and learned my lesson the hard way. He's really supportive.”

Hannah Brier is introduced to the crowd at the London Diamond League meeting. Pic: Owen Morgan