My Life After CLC: An Olympic Journey
An Olympic Journey
At the age of 13, in my CLC Sports Scholarship interview, I was asked what ambitions I might have. Without hesitation, I confidently answered: “To become an Olympic modern pentathlete, qualify as a vet, and move to Germany”.
Almost ten years later, I am getting ever closer to reaching two of those goals. Sadly, despite my German teacher’s perseverance and best efforts, it became clear that I was, in fact, not a linguist. Germany’s loss!
After five years at CLC, which, I might add, was definitely nowhere near long enough, I left in 2022 with a university offer to study Veterinary Medicine.
However, discussions with Pentathlon GB made it clear that the demands of pursuing my Olympic dream would be incompatible with vet school life.
And so I began a rather impromptu gap year, spending seven months working at a kennel in Oxfordshire (which I absolutely loved), followed by two months as a Junior Account Executive (a title I didn’t deserve but relished) at a brilliant pharmaceutical company in London.
Both experiences taught me so much, not least that I was definitely not cut out for a career behind a desk!
At the same time, I secured a place to study Biochemistry at the University of Bath, starting in September 2023, a course which will provide a gateway into veterinary medicine as and when my Pentathlon career comes to an end.
That summer, I was also fortunate enough to be invited to join the National Training Centre for Modern Pentathlon, training with the GB squad.
Suddenly, I was training day in, day out alongside Olympians, all of whom were extraordinary athletes, and two of whom were Olympic gold medallists.
It felt as though I had walked straight into my childhood dream!
After an intense summer of training, I was selected for my first Junior World Championships in Druskininkai, Lithuania, and on my return, I was formally added to the national squad.
My journey to being a professional athlete had begun.
At the same time, I was still competing on the equestrian eventing circuit with my gorgeous horse, Spud.
Juggling university studies, pentathlon training and eventing events meant horribly early mornings, far too late nights and military-style planning!
After a year, I made the incredibly difficult decision that, if I wanted to give Pentathlon my best shot and still leave university with a decent degree, I would have to say goodbye to Spud.
It was one of the hardest choices I have made, not only because I was saying goodbye to a friend but because, for the first time, I was choosing to walk away from something before reaching my full potential.
As one of my coaches once said, “You must and will make decisions, not sacrifices, to achieve your potential”.
Adjusting to life without my Spud, I continued rushing home to ride whenever possible, often finding myself recruited to sit on younger or more troublesome horses, having developed a reputation for a “secure seat”!
By the end of 2025, my time on the junior pentathlon circuit had come to an end. I had represented Great Britain at two European Championships and three World Championships — and was proud to have done so — but I had never quite achieved a standout performance.
Stepping up to senior level meant bridging an enormous gap in physical ability and technical skills, demanding more work and dedication than ever before. Once again, I had to ask myself: was elite sport still the career I wanted?
Of course it was. And I was determined that nothing — no self-doubt, negative opinions of others, or the amount of hard work required — was going to stop me.
After a long and demanding winter of training, I emerged from the GB ranking series ranked in the top 3 senior women, earning selection not just for one World Cup, but all three!
Since receiving that news in March, this year has been a whirlwind. I achieved two top-ten finishes at Senior World Cups, including a silver medal in Budapest, Hungary.
This earned me a place as a fully funded athlete, supported by the UK Sports Institute, allowing me to pursue Pentathlon as a career.
The European Championships in Istanbul followed, before finishing the 2026 season with a team bronze medal at the Senior World Championships in Guiyang, China.
Reflecting now on the past year, it feels surreal. I've spent six months competing alongside and against Olympians, athletes who were — and, if I am honest, still are — my idols.
Athletes I once watched on television, dreaming of following in their footsteps.
In the last few weeks, I have been told I have been selected for the GB Olympic shortlist, yet every bit of me is still that 13-year-old girl sitting opposite Mr Parker, telling him exactly what she was going to achieve. No ifs, no buts, as if it was written in the stars.
My journey has been anything but linear. There have been many setbacks, and still, many days when the doubts invade. There is still an unimaginably enormous amount of work ahead. As has been said before, there are no shortcuts to any place worth going.
But every day, I remind myself just how fortunate I am to be living the life that 13-year-old me could only dream of. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Poppy Clark
CLC 2017-2022