GB race walker and Olympic medal hopeful Thomas Bosworth hated sport when he was younger and said school was 'horrific' because he wasn't built like a 'rugby player or footballer'.
However, Bosworth has gone on to become one of Britain's most successful athletes - competing at the Commonwealth Games, the European Race Walking Cup, the World Championships, the World Race Walking Cup and the Olympic Games.
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old - who will become a double Olympian following the 50km race walk on Friday - admits his journey into the sport was far from traditional and actually came about by accident.
GB race walker and Olympic hopeful Thomas Bosworth hated sport when he was younger
Speaking to Sportsmail, Bosworth explained how he was 'pulled along' to his local athletics club by his sister and stumbled across race walking.
He said: 'I really didn't enjoy sport at school. I wasn't built to be rugby player or a footballer or anything like that and school was pretty horrific so PE was never something of interest to me.
'My sister joined a local athletics club and I must have been about nine or 10. So because Mum was taking her down to the club I just got pulled along.
'I just joined a very generic kids club that would get you to try a little bit of everything and my sister was trying out this bizarre event of race walking.
'I had never heard of it or heard of anyone doing it but at that age we just thought it was another track and field discipline and we didn't realise how niche it was until we were older. So yeah it was very accidental.'
He said that school was 'horrific' because he wasn't built like a 'rugby player or footballer'
Despite falling into the sport by accident, Bosworth has taken the walking world by storm - having been awarded his first GB vest in 2009.
Although his international debut did not go how he had planned, Bosworth said it was a dream come true.
He said: 'I made my vest GB vest in 2009 and I honestly thought I would never race for Great Britain again.
'I had an awful race and thought I am miles away from the best in the world. I just thought how on earth am I going to get there.
'But I moved to a new coach and had an aim of becoming more of a full-time athlete - although I still had to study as athletics doesn't usually pay the bills.
'I never ever dreamed I would represent my country let alone go to an Olympic Games. Six years later, after a lot of hard work and a lot of learning how to be a full-time athlete it felt amazing.
'I missed the London Olympics too, I missed the qualifying time by a few seconds so it made my hunger more and I made me think I can do this, I can go to the Olympic Games.
He has since set British records and competed at the Common Wealth Games and Olympics
'So by Rio it was a bit of a different mind-set. Although it wasn't guaranteed, it had become an expectation to qualify.
'I had done Common Wealth Games, Europeans and World Championships so it was just a huge relief and so exciting back then to finally have qualified for the Olympic Games and been able to call myself an Olympian.'
The 31-year-old is now preparing for his biggest challenge yet - competing at the postponed Tokyo Olympic Games after overcoming coronavirus.
The GB racewalker was in the form of his life before the pandemic hindered his Olympic preparation.
Bosworth had set new British records in the 5,000m and 10,000m distances at the start of 2020.
But, he struggled both physically and emotionally after contracting coronavirus (file photo)
However, Bosworth - who is the only openly gay member of Britain's athletics team - produced a positive test for Covid-19 antibodies in July after he and his fiance Harry Dineley fell ill in March.
He was subsequently forced to withdraw from the British Championships in Manchester and put his winter training on hold as he looked to overcome the virus.
Speaking about the affects coronavirus had on his body, Bosworth admitted to finding daily activities such as 'walking around his garden' difficult and said the virus had 'destroyed' all of the progress he had made since 2019.
He said: 'It destroyed it all. It was horrific. It felt like I was truly starting again from the place I was in after I got injured in 2019.
'I managed to get back to 60-70 per cent normal training a month after the virus but it felt like such hard work.
'I kind of slogged on as you do because I thought there would be some kind of season ahead. Little did we know that there would be few races come August and September.
'By the end of July I was fed up and said to my team that I needed more rest, that I needed to stop training and that I wasn't going to compete this year.
'I feel like I am getting better. I feel like I am getting back there but I don't think I am in that same shape. But like I am in position to get there ahead of Tokyo.'
Not only did Bosworth struggle physically in 2020, he also struggled mentally.
