The British athlete opens up about building on an unforgettable Budapest experience, navigating the NCAA system and getting ready to turn professional

Amber Anning had never experienced anything like it before. Her first taste of competing at the World Championships last summer, an event from which she returned with a 4x400m bronze medal, will stay with the 23-year-old forever.

To be selected and for them to trust in me to do what needed to be done to make the final and then win a medal, it was just amazing, she beams. The atmosphere was really special and I learned a lot about myself going out there. Even when I was running the heat, Ive never experienced what I felt when I raced. It was effortless. It was like the crowd was taking me around.

In all my years of running track, it was such a such a beautiful moment. Dont get me wrong, after the race I was on the floor with lactic and everything, but it was like I was being propelled around the track.

The feeling was made all the sweeter given that, at times last year, the University of Arkansas student hadnt even wanted to put herself in with a chance of going to Budapest. After a brilliant indoor season, during which she had been part of the Razorbacks line-up that ran the fastest 4x400m time in history as they grabbed the NCAA title, a lower back problem reared its head.

A couple of days after [the end of the indoor season] I woke up and I couldnt walk. It was an ongoing issue throughout the outdoors, she says of what proved to be trouble with the sacroiliac joint that affected her hamstrings.

The frustration grew and Anning began to doubt the idea of making the British team for Hungary. Since switching from Louisiana State Univeristy to Arkansas, the 2019 European indoor 4x400m medallist says she has been truly made to feel like one of the family, even spending Thanksgiving and Christmas at the home of her coach, Chris Johnson.

It was his wife who urged Anning to head home to England last summer not just to compete at the UK trials but also to see her own family.

She was telling me: Maybe a change of location and being back home might bring something out of you. And it really did. I ran back-to-back outdoor PBs at the Champs.

Annings 51.62 run in coming fourth in Manchester put her name in the frame for Hungary and that unforgettable team experience.

Now on top of her injury issues, Anning has more on her mind than relay honours, though. She wants to make an individual impact, too. She is also due to graduate this year from her degree in PR and marketing, and is preparing to become a professional athlete in 2024.

It is scary, she admits. I feel like there is a lot a lot going on this year and I was a little bit overwhelmed and quite anxious about it. But I sat down with coach Johnson and he reassured me that its his job to get me where I need to be. Ive got to just trust him, trust the process, trust God and let everything else unfold. That was a big relief to me.

She adds: Being a professional, its a goal for every athlete. I dont train hard all these days to not go anywhere with it. I want to continue and be able to make this part of my everyday life.

Annings indoor season is likely to be shorter in 2024 as she places the emphasis on clocking some fast times outdoors as early in the season as possible, with the European Championships and, of course, the Olympics in mind.

Shes started well and put down a marker at the beginning of the year. Anning has not only improved her 400m indoor best to 50.56 but has also broken Katharine Merrys 25-year-old British indoor 200m record of 22.83 with an incredible 22.60.

There are few places, she says, better at sharpening her competitive edge than the American collegiate system she has been part of since 2019, when she moved to Louisiana State before making the switch to Arkansas in 2022.

Its just so competitive and the times being run are world class, says the 2019 European U20 400m silver medallist, who shares a birthday with Allyson Felix. Even at Arkansas, Ive got a lot of competition amongst my team. I always have to raise my game.

That was a goal to come to America. I knew that I was too comfortable in England. I wanted to go to a new environment where I could just push myself more. Nothings guaranteed out here.

Ive been able to get out of my comfort zone. To come into Arkansas over the last year and seeing what I was able to achieve in such a small time is testimony to just how great the programme and the coaching is here. It was a great move but they dont play over here. You cant just chill on one race and come back the next time.

Anning admits that going the American way involves a lot for a young athlete to wrap their head around. From her own experiences, however, her main advice to anyone thinking of doing likewise is simple. Find the right coach for you.

The coaching set-up is key, she says. I think youve got to really hone down on your goals for the track [before making your choice].

Historically, Arkansas has a very strong track record over 400m, and I needed that environment to take me to the next level. When I was speaking to Coach  Johnson about transferring from LSU, he already knew a lot about me and understood what I needed to do.

It really is a family environment at Arkansas, and I feel very comfortable here, which is important being so far away from home. There are also fewer distractions in Fayetteville, so I can focus on my studies and training.

Coach Johnson and Coach Shaver [at LSU] cared, but not all coaches in America do, if Im honest. Out here, athletes can sometimes feel like a bit of a commodity. Its a business. That aspect can be even harder when youre going through an injury, and its like: Youre replaceable; we have someone else who can do that.

The team at Arkansas care a lot. I think weve got something really good going on here, and I wouldnt want to change that at all.

Head over to summuscollege.com to find out more about athletics scholarships to the USA. All AW readers get a free 15-minute eligibility call.