The other side of pursuing an Olympic dream

Everyone knows the route to becoming a successful professional athlete involves sacrifice, but, as she tells Callum Room, not many have had it quite like Lauren Williams

Great Britain's Lauren Williams (right) has come a long way on her journey to Tokyo (PA)

Few athletes have had an Olympic journey like Lauren Williams.

Everyone knows the route to becoming a successful professional athlete involves sacrifice but none have had it quite like Williams, who spent 18 months living in her family’s mobile home near Manchester just to be closer to Great Britain’s taekwondo team – all at the age of just 14.

Too young to stay in her own accommodation, Wales-born Williams left her dad and sister behind to live with her mum in the family caravan, the pair paying to use shocker blocks and living off microwave meals all in aid of the take-off of her taekwondo career.