How Naomi Metzger found her way back to the runway

British triple jump athlete Naomi Metzger, 28, paused her athletics career at the start of the 2025 indoor season after returning from a winter training camp in South Africa, following successive knee and quadriceps injuries that both required surgery. Despite having won her 11th British triple jump title the previous summer, she stepped away from the sport due to severe mental health struggles, including panic attacks triggered by the fear of reinjury. A Commonwealth bronze medallist and politics graduate, Metzger used the break to explore other aspects of her identity, including social media and creative pursuits, before eventually finding her way back to competition.