Steph Okoro aims to follow in footsteps of Jess Ennis-Hill

Steph Okoro is ready to follow in the footsteps of her hero Jessica Ennis-Hill after being selected to represent Team England at the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.

The British sporting legend competed at the second edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games in Bendigo, Australia in 2004, winning silver in the 100m hurdles and high jump before going on to claim senior Commonwealth and Olympic medals.

Havering AC star Okoro will compete in the 400m hurdles and 4x400m mixed relay at Trinbago 2023 alongside more than 1,000 young competitors aged 14 to 18 from around the world.

“Growing up I would always say that my hero is Jessica Ennis-Hill, she was just amazing honestly, I don’t really know what else to say about her,” said Okoro.

“Even though she wasn’t in my event, but to be fair I only specialised in hurdles recently, I loved watching her.

“Obviously she was a multi-eventer and I started doing that as well in my journey up, I did look up to her a lot.

“It is definitely nice to see where she got up to, it is a bit overwhelming sometimes to think that I could be where she is.

“The fact that we’re going through the same steps, for her to be there means that that could be me one day.”

The seventh edition of the Commonwealth Youth Games will take place on the Islands of Trinidad and Tobago between August 4 -11.

Several high-profile athletes started their journey competing for Team England at previous Commonwealth Youth Games before going on to achieve success at Senior Commonwealth Games, including Ennis-Hill and Dina Asher-Smith.

Okoro finished third in the 400m hurdles at the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships in Israel and she cannot believe how quickly her burgeoning athletics career has taken off since her first international selection.

“My first selection for the 2022 European Athletics U18 Championships in Israel, I was thinking about how far I’ve come since I was a kid at Havering AC,” she added.

“To be able to go from there to such a massive competition is really good.

“It is nerve-wracking, it will be very hot out there, but I have to learn to adapt to it.

“My mum will be coming with me, so it won’t be too bad, I won’t be in a new country by myself.

“All my family were so excited, they all wanted to come along but not all of them could, Mum was the lucky one. But they were all so happy for me.

“I would say that I am looking for a PB, working with my coaches I am definitely on track to get that.

“I think being in such a high-class competition, it puts the pressure on, and I need to learn to stay strong under that pressure.”

Follow Team England’s performances at Trinbago 2023 at www.teamengland.org #BringItHome