Since graduating from Lougborough University in the summer of 2012, Meghan Beesley’s decision to go full time with athletics has clearly paid its dividends.
In her first senior championships in Moscow, the 24-year-old broke the elusive 55-second barrier for the first time in a highly competitive 400 metre hurdles semi-final.
Just 0.03 seconds separated Beesley from competing in the final and mixing it up with the world’s finest one lap hurdlers, but a superb 2013 season has shown she is most certainly capable of that.
“I’m not going to work anymore so I can step it up a little bit and get more treatment and things,” Beesley spoke. “I ran sub-55 when I got the treatment and I was just training in Barcelona so hopefully all of next season I’ll be like that.”
In the running up to the Moscow World Championships the Birchfield Harrier juggled her heavy training load with a part time job, but her success in the Russian capital gave Beesley the confidence to part with her job and focus solely on training.
“It was hard work, especially in the winter, trying to get 20 hours up to maybe 30 hours a week working as well as training, so it’s just nice at the moment because I can relax after training and not have to rush around,” the 24-year-old revealed.
“I graduated from university and had to make a decision to either commit to athletics or commit to a job, so I thought you can only commit to athletics at one point in your life and I didn’t want to have any regrets in 10 years time, so I just put everything into athletics and I think it paid off because I was solely focused on it.”
Beesley was no stranger to international success at major competitions in the junior and U23 ranks, but 2013 was somewhat of a breakthrough season for her senior career.
The Warwickshire-based hurdler made her Diamond League debut in Stockholm, Sweden, and continued to stamp her presence on the global scene throughout the outdoor season.
While the 24-year-old’s talent might not have threatened the women at the pinnacle of the event, yet, Beesley has certainly secured her top three spot in Britain.
With Perri Shakes-Drayton and Eilidh Child stepping up their game this year, too, British 400 metre hurdles is looking in fine shape heading into next years Commonwealth Games.
“I’m definitely confident that I’ll perform to a higher standard [in Glasgow 2014] than in 2010 because I think I’m a lot more consistent now and a lot more confident in my abilities,” Beesley beamed.
“I just want to go there and do a good performance, I always aim for a personal best at the championships because that’s the main focus of the year.”
Beesley came away from the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, with an outstanding silver medal in the 4×400 metre relay, and a highly respectable seventh in her specialist event.
Judging by the way things are going for Birchfield Harrier though, Glasgow could see her seriously challenge for the medals in just over eight months time.
For now though, Beesley will remain fully focused on the indoor competitions ahead to prepare her for what will hopefully be another prosperous outdoor season.
“I want to do 400 metres again I always like competing in them. It breaks up the training a bit and is good to see where you are at. I’ll maybe do some sprint hurdles, but I’m not sure how much of that I will do,” Beesley said.
