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The Game Changers
In this award-winning podcast Sue Anstiss talks to trailblazers in women sport. These are the individuals who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls everywhere. Along with openly sharing their historic careers, what drives them and how they’ve dealt with tough challenges, each episode explores key issues for equality in sport and beyond.
We’re incredibly grateful to Sport England who support The Game Changers through a National Lottery award.
You can find out about all the guests at https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers Fearless Women in Sport
The Game Changers
Emily Campbell: Lifting barriers and inspiring strong girls
Commonwealth Champion Weightlifter Emily Campbell talks to Sue Anstiss about the changing perception of strong women in society, her medal prospects at the Paris Olympics and inspiring female body confidence.
Emily shot to fame at the Tokyo Olympics, winning Britain’s first ever weightlifting medal before going on to win Gold at the Commonwealth Games the following year. Emily hopes to be back on the podium for Paris 2024.
Thank you to Sport England who support The Game Changers Podcast with a National Lottery award.
Find out more about The Game Changers podcast here: https://www.fearlesswomen.co.uk/thegamechangers
Hosted by Sue Anstiss
Produced by Sam Walker, What Goes On Media
A Fearless Women production
Hello and welcome to the Game Changers. I'm Sue Anstiss, and this is the podcast where you'll hear from trailblazing women in sport who are knocking down barriers and challenging the status quo for women and girls everywhere. What can we learn from their journeys as we explore some of the key issues around equality in sport and beyond, I'd like to start with a very big thank you to our partners, S sport England, who support the game changers through a national lottery award. My guest today is Emily Campbell, a British Olympic weightlifter who gained huge recognition by winning Britain's first ever female weightlifting medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Emily competes in the women's super heavyweight category, which means she lifts the heaviest weights among female competitors.
Sue Anstiss:Making her Olympic debut at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, emily won a silver medal, an achievement that was widely celebrated as it marks such a significant milestone in British weightlifting history. Emily went on to win gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, beating a Games record in the snatch portion of the event. She's also won numerous European titles and medals across her career. Emily's journey in weightlifting and her remarkable success at the Olympics have made her a truly inspirational figure, especially for aspiring female athletes in the UK. So, emily, you grew up in Nottingham. Can you paint a picture of family life for you as a youngster?
Emily Campbell:I did. Yeah, no, I had a fantastic upbringing. I lived at home with mum, dad and younger sister, kelsey. We was both very sporty, both very into performing arts and acting, dancing, singing etc. And we were just busy. We were busy all the time. Mum and dad kept us busy.
Emily Campbell:Lots of after-school clubs, lots of, you know, tried to just build as much energy as we can. If we wanted to do it, they'd try and find a way to make it happen for us. And, yeah, we was very lucky in that fact that, you know, we got to try lots of different things. We went on lots of family holidays as well, so we got to experience lots of different places and cultures and, you know, learned a lot from that. So, yeah, no, I'm very, very lucky with the way that I was brought up and lived in a very humble place as well. You know, I lived in one of the most deprived areas of Nottingham, in Bulwell, snakewood. You know seen a lot in my times, but you know, I think it was down to my parents and you know, the start that they gave me in the way that I, you know, develop the mindset that I have and the way that I've grew to be the person that I am.
Sue Anstiss:That's fabulous to hear, isn't it? And you say about performing arts, I hadn't realised that that almost could have been a different route if you hadn't taken the sporting route.
Emily Campbell:Oh no, absolutely. Yeah, I don't really talk about it much, but my mum's been telling the world just lately. But, yeah, no, me and my sister both was into performing arts and I actually went to a school called Manning School for Girls, which was a state school but it had performing arts status. So we used to do performances each year. We used to do dance, dance shows. I used to have singing lessons and, yeah, originally I actually wanted to be on the West End. That's what. That was my dream. I wanted to go and perform on the West End and move to London and do the whole showbiz life, but, yeah, I ended up putting heavyweights above my head instead.
Sue Anstiss:It's not too late, though, is it? You've got the rest of your life ahead of you also, too. There's who knows what doors might open in the future absolutely yeah, never say, never right that's funny. When did you realize to say, when did you realize you had that strength, so that putting weights above your head? When do you think, as a when you're growing up, did that become something that you realized?
Emily Campbell:it's funny because I'm always used to say that I used to be very, like, heavy handed and I used to, like, you know, I used to pick my sister up quite a lot all the time and we'd eat, but it wasn't. Obviously I didn't actually start way little until I was 21. So I was in my final year of university and I was into athletics. Athletics was my loved throwing, you know, got into that through school, then continued through to university, went to box championships, brace championships etc. Really loved it and enjoyed it and I kind of knew I was strong then because I had to do a certain amount of strength work, obviously, to throw the shot and hammer etc. But yeah, I don't think it was until I actually started weight lifting.
Emily Campbell:And then it was like I was, you know, one day I was squatting with the boys and the next day I was out squatting them and I was like, oh, maybe I'm actually quite good at this. And you know, then it was just, I've always been a person that's always tried to push limits. I'm not really that scared to fail. Failing is part of learning like. So I just always was like you know what, let me push it a bit further, push it a bit further, and the more I pushed it, the more I seemed to get out of myself and I was like, actually I feel like I could be quite good at this. And I mean there was definitely times where I feel like the team around me and stuff had more faith in what I could achieve than I did. But I always put my full trust in them and then just kind of, you know, went with the flow and, yeah, it all led quite nicely into one another and yeah, here I am.
Sue Anstiss:And was that a big decision then, to stop the hammer and shot and to move on? Because I imagine you could have had a pathway through that too. You'd had success at those two events.
Emily Campbell:Yeah, definitely. I mean, I was never don't think I'd have had the same success in throwing that I would have had in weightlifting, but I definitely loved it, definitely had, you know, would achieve some things that people would have, you know, loved to achieve in that sport. So it was one of those where, yeah, for the 2016,. I did the two sports because I'd already committed to the athletic season and you know I didn't expect to be so good at weightlifting, to be in a position where I'd be competing so early in weightlifting. So, yeah, I did the two for the year and then it was more of the weightlifting side of things kept saying to me we think you're going to be really good at weightlifting, but you know, if you want to really have a crack at it, you can't be messing around with the two. You've got to decide what you want to do. And ultimately I went down to how I felt, how I felt while I was doing the two sports and I actually loved the feeling that I had when I did weightlifting.
Emily Campbell:I loved being in the gym, I loved the feeling of competing, I loved the intensity of the fact that you go on stage and you can hear a pin drop and it's all about you and the bar.
Emily Campbell:And I loved that part of it because obviously I come from athletics where you're throwing a shot when someone else is running a 200 or there's a javelin throwing the other side, you know, and there's lots of things going on, um.
Emily Campbell:So it was a little bit of a contrast in that and I also felt that athletics, I think I got to a point where I was going more for the social of the people that I'd met. There's some incredible people in athletics, in track and field, and you know, I'd made some amazing friends and I felt like I was going for more than that than I was going for the sport, whereas, you know, undigging the technique of weightlifting and the intensity of it, that was what really intrigued me. So that's when I decided at the end of 2016 to switch over and to try and give the weightlifting stuff a real go. But I mean, even then I still didn't give it a real go. I was still just kind of enjoying it, enjoying the process, just learning the, the movements. It was a very bizarre. It was almost like I was doing the two and then next minute I was really deep in weightlifting and I don't know what happened you seemed.
Sue Anstiss:Really. That's lovely to hear. That's lovely to hear. Actually, it's lovely to hear your description of why it appealed to you and what drove you that way. It's really interesting. Also, you talked about the support from the lads that you were training with and, in terms of seeing your strength, did you feel it was very inclusive at the university in terms of that being welcomed in and encouraged?
Emily Campbell:Yeah, most definitely. Yeah, I went to Leeds Beckett and they had like a bit of a weightlifting club there, leeds, I think it was called, I can't remember. Yeah, leeds City Weightlifting. Yeah, leeds City Weightlifting. Who I used to compete for and it was one of the SSC coaches that was there that kind of encouraged me to you know, get involved and do weightlifting there. That kind of encouraged me to, you know, get involved and do weightlifting. But then there was just, yeah, really supportive. There was a few few girls that trained and then the rest of the lads that trained, but everybody was like there was just such a nice atmosphere, I think, and everybody was so supportive of you, didn't matter what sport you did, or even if you just went there and lifted weights, everyone kind of wanted to see people do well. Um, and I think that's why I started really strong, because I had such a foundation around me.
Emily Campbell:And then when I moved back home to Nottingham after I'd graduated from university, my coach at the time said there's a weightlifting club around 20 minutes, 30 minutes drive from where your parents are. It's one of the best weightlifting clubs in the country. The national coach it's his gym. I want you to go up there because I feel like you're going to learn a lot from being up there. So then I like kind of step from one incredible environment to another one. It's really weird actually to like try and remember the first ever time I walked into Atlas, because I'm essentially like part of the furniture now. Like the boys don't even notice now when I lift in there, like I could be doing something really impressive, and it's not really impressive to them anymore because they're so used to seeing me do it every single day that it's just not even a thing anymore. Like I think I'd have to like squat over 300 kilos now for them to be impressed. Do you know what I mean? It's just like so normal to them. But again, you know such a support.
Emily Campbell:I mean I was very lucky when I went into Atlas. There was lots and lots of lifters. We was, you know they had an atmosphere in there that it didn't matter if you lifted, you know, 20 kilos and you was learning, or if he was one of the top lifters. If you went in and you gave good energy and you was good person to be around, then you know everyone supported you, which was lovely, um.
Emily Campbell:So yeah, I was really, really lucky in terms of like places I trained at, because sometimes I find the whole you know conversations about, you know women feeling discluded and stuff in gyms quite difficult sometimes to join in with, because I've just been spoiled my whole life with being in environments where I've been accepted and I cannot imagine what that would feel like. You know I mean to be in an environment where you don't feel like you belong or you feel like you're uncomfortable or you're having unsolicited advice given to you. Do you know what I mean? I find that really difficult to think. Or you know that's such a shame that that actually happens. Do you know what I mean? Because I was very lucky to not experience that yeah, I was going to ask you that question.
Sue Anstiss:I've worked in fitness for many, many years before, kind of doing more in sports, but actually there's an issue there, obviously, about women feeling into. Many women feeling intimidated, especially in those free weights areas.
Emily Campbell:That's fabulous to hear that that wasn't the case for you and I wonder whether I mean I think there's lots that the fitness industry, traditional gyms, can do to change that, but it does feel like it's different in weightlifting gyms that women are more included and more on a level and you know so maybe there's a to encourage women to come into that pure weightlifting environment rather than just within a gym sector yeah, absolutely, and you know it's, even even if you know we have people coming out gym that don't necessarily want to do the weightlifting movements, the snatch and the clean and drip, but you know they want to learn how to deadlift properly or they want to learn how to back squat properly, and I always feel like it's a really nice environment for them because there's always somebody to be able to help them to be like okay, you know, I think it's because we do. You know everyone will argue, but I'll put our hands up and say you know, weightlifting is one of the hardest sports on the planet and you know it's so difficult and I think everybody appreciates the fact that we all started somewhere. Nobody picked up a barbell and was incredible when they first started. It just doesn't work like that. You know, and you know when, when I first started, I was like Bambi on ice, like we always laugh, like at how my physiques changed, how the way I've snatched everything has developed so much.
Emily Campbell:And that's took time. You know. It's took, you know, nine years to be able to get to a point where you are nothing like the person that you started. So I think there's just this mutual respect already that, if you're willing to come in and to make yourself vulnerable to try something so difficult that you should get the respect that you deserve for trying something so difficult. So I think that that's generally there. Yeah, I do. I do pride ourselves in the fact that actually we do have a very nice weightlifting community within the UK and I could always probably recommend a gym somewhere in the country for somebody to go and to give things a try and, you know, to be welcomed and to try weightlifting.
Sue Anstiss:That's lovely to hear, isn't it? Can you explain to us about the different formats of lifting, so from Olympic lifting to powerlifting, because I think sometimes that is confusing for people.
Emily Campbell:Yeah, absolutely. People say, oh, you do powerlifting, and I'm like no, and they're like, why are you getting so offended? I'm like it's not the same thing but weight lifting. So weight lifting that specifically is in the Olympics, sometimes referred to as Olympic weight lifting is the snatch and the clean and jerk. So snatch is the wide grip that you take from the floor, put straight above your head and stand up, and the clean and jerk is you clean onto your chest and jerk above the head in some way. Some people split power jerk or squat jerk, so it's as long as the arms are locked out on receive, it doesn't matter how you get the bar above head. But the commonly known one is the split jerk, which most people do.
Emily Campbell:And then you've got power lifting, which we always make a joke and say that that's our accessory exercises after we finished our real work. Um, but that consists of squat, deadlift and bench um. But yeah, obviously them guys that I mean do it on the top level. I went to um, spd, hold an event called um the sheffield, and it's the top power lifters in the world, pound for pound, that come together and have this amazing comp against each other and honestly, it's incredible. You know you're seeing women squat. You know 300 kilos. You're seeing 49 kilo girls squat. You know double triple body weight it's. You know nothing to be sniffed at at all. Them guys are definitely not doing accessories, they're doing the real work.
Emily Campbell:Um, and then obviously you've got your general. You know lifting weights, which you know can consist of many, many things. You know many, many different movements, um, and again, you know everybody does a little bit of everything. You'll speak to weightlifters and powerlifters because you know we have to do what we call accessory work, which will mean you know some form of bodybuilding stability stuff. You know jumping plyos, I mean the list goes on of depending on what you feel you need to work on as an athlete. You know, to improve your lifting, you'll have different things set out for you, either by a strength and conditioning coach or maybe a physio, or you know collaboration of that.
Emily Campbell:And yeah, there's just. I mean I think that's the beautiful thing that you know. Everyone thinks that lifting weights is really elite and actually it's not, because there's so many different ways that you can lift weights and so many different things that you can use. There's kettlebells, there's dumbbells, there's bands, there's barbells, there's. You know, there's so many different ways that you can do so many different movements that there's always something that you can find that will work for you. You know there's machines, etc. So I always think that when it sounds like a really daunting prospect of lifting weights, that actually I guarantee, if someone's very good at their job, they'll find something that works for you.
Sue Anstiss:That actually I guarantee, if someone's very good at their job, they'll find something that works for you, and why do you feel that weightlifting and being strong is so important for women? And the discussion is changing, isn't it? I feel we're moving on especially around menopausal, old women and the importance of bone strength and so on, but for all ages, why do you feel that's so important?
Emily Campbell:I think number one. I think it's really empowering. You know, I thought there's a sense of like independence and control that you get with lifting, that you feel like your. You know certain discipline. You have to keep turning up to the gym and keep lifting weights is one thing, but then, yeah, like you said, it's you know, as you get older you want to be in a state where you're nice and healthy and that your bones are really good and that you can run around and actually play with your grandkids when you're older and you're not having to sit and actually watch them from a chair, that you can pick them up off the floor. You know you think of as a baby, as a weight. You know you want to be able to pick that baby off the floor and be able to hold that baby.
Emily Campbell:You know what I mean, that there was a I can't even remember what advert it was, but there was this beautiful campaign about this guy picking up a kettlebell and you know the first day, and then he was trying to put it on the shelf and whatever, and no one could understand what he was doing and it was so that he could pick his grandson up you know, what I mean and they're the things that we need to be kind of promoting out to people, that it's just.
Emily Campbell:It's not about being as strong as you can and doing, you know, ridiculous weights, like I do, or whatever. It's about, you know, keeping that body strong and healthy. And you know even little things, like my mum. You know my mum never really been that active. You know she's been an office worker for a long time or whatever, and you know she wanted to make a change in lockdown and she wanted to lose weight and and I said to her to help her, you know, as long as she was committed and she did, she went on to lose like four stone. But the one thing she found that you know she did some strength training and it wasn't massive, it was just a workout in a lunch break, in an hour with a kettlebell. That you know, when she was cleaning the house or when she was, you know, going shopping for long periods of time or whatever, she wouldn't get as tired anymore, she wouldn't feel as exhausted when she got back, like she actually felt like it was an enjoyable process instead of feeling like a chore.
Emily Campbell:And you know, everybody knows that you've got to clean your house. You have to do the shopping. These are things that you have to do in your life. You know unless you're, you're very privileged that somebody does it for you the things you have to do. And you know, if you can make those day-to-day things that you're doing in your life that little bit easier by just going to the gym two, three times a week, then I think that's a, that's a good trade-off to make life a more enjoyable experience.
Sue Anstiss:And we have still got attitudes around women and strength, though I do feel that still exists in society, that stereotype about women not wanting to be strong but that association. So do you feel that is changing from what you see? Are we beginning to change that?
Emily Campbell:Yeah, most definitely. I feel like it's definitely a lot more. I'd have to say the word attractive, because I'm not a believer in. You know you should do it for aesthetics or whatever. But you know everybody knows that if you look good, you feel good. So you know, if a person needs to look a certain way to feel that confidence, then that and I totally agree with that. But I feel like now, you know, in the world of society, people are finding more. You know muscular physiques, you know acceptable. In a way people are saying, oh, you know, actually that's, that's okay to be like that. I mean, it's always been okay to be like that. But you know, I feel like as a society whole, now we're getting to a point where we're going oh, actually we accept that now in society, so people are feeling more comfortable to do it. Because you know as much as you know you'll get people like me that don't really care what society thinks and, you know, will do whatever makes me happy. Anyway, you know there's a lot of people that feel like they are bound by society's pressures and I feel like that's a lot of the time why people are stopped by doing certain things, which is obviously really sad. So I feel like, as a you know, as a society, and as a you know, it's important to to change the narrative and to make women feel more comfortable to do what they want to do and what makes them feel happy, and I feel like there's more of an emphasis now on being strong, like actually being strong.
Emily Campbell:I was at an event actually it was really nice I got invited to watch the women play cricket at the T20 down at Lord's and there was a big celebration and I ended up sitting on the table where there was a young girl sat on there. She was about 14 years old and I was talking to her mum and she said, oh, what do you do? And I said I'm a weightlifter. And her eyes lit up and she was like what? You're a weightlifter? And I said yeah, she went oh my god, can you show me? So I showed her like some videos. She was like mum, that's incredible. She's like I tell my mum all the, I just want to be strong, I don't care, I just want to be strong as possible, and like to hear that come out of a 14 year old's mouth was really, really refreshing, like I actually had to take a moment and I was like that's incredible what I've just heard, like you know.
Emily Campbell:And her mum?
Emily Campbell:You could tell her mum was sceptical.
Emily Campbell:Her mum was like oh yeah, to be as strong as possible.
Emily Campbell:She's like I want to be really strong and like for her to have that and a mum to still have doubts. You can tell that there must be something happening in that generation now to make them girls feel like they're empowered enough to do that. So I think that we are definitely moving in the right direction and I think you know everyone has pops at social media, but I definitely think that that's the strengths of social media, that these girls are now being exposed to, seeing girls lift weights and to do things and become strong, that they now see that it is acceptable and that they want to be able to do it and move forward. And I think maybe it's just potentially the older population that's still a little bit like oh, I don't know about that, you know, but I think that we're going to have daughters and granddaughters that are going to change people's mind and go actually, you know what, it's all right, we're going to be great and we're, you know, we're going to look pretty cool doing it too Fantastic.
Sue Anstiss:If I can take you back to Tokyo, so just three years ago we're going into that Games you hadn't had the financial support of other athletes athletes on fully funded programs. I think you had to raise 10,000 pounds to compete yourself, didn't you so? So why explain to us kind of why that funding wasn't available to you at the time?
Emily Campbell:yeah, so as far as I know, when I started, the sport which was around the 2016 mark, was obviously it's around Rio and um, we took one male, one female to Rio and you know they placed very well, did really well, but obviously in UK sports size it wasn't high enough to fund the project. The boys had been unfunded since 2012. So after London they lost their funding and then after 2016, they finally it was a bit naughty Actually they said that we was going to be funded until Tokyo, and then they changed their mind and said no, there's no funding available. So they pulled the funding from the women's programme. So then the world class program fell apart and then everyone kind of had to just move back to wherever they was from and training the gyms that they were from, and because I think they was based at Loughborough at that time, because I actually remember obviously just going into sport and I think I'd just done the total to get like the lowest amount of funding, so just a little bit to keep trickling in or whatever and then we lost, lost the funding. So, yeah, I never actually received any funding at all.
Emily Campbell:So in the first year, yeah, in the first, well, up until I mean up until Tokyo I worked. So I worked full time in an SEN school for kids with behavioural difficulties. Then that did get a little bit intense, so I asked them for a part-time contract and luckily they wanted to keep me. So they granted it me, and that was in the lead up to Commonwealth Games etc in 2018. And then after that I worked at a physiotherapy clinic at the University of Nottingham, so I worked on reception and did like a part-time gig. So I did about 20 hours a week alongside of my training just to kind of keep enough money to keep training going, essentially because whatever I was earning was going straight into training. So you know, it was uh, that for me, really. But and then, obviously on top of that, then they sat us down and said because we've had our funding talk, you know we haven't got enough money to send you to these qualification comps. And the way that the qualification worked in Tokyo was you had to do six qualification events around the world to earn your points to be able to then obviously be in the ranking list to go to Tokyo. So you know it was difficult. Yeah, I remember, you know, sitting at home and thinking is it all worth it, you know, just to go to the Olympic Games. Obviously it's incredible, but you know, at that stage as well the numbers I was lifting. It wasn't even guaranteed that I would go to the Olympics. If I don't try, then I'm going to sit there with that regret that coulda, woulda, shoulda, you know. At least if I give it everything and it doesn't happen, then I can sit there and say you know what I really did try.
Emily Campbell:So, yeah, my parents again, you know my sister helped me. We wrote letters, emails, you know, sent them out to companies. I did. I got, you know, quite a bit of support from the local community and you know, some local businesses they, you know, sent me bits and bobs here that end up paying. That paid for my first world championships and then paid for my first European championships. That was two out of the six. Luckily, as it came along, uk Sport did release a little bit of funding to pay for those competitions. It's called like an aspiration fund, I believe so, for sports. That didn't have anything. They gave just enough for us basically to attend the rest of those qualifications.
Emily Campbell:So then I felt good, because I was kind of back at zero again. I knew that all I had to handle was, you know my day-to-day. You know food supplements, whatever, which, again, you know I have to sing praise to the bank of mum and dad because I lived at home. You know they helped me out. You know, cooked for me, bought my food, and then it was just like kind of supplements, petrol, that kind of thing that then I used my job to pay for. So, yeah, it wasn't, it wasn't easy, but at the same time I don't think I'd have changed it for the world if you'd have come back and asked me. You know, would it have been? Yeah, it might have been easier, but then I don't know if I'd had the same hunger. I don't know if I had the same fight. I don't know if I had the same journey.
Emily Campbell:I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason and you know the way my community came around me as well. Like our local market store, they raised money for me. Like if I went on the local market store. Like they give me free fruit and veg. Did you know the cobblers? He would fix my boots if they were broken. Like you know, the real community, like I, was a real story of community spirit. Like, yes, as a community. We didn't have much, but we had each other and you know they were a massive, massive part of, you know, getting me to Tokyo, essentially, you know, and and me being me was like you know, every time I did another comp and every time I got closer. You know, I won my first European title in that year and that was a big, big total for me as well, and I started to realise when I looked at the total, this starts to put me world class now, like I can start playing with the big girls.
Emily Campbell:And then, you know that thing, I came back to training. I said to one of the coaches I said I want to medal in Tokyo and he said, emily, I knew you going to say this and we all believe in you. You know, and you know that was when then I got my head down and I was like I need to stop putting this up another gear again. You know, if I want to, you know compete, because I knew the girls that I was competing against. They're girls in systems with funding, with everything done for them. You know, cook for them, told them when to sleep, told them when to eat, and I thought, if I don't do everything in my power I'm going to have no chance at all.
Emily Campbell:Each time I knew the stakes got higher, I knew I had to level up and I think, because of that fight and that hunger and that you know also that determination to kind of prove everybody wrong a little bit, because I know it was kind of said, you know UK sport wide and whatever that, you know weightlifting wasn't really going to get a medal. That was, you know, pie in the sky kind of thing. You know it wasn't going to happen. So I was a bit like I've always wanted to be the one to be like told you so. So I think that gave me another kick up the backside. So, yeah, it was fantastic. And then no saying to that, because after Tokyo, when we did get the funding and stuff and whatever, obviously I went on to have another spectacular year of my career and that was due to UK Sport Funding. It was nice then to be able to focus on my sport and to not have to work and to not have to think about other things and, you know, to be able to have that money to support me, to get the right care, the physio care.
Emily Campbell:I had a surgery in that time as well, you know, the beginning of 2022, I had to have a wrist surgery. That was, you know, came out of nowhere, unplanned and wasn't really part of the plan, and we thought was going to scupper everything. But it didn't. And you know, with that, that insurance on and everything you know was the reason why I got myself back in shape and was able to maintain my title. You know, I had surgery and I think I had 13 weeks to get back to be able to lift at the Europeans. So you know, I'm not not sitting here and saying that. You know UK sport funding is, you know you don't need it. It does help a lot, you know, but I just think that I found a way because I knew I wasn't going to get it. I found a way to make it work without it.
Sue Anstiss:And your success then filters down through the program as well too, doesn't it?
Emily Campbell:so you're medal winning in your yes, that's the most beautiful thing as well, that we've been able to get like a structure. Now we have a pathway, like these young kids that are coming into our sport now. They know what they need to do to be able to achieve what they want to achieve. They know the milestones that they have to hit, they know the things that they have to do, they know the direction that they have to go in, which is, you know, a lot more comforting when you come into a sport. You know, when I kind of came in, it was a bit like, well, you know, a lot more comforting when you come into a sport. You know, when I kind of came in, it was a bit like, well, you know, you might get selected here if you've got the money, or you know you might need to do this, or we might take this, or we might take a team. We might not. Whereas these kids now know, you know, if I hit this total and I do these things that are asked of me, I will go to these championships and then that might lead me to this, and I think that's that's where we need to be. That's where we need to be as a sport if we want to keep producing medals. We want to keep producing people going to the Olympics. You know that's what we need to be doing and you know we've seen a positive impact on the program with that.
Emily Campbell:And we've got a lot of young kids now. I mean, we're based at University of Nottingham now, so that's kind of the British weightlifting space and you know we've got a lot of young kids now and a lot of the time on the Saturdays when they have the junior and the youth camps and stuff, I try and pop in. We've got talent transfer and I try and train with them as much as I can. I try and get in there, just try and show them what's possible. You know, like, just try and give them that, that inspiration to be like. You know, if I, if I do give it my all, I might not get rewarded for it, but if I don't try, I'll never know.
Emily Campbell:So, yeah, it's really nice now and there's loads of them, there's loads of young girls, there's loads of kids. You know, even we've got a young girl on the talent transfer now as well that she's 21 and she's got a two-year-old as well. So she's had a child, she's come back and she's lifting and she's strong as ever, do? You know what I mean? So again, she's, you know, kicking another stereotype out there that you know you can.
Emily Campbell:You know and I think it's so beautiful now the amount of women that are feeling comfortable now to go and have children and still come back to their sport and know that they still have a place and that they can still. You know they can do it all, that they can be a mom and they can be superwoman as well. You know like there's there's so many to name, but you know Bianca Williams, obviously she's a good friend of mine and you know to see how, you know, she came back and then run the fastest times ever after having a son. It's just things that really warm your heart. So it's, these things have a big trickle effect and I think it's really important that you know we get these things right from the beginning.
Sue Anstiss:Hey, hey, yeah, absolutely, I do agree there. So you won Britain's first weightlifting medal for women. It must have been an extraordinary experience, and you were were front page news because you also look so fabulous with your distinctive hair colours and your makeup and so on. So how was that almost being from going from a girl that no one knew Obviously people knew you in Nottingham and in that weightlifting community but then to being recognised on the street. What was that experience like as a person.
Emily Campbell:Yeah, no, it is absolutely bonkers. I'd love to say that there's no word for it, but it is. It's bizarre. But you know, especially immediately after I was remember, I was running through, I think, nottingham City Centre to try and get a a dress for a red carpet event and I'm in my head I'm trying to divulge that I'm going to a red carpet event. And then, second of all, everyone's stopping me. Oh, my god, you're that weightlifter. Well done, you're amazing, blah, blah, and it's like. It is such a surreal experience. Um, and yeah, I mean obviously like this.
Emily Campbell:You know, going into last games, I think I had like five and a half thousand followers on Instagram. Nobody really knew who I was. And then I'm going into these games. You know 30 odd thousand followers, but potentially a bit of a poster girl. You know all the ads that I've done. I'm all over. Everyone's always messaging me oh, I'm sick of seeing you on TV, I'm sick of seeing you. So it's been quite the contrast.
Emily Campbell:But do you know what? I've just tried to enjoy every part of it, because I feel like it's a privilege to be in the position that I am. Every single athlete on this planet works hard to be where they are and not everybody gets the success that they put in. You know, sport is so cruel and so unforgiving that you could give your all and still not get anything to show for it. And I'm obviously one of the very lucky ones that I have some things to show for. You know all the hard work that I've put in. So, you know, I just count my lucky stars every single day and I try and enjoy the process and I try and represent my country in the best way that I can, because I love doing it. You know, I really love doing it. I love being out there. I love, you know, making us proud. I love putting us on the map and, yeah, it's really exciting really to be in the position that I'm on. Has it all I mean.
Sue Anstiss:I love your positivity and it is all a bit mad, isn't it? But I imagine there is some negativity that comes with that too, especially in this world of social media you mentioned. So how do you deal with that personally in terms of any of the naysayers or those that aren't, as positive?
Emily Campbell:Yeah, definitely I just, I've always had an opinion in life that you know you're never going to make everybody happy or everyone's never going to agree with you know how you do things in your life or how you do things, and you know we all have opinions, don't we? And some people feel like they need to express their opinions. You know what I mean. I don't think all opinions need to be expressed personally, but some people feel like they need to. They need to express them and I feel like, you know, unfortunately, I think, in this, in this world, you know, if you become a person of status, then people think automatically they're allowed to have opinion on you, and I think it's quite wrong really, because I think they forget that. Take away the sports person and whatever. You're still a person underneath that and yeah, it is difficult. You know what I mean. Especially, you know I get a lot of comments about my size and stuff and whatever, basically saying that what I do is not really that impressive because I'm a big girl or whatever, which is obviously ridiculous. But at the same time, I you know I'm a very positive person in the fact that what I feel my feed with on social media is very particular. I only follow certain things, I only make sure that you know, certain things appear on my, on my timeline, and if there are negative comments, I just think that if someone has took time out of their day to try and say something negative, to reach me, to have to have whatever effect they want, then I pray for them more than I pray for myself, because I just think that that's not a very nice trait to have to want to say something nasty to someone. And, like we said, we all say flippant comments when we're with our friends and stuff and whatever. But I think to actually go onto social media to say something nasty to someone, you know that says a lot about their character, not about me. And yeah, and don't get me wrong, sometimes it's not really easy to hear or easy to read or whatever. But you know I am so overwhelmed every single day with the positive stuff that I get that I always think it outweighs the negative always because people are so kind and people are so lovely and people send me messages all the time about how you know me speaking out about a certain thing or working with a certain brand or doing a certain thing, as you know, gave them the confidence to do x, y and z or make them feel better about things, or you know, even little things like I didn't even realize.
Emily Campbell:Once I talked quite openly about my period as well on social media about when I'm training and stuff and whatever, and and I didn't realise how much that was helping people. So I've made an effort to do it more now because I've realised the impact that it's having on people. Just talking about the way our body is and how we change and how training changes and how we get affected, like it's part of us, it's part of our life, you know. It affects every single woman on this planet at some point, you know.
Emily Campbell:So it's just little things like that and I think when you get lost in all of that, you forget about the one or two, three, you know negative comments that people say or the nasty things that people want to say, because nine times out of 10 as well, it's not even real accounts. If you look at most of them, they're fake accounts. They're not real people, and I'd actually have more respect for you if you was like a real person that said this is how I feel I'd be. You know what? I respect your opinion, but if you're going to do it behind closed doors, then there's there's no respect there at all absolutely.
Sue Anstiss:You've qualified for Paris 2024 and going into Tokyo you're a little bit of an unknown, sort of under the radar. But obviously now the eyes of the world, and certainly across the UK, are on you, so does it feel like you've got that added pressure now going into the competition?
Emily Campbell:yeah, most definitely. Yeah, obviously there is always an added pressure and obviously everyone's expecting, you know, big things from me and whatever. But you know, in a kind of way, I love that. I love that a little bit Like I should have pressure on me. You know I've done good and it's time to do it again. You know what I mean and you know I'm ready. I I'm in a really positive mind state, like training is really good, I'm feeling really strong, I'm getting stronger and I didn't think I could get stronger. Even me I was like, oh, I think you know I might be at the peak now. It might be about maintaining, you know, but now I'm getting stronger, things are getting better and I'm just really enjoying the process of this up to Paris.
Emily Campbell:Because, you know, 2023 was it was a quite a difficult year for me.
Emily Campbell:I was injured for most of it and, you know, every time I thought I saw the light, I'd be back underneath again and rehabbing and I never felt like I got a real shot.
Emily Campbell:At last year, you know, I managed to maintain my title, but it was kind of by the skin of my teeth a little bit and just kind of doing formalities instead of, you know, actually going out there and competing properly.
Emily Campbell:So when you come into Olympic year and you've had such a negative year after that, you're a bit like, oh you know, can I turn this around? But no, my good old body has decided that it knows what time it is, it knows we've got a big job in a month or so's time and you know it's time to. You know, turn on what I do best and do it. So I'm just really looking forward to the fact as well that we're going to go to Paris. There's going to be crowds, there's going to be people there. My family and friends are coming to watch. I feel the atmosphere is going to be, you know, incredible and I'm just really, really excited to just get out there and just really happy to be in that Olympic spirit and that feeling again. And, yeah, I'm looking forward to hopefully putting on another show for everyone.
Sue Anstiss:I love that, and you're obviously competing against some pretty incredible athletes like China's Li Wenwen yeah, correct. So do you think about them to motivate you, or is it just about focusing on your own progress? Actually, I've got another follow-up question there, which is when you go in so you kind of know what you can lift, you know what others can lift Is there a lot of the psychological at the event itself? How much impact is there? Is it? Do you know on paper who the strongest athlete is when you go in and who's likely to win?
Emily Campbell:um, yeah, so I think go number one. Um, yeah, I mean, this super heavyweight field actually that's qualified this year for Paris is a very impressive one. You know, and I think the beauty of weightlifting is like you can have the best numbers, previous numbers or whatever or whatnot. But it is essentially how it happens on the day and things can go so wrong or so right on the day in weightlifting that it literally could take. You know it's a lift difference that might place you. You know two kilos might place you in six compared to a medal or whatever. You know it could be that much difference. You know, yes, you are kind of aware of what other people can do, but I am very like internalising the fact that I'm like I only the only person I can control is myself and my performance, and I know exactly what I need to do to make sure that I'm in the position that I need to be. And essentially, when you come to weightlifting, you know, as an athlete you don't really do anything on the day. All you do is lift the weight and put it back down. It's all down to your coaching staff. Your coaching staff have to be on the game 100 percent. They have to have an early night, up in the morning, have their Weetabix, because they're the ones counting the board, they're picking the attempts, they're loading your bar, they're warming you up, they're keeping you positive like they, they kind of the glue that holds everything together. So, and I have such a fantastic coaching team that I trust them a thousand times over with my eyes closed. I know they always. I put them in some pickles in competitions before, but by missing lifts and stuff, and they always, always find a way out. And I know that, no matter how tough it gets in that back room, that they've got the fight to be able to get me through. So that always gives me, you know, such confidence and I'm one of them. No-transcript, everyone else in the room might as well not exist, because for me it's just me and the bar then and I've got a job to do. So I'm very internalised in that and obviously, yeah.
Emily Campbell:The second kind of part of the question is, again, you know, yeah, people will put in their you know entry totals or whatever, but you never really take them for gospel because you know people might say, oh, I'm starting on a 120 snatch and a 160 Keenan jerk and a 120 snatch and a 160 Keenan jerk and then warm-up doesn't go well for them and all of a sudden coaches are running to the board and they're pulling it down and they're coming out at 115 now and 150 instead because warm-up's not going well, or vice versa. Some people put in something really low and you think, oh, they're coming out soon and then next minute they're still warming up and they've got loads of lifts and actually it looks like they've got to come out heavier. So again, that's coach's job to keep eyes on the warmup room to see how people are warming up, and then they'll start working out if people are sticking true to what they've put on the board or not. So honestly, when it comes to that kind of stuff, I don't concern myself or stress myself.
Emily Campbell:Nine times out of 10, I don't even know what. When I go on the stage, right, right, they pick the decisions, they put it on, and I know in my heart of hearts that they would never put a weight on the bar that they don't think I'm capable of lifting. So I just need to go out there, I need to execute and do what I do best and lift the bar. So, yeah, actually, comp for me, really when you think about it.
Sue Anstiss:It's fascinating. I want to watch it very differently in Paris now, I know yeah, I think that's the thing as well.
Emily Campbell:I think a lot of time, you know, people would love to see the back room because there's so much that goes on in the back room. There's so many tactics, there's so much stuff that's going on, you know, depending on you know how the board is displayed outside, all the changes and things flicking and flickering, and that's kind of what makes weightlifting quite exciting, when you start seeing all you know and then people start doing maths in the audience because they're like, oh, how much does this person need and how much does this person need, or they've done that now, so how much do they need? And that's when it gets quite exciting. And I think there'll be a lot of that in our session, because us girls are quite close together in terms of like capabilities. I don't think it'll be an easy ride for anybody and it's going to be essentially a championships is whoever makes the most lifts, picks the sensible lifts and makes them, because they're that's how you build a total, that's how you get bigger lifts. So, yeah, and obviously everyone knows Li Wen Wen's, you know she's incredible, she's an incredible athlete. She's, you know, achieved some phenomenal things in her career and she's only what, 22 years old or whatever which is, you know, insane.
Emily Campbell:But again, you know, we've seen a little shift in this qualification process where the Chinese are actually having to compete with us.
Emily Campbell:Now, you know, chinese have had it their own way for a long time, where they let everybody else finish, because, for people that don't know, weightlifting is a rising bar. So once the bar's gone up to a certain weight it cannot come back down again. So you know, a lot of the time we would finish our attempts and then the Chinese would open their attempts when everybody's done so. Then they've got control of the board, they can do whatever they want, whereas now it's not working like that, so much they're having to play with us and they're having to make the changes, they're having to compete, they're having to react. It's not something they're familiar with. And we're starting to realise now that actually, if we could put the pressure on a little bit, we might be able to, you know, kind of break down or, you know, put a little bit of pressure on, and in my head I'm like she's absolutely incredible and nothing to be taken lightly. But I also think everyone on this planet has got to be beatable, right, absolutely.
Sue Anstiss:You mentioned earlier. I love that your friends are saying we keep seeing you on telly, but you have got some pretty amazing corporate sponsors at the moment. I think I've seen you in campaigns for old El Paso Aldi NatWest Mattress Company Dreams. So how is that financial support now and I guess you've got the UK funding to kind of change your life and your ability to truly focus on all that you're doing?
Emily Campbell:no, absolutely. You know, like I said from the start, you know, even having that UK sport funding you know from the national lotteries, you know it is life changing. You know it enables you to, you know, and it also switches your mind focus then. Because then you're like this is now my job, it's not a hobby anymore, it's now become my job and it's something that you know I do on a day to day basis and you know you structure your day around your job. You know, and that's been really nice.
Emily Campbell:And then obviously, yeah, all this you know campaign stuff that I've been getting on top of it as well, is obviously fantastic and you know it's just been amazing to you know, experience a different side of things. It's made me learn things about myself that I didn't know and I've really enjoyed the whole TV side of things. I think it appealed to maybe the performing arts in me that you know on the TV and doing that kind of stuff, and I've really enjoyed it. I've really enjoyed the shoots and don't get me wrong, sometimes they're very long days and you know they're quite grueling.
Emily Campbell:Everyone thinks they're very glamorous, but sometimes to get the glamorous shots you have to do some less glamorous things. But yeah, it's been, uh, it's been spectacular really, and obviously, you know every financial bit of money helps, you know it helps towards me building my future as well. You know life after, because it's uh, you know, you don't know as an athlete, when you're going to finish. You don't know, but it will happen at some point and you have to be not oblivious to the fact that you need to have a plan after that and you need to be, you know, structured and sorted, and you know this is allowing me to, you know, set a little path for myself and and make sure that I'm comfortable.
Sue Anstiss:And, you know, hopefully I can keep doing some cool things and keep bringing some cool messages to the world, and I believe you're one of the first weightlifters to be sponsored by Nike as well, too, in terms of terms of clothing, yeah, I was working with Nike.
Emily Campbell:Yeah, I'm not currently working with Nike anymore, but yeah, it was yeah, which was good, it was really good. And again, you know, another door that we've smashed down as weightlifting, you know, and for me, that was a lot of what this was about. For me, you know, I realised that I was in a very unique position you know, no other weightlifter has ever been in this position before where they can, you know, have access to the big brands and the corporates and the big kit sponsors. And you know, especially for me as well, with being a plus size athlete, you know I don't fit into normal clothes that you know are on the shelves. You know I don't have the pleasure of walking into a shop and being able to buy clothes. A lot of the time, you know, I have to order online. I have to, you know, go to special companies or whatever to be able to buy my clothes.
Emily Campbell:So, you know, obviously, to work with Nike and you know I did fit in a lot of their normal size range as well as their plus size range as well, which was quite refreshing, you know, to be able to be in those kinds of clothing.
Emily Campbell:So I think it was really nice for you know, one as a plus size female to be part of a kit brand that was so, you know, globally known. And then also as weightlifting to be part of a brand. You know that was so globally known because you know, when I did get the sponsorship, I just remember everyone going weightlifters don't get that kind of stuff, weightlifters don't get that kind of stuff and you know it was very nice to know that I was being appreciated for my craft and that my sport was being took seriously and that, you know, I was able to, you know, reflect us in a different light. So, yeah, again, like you know what I mean, when you think about it or when you, when you, you know people, I don't think about it until people actually highlight it. The actual things that I've managed to to achieve outside of the barbell is pretty cool. Yeah, I'll take it.
Sue Anstiss:And in terms of that scrutiny of your body and you kind of mentioned it there as a, I guess, a voice for plus size girls and to be up there on stage and that balance of obviously you've had to increase your body weight as you've had more success and you've moved up in those categories and that's obviously your aspiration is to win those medals and have that success. So how do you kind of counter that yourself in a society that's all about body image etc too? It's you know, it's almost like how do you phrase that question for you really? But, um, is there a challenge there for you, right? You actually just so focused on what you're doing. You'll do what's right for the sport that you're competing in yeah, no, absolutely.
Emily Campbell:That that's the thing for me. I um, you know, I have to be this size. We found that this size. For me, this is where I'm the strongest, this is where I can perform my sport in the most efficient way possible. And for me to be able to, you know, bring those that international success back. You know, and, yeah, I think for me it's more about not changing your body or changing who you are. It's about becoming comfortable with who you are and loving who you are. Do you know what I mean? Like, I loved myself when I was 95 kilos and I love myself now, 130 kilos, you know.
Emily Campbell:And I think it's about showing women that you can be happy, because your body's always going to change, especially as a woman, no matter what you go through. You know childbirth age, you know the list goes on times, every. Everything changes, changes as you mature, as you change. When I was younger, I was very tiny, I was petite. That's when I was dancing quite a lot. I was around 80 kilos, whereas you look at me now you think that'd be absolutely impossible to be 80 kilos. I wouldn't be see-through, you wouldn't be able to see me. So I think it's about just showing women that your body is going to change. It's going to be different. Just showing women that your body is going to change. It's going to be different.
Emily Campbell:And it's about learning to love parts of yourself, no matter what size you are or no matter how you are. And I think it comes back again to this fundamental of are we healthy? And if you're not healthy, then then that's something to look at and be like okay, how can I rectify that to make sure that I am healthy? But if you are healthy, you are fit, you are active, then that's the body that you've been given and you need to learn to embrace it. And hopefully that's what I feel like I'm trying to do in this current space at the moment is just show women to you know, love their body as much as possible, you know, get that message out there that it's okay to be who you are.
Emily Campbell:It's okay, and it's also okay to have days where you do have wobbles. Do you know what I mean? Like it's okay to have those days where you feel like I'm not, but then you need to have those, like you know them, times where you center yourself, you bring yourself back and realize what you're on this planet for and what you, what you, what you want to do, because you know sometimes the smallest things that you do have massive impacts and you don't even know. So sometimes everyone thinks it's got to be a massive, grand gesture, you've got to achieve something massive to have an impact. It's not actually true. You know, when we talk about inspirations as well, everyone thinks it has to be someone celebrity or someone massively famous. Actually, inspiration might be, you know, your best friend or your mum, or you know somebody that you've met along the way, somebody that you just had a very brief encounter with that had a massive impact. Um, so I think it's just about you know, learning that we are all special, even though sometimes we're not made to feel special.
Sue Anstiss:So, finally, you're clearly such a wonderful, positive, authentic person and I'm fascinated by the whole performing arts part too. But what are your plans for life beyond sport? Whether you continue beyond Paris, but what would you love to do in the future? Yeah, most definitely.
Emily Campbell:I don't know, obviously when I you love to do in the future? Yeah, most definitely. I don't know, obviously, when I'm going to hang up the lifting boots, but after I would absolutely love to. My dream is to open a gym for youth and development, so to have kids from quite young be able to come into my space, be able to learn you know, body awareness movements, some form of, you know if they wanted to learn weightlifting, and that's great. I also have a community space in there, you know, somewhere where kids can just feel like they belong. They can come and get rid of the worries of the day of school or you know a little bit of table tennis in there or whatever. But just, you know, develop that environment of kids feeling like physical activity needs to be a part of their life.
Emily Campbell:From you, and essentially as well, I want to be able to offer S&C packages to local sports clubs which teach their kids how to be able to power clean, to back, squat, to do very simple movements, and then there'll be a portion as well that's specific to their sport, depending on what sport they are. So that's something I would love to do. I think you know it will be in Nottingham, because it's you know I want to give back to the city that gave me so much. And you know, obviously if Nottingham goes well, then you know, watch the space and then there might be some more that pop up somewhere. But yeah, that's it.
Emily Campbell:And then you know, I'd love to be able to go into some form of like, even if that's in sport or outside of sport. You know, the more of this commercial stuff I've done, the more I've realised I actually really enjoy TV and I really enjoy everything that comes with it and, like you said, it appeals to my performing side a little bit as well. But yeah, everyone knows that I either like I'll hear on top of my head training, or I want to look like I'm in a Beyonce music video. So I love to get dressed up and the hair and the glitz and the glam and all that kind of stuff as well, um. So yeah, that feel like that would. That would tick that box side of me while I'm in the gym running around with the kids. I'll probably looking rough. But you know, if I can get one or two gigs where I get a nice outfit and get my hair and makeup done, that would make me very happy what an incredible woman Emily is and doing so much to change perceptions in society.
Sue Anstiss:I can't wait to see her compete in Paris this summer if you'd like to hear from more trailblazers like Emily. There are over 180 episodes of the Game Changers podcast that are all free to listen to on all podcast platforms or from our website at fearlesswomencouk. My guests include athletes, coaches, entrepreneurs, broadcasters, scientists, journalists and CEOs all women who are changing the game in sport. As well as listening to all the podcasts on the website, you can also find out more about the Women's Sport Collective, a free, inclusive community for all women working in sport. We now have over seven and a half thousand members across the world, so please do come and join us.
Sue Anstiss:The whole of my book Game On the Unstoppable Rise of Women's Sport is also free to listen to on the podcast. Every episode of Series 13 is me reading a chapter of the book. Thank you once again to Sport England for backing the Game Changers and the Women's Sport Collective through the National Lottery, and to Sam Walker at what Goes On Media, who is such a brilliant executive producer of the podcast. Thank you also to my lovely colleague at fearless women, kate hannon. You can find the game changers on all podcast platforms and please do follow us so you don't miss out on future episodes. Do come and say hello where you'll find me on social media, at Sue Anstis the Game Changers Fearless women in sport.
