There are many plates to spin in combined events but these athletes are here to show everyone how it can be done

Athletics can be a demanding venture at the best of times, even for elites of the sport. However, when multi-eventers come into the conversation, you can never deny how dedicated these bold yet brilliant athletes are to keeping the future of all athletics competitions alive.

When you look at the bigger picture, its not difficult to see what challenges combined events athletes often face. Whether its the decathlon, heptathlon or pentathlons, a lot of hard graft is put in to make their competitions resounding successes.

Whether its finding the time to train, being able to fund a full-time career in the sport or simply knowing how to manage multiple events at once, finding the right balance for all aspects involved is most definitely an arduous process, even at the best of times.

However, one common trait all combined events athletes have that helps them put the low points at bay is their unmistakable love for all things athletics. In fact, many multi-eventers start out as kids, as they know from the get-go that whether its the track or the field, its where they belong.

This article will focus on the decathletes and heptathletes who are a part of Neuffs diverse ambassador and blog team. If you ever had any fears for the future of athletics in the UK or overseas, these athletes are here to help put your doubts at bay.

Mixing hyperactivity with multi-events

Sometimes, athletes know from the get-go that theyre destined to compete in various events instead of specialising in just one. Harry Kendall, who is currently ranked third in the British decathlon and perhaps best known for being a finalist in the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, is one of them.

Ive always loved athletics, says Kendall. I was ranked number one in the high jump when I was a young boy and I ended up breaking 7000 points in my second year of university. After that, I just kept plugging away with it, really.

While his experiences at the previous Commonwealth Games are an experience he will never forget, he openly admits the journey to that stage wasnt always an easy ride.

It was a pretty low moment sitting in A&E after dislocating my ankle just weeks before the Games. I was just about able to run after having a scan, physios prodding me and being treated in Loughborough for two weeks.

I told myself that if I dont think I can compete, Ill pull myself out of this. By the time holding camp rolled around, I was able to do every event and ended up with my second-best ever score.

Performing for the home crowd, Kendall also tells Neuff that the noise from the stadium melted away all of the nerves he previously held and that this competition is one which will stick with him for the rest of his life.

This year, he set a few goals for his athletics journey, the main one being to reach the 8000 points mark in the decathlon, which he is confident he will achieve with a decent competition.

Alongside competing, Kendall coaches athletics to young kids at West Kent AC alongside his training partner Lewis Church. He is hoping to help the club more regularly within the next year, although he also wants to pick up enough sponsors to allow him to fulfil his biggest goals.

The economic side is the tricky part of athletics, Kendall says. Decathlon is not a cheap event, and it takes up a lot of my time.

I think I would struggle to balance hours of training with a full-time job. Being a full-time athlete is the ultimate dream, and any sponsors I can pick up to help achieve this would be great!

Kendall is by far one of the brightest stars of British decathlon in recent times and has proven to be an inspiration for younger athletes who dream daily of reaching similar milestones.

With the above in mind, Kendall now contributes to the Neuff team as a blogger. Writing pieces inspired by his experiences with decathlon, his content has gone down a storm with athletes from all disciplines, with the topics he has covered including how to avoid fatigue, competition strategies for multi-events and preparing for winter training.

You can find Kendalls words of wisdom for all athletes by clicking Neuffs Training Blog here.

Trading cross-country for combined events

Neuff proudly supports all young athletes who want to progress in multi-events, regardless of their abilities or rankings. One of these is U20 heptathlete and 400m hurdler Frances Hogg.

As soon as I was old enough to be out of the pram, I would always run instead of walk everywhere, says Hogg, who currently falls into this years top 10 for womens heptathlon in the UK.

Hogg joined her local athletics club (City of York) at the tender age of seven. A child prodigy in athletics, she first took part in cross-country running, often running laps behind an old warehouse and on muddy fields in the winter.

Once her club moved to a new track, new opportunities naturally gravitated towards her path, and she has stuck with combined events ever since, loving the diversity that heptathlons have to offer.

After picking up a knee injury earlier this year, Hogg took some time out to recover for the summer.

However, she soon bounced back by listening to her body and not pushing through the pain while enjoying other hobbies during her time away from competing.

Adapting and overcoming are skills which multi-eventers especially have to get to grips with. However, Hogg has managed to create a plan which allows her to make the most of her training and competitions while eliminating any overwhelming emotions that can come with the graft.

Keeping all the plates spinning as a multi-eventer can be tricky, adds Hogg. Luckily, my coach has a really good programme set out for me, where I do gym work three times a week, while also heading to the track and field four times a week.

Working on my weaknesses is also a big thing for me. I try to spend more time training and competing in my weaker events to make them my strengths!

Posting her journey at every opportunity on social media, Neuff has been following her journey closely, as have many other athletes in the UK. Frances still has a lot to look forward to and has plenty of advice for junior athletes looking to better themselves for the avenues ahead of them.

Focus on your own performance. Even now, I sometimes find myself looking at others smashing their PBs. However, Ive learnt to be happy for others when they are doing well and to not let it get me down at the same time.

Dont forget that you need to not only be physically strong, but mentally too. Theres no need to rush anything. Enjoy the process, and as long as you are working hard, youll work your way up the ranks!

Desiring to break down barriers

There are many reasons why someone would want to take up athletics in the first place. Many dream of being in the history books, but for others, simply gaining confidence and opening up new chapters in their life is what athletics is all about.

Kieran Bouwmeester-Reid, a U20 decathlete who competes for St. Marys Richmond AC and is part of the YTP, has seen a monumental change in his work ethic since he started competing in the decathlon.

I think above all, its my confidence that athletics has had the biggest positive impact on, says Bouwmeester-Reid.

Being a decathlete has helped me to develop a more positive attitude towards life, and being on the track helps to bring me out of my shell, which has made me a lot of good friends through my club and competitions.

Unfortunately, due to a string of injuries Bouwmeester-Reid encountered this year, much of his training and competitions had to be put on hold. However, his love for combined events has never fizzled, and he still competed at a few events this summer, including the South of England Combined Events Championships.

I treat each event individually, and I dont let any other previous performances affect how I perform in the next event, says Bouwmeester-Reid. Just focusing on one thing at a time seems to be the best approach for me. As soon as you start overthinking things, thats when it usually starts to get much worse.

Looking forward to a future full of performances to be proud of, Bouwmeester-Reids steadfast motivation to succeed is undoubtedly admirable. Being an ambassador for Neuff, he has played a vital part in relaying important information from the websites blog to other up-and-coming athletes.

However, what became clear to the team at Neuff after speaking with Bouwmeester-Reid is that while his natural passion for athletics evidently pushes him forward, his support network has also made his experiences with competing even more special.

My competitors play an important part in my success. They provide me with the support I need, and just talking to them in between jumps or throws can help relieve the pressure of a competition.

You get to know your fellow athletes well, and I would say they are the main reason I love combined events competitions compared to other disciplines!

What lies ahead for combined events?

Many high-profile athletes such as Harry Kendall have been campaigning for increased support for combined events this past year, after timetabling issues and coverage concerns regarding some championships were brought to the forefront of national news.

With plenty of talented multi-eventers to showcase in the UK, the need to shine a brighter spotlight on combined events inside and outside the athletics community has never been as crystal clear as it is today.

However, when we reflect on the World Championships which took place in Budapest earlier this summer, there were plenty of combined events athletes who showed a lot of promise for the sports future.

While Kendall didnt compete, he watched the championships from the sidelines in the National Athletics Centre and was inspired by the pure talent which the competing athletes possessed, even in tricky conditions where temperatures soared over 30 degrees celsius for some events.

Describing the crowd as being fully behind the decathletes (regardless of their nationality), its a promising sign of support from all corners of the globe, further demonstrating that combined events championships still have plenty of mileage in the tank to create a glowing future for multi-eventers everywhere.

In the meantime, Neuffs ambassadors and bloggers hope to be a part of the positive change in the perception of combined events. However, Kendall makes it clear that regardless of the situation or how naturally talented you may be, you still need to keep at it to get to where you want to be.

Appreciate what everyones doing for you and make sure you have a good team around you as you get older. Just put in the time, and you will reap the rewards eventually.

For more on Neuffs athlete and multi-events ambassadors, click here.

For more advice on combined events, dont forget to check out Kendalls blogs for Neuff by clicking here.