Campbell 'working hard' to open gym that can 'inspire'
When Campbell made history as the first British woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal at the Tokyo Games in 2021, she did so helped by the support of the community she grew up in.The efforts of friends and family who spent years helping her raise money to train and compete when funding was scarce, before her breakthrough success in Japan catapulted her to sporting stardom, is something that continues to drive her."It feels like I have given a present back to everyone in my community that helped me out and believed in me when maybe the wider world didn't," said Campbell."It still means the world to me."While establishing herself as one of Britain's finest ever weightlifters has been Campbell's way of repaying the faith put in her, she is now looking to use the profile her collection of Olympic, Commonwealth Games and European medals has given her to give back.Campbell has long used the sport she has conquered, and the attention it has brought, as a way to promote body positivity.Running a gym in the city she was raised in is how she now wants to make a direct impact on people's lives.Making it a "humble facility" that is "accessible to everyone" - from beginners to those looking to advance in the sport - is her ambition."I hope people watch our sport and see that you can be 45kg and 4ft 11in, or be like me, nearly 6ft and 130kg, and you can still perform to a high level," said Campbell. "There is a weight category for everybody in our sport and I think that definitely inspires more people to realise they fit in a lot more than they think they do."
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