European champion. Two-time World Championship medallist. Reality TV music star.
Rio Mitcham is a key member of the Team GB squad, where he excels in the 4x400m relay event.
Team GB star Mitcham has achieved huge success in his track career so farGettyThe 25-year-old helped Team GB’s men’s side scoop the gold medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships.
The following year, he won a silver medal in the mixed event at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
He followed that up with a bronze in the men’s event before setting his sights on picking up a medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic games.
But sadly for the Telford native, repeated injuries saw him miss out on selection as Team GB took home the bronze.
Now almost back to his best after helping Team GB finish sixth in the World in May, Mitcham is determined to make it to the next Olympics at Los Angeles in 2024.
But while he has acknowledged that he aims to claim more medals in his career, success for him is also about being the person he can be – on and off the track.
Speaking to talkSPORT.com about battling back from injury, the Run:EA ambassador said: “I think it’s changed the way that I view success.
“So I used to see success as making this medal, winning this prize money, making this team, getting the Olympics rings tattooed.
“I didn’t care about anything else other than where to get the tattoo in a year, that was all I cared about, and then once I didn’t get that, it kind of changed the way that I viewed success.
“Because I was so proud of myself for going through a bunch of injuries and getting to the start line.
The 4x400m relay sprinter won two medals at the World Athletics Championships in 2023Getty“But even the idea of making the team doesn’t amount to that, it doesn’t amount to that feeling of being proud of that achievement.
“So yeah, it changed the way that I view success, now I see it as more of like the person I am every day and who I bring to the track.
“And the fact that I can leave it out there and show resilience, be brave, all of that is why I see it as success.
“It’s kind of more of a day-to-day thing rather than the next achievement, however, saying that, obviously I do want to make the next Olympic team!
“And obviously I want to win medals in between that. Please don’t think otherwise. But yeah, it’s a bit of both now.”
As well as being an esteemed athlete, Mitcham is also a skilled musician, where he showcased his talents alongside his brother Alex on series 11 of ITV’s The Voice.
Mitcham performed on the 11th series of TV show The VoiceMitcham was the second Team GB star to appear on the reality music competition after long jump specialist Jazmin Sawyers, who featured in the sixth series.
The siblings, who perform as Smokiecoco, rapped their own remixed version of Natasha Bedingfield’s These Words – earning them a spot on the team of will.i.am – the front man of American group Black Eyes Peas.
But sadly for the brothers, they failed to make it beyond the second round, though that hasn’t stopped Mitcham’s love of music.
Smokiecoco continue to perform and release songs, with music providing the perfect escape away for Mitcham away from athletics.
Commenting on what it was like to be on TV for music as opposed to sprinting, Mitcham remarked: “It was so cool, such a good experience.
“I would recommend it to anyone that sings, if you sing, hop on the show so you can get them chairs to turn.
Smokiecoco ended up on Team Will after the American rapper turned his chair The duo failed to contain their delight after securing their place in the next round“It was actually my first ever performance, so we had a plan to go on it. The situation just came about and I’m very grateful for it.
“I met some really cool people, had some good fun, and it also just allowed me to experience some form of life outside of athletics.
“I think a lot of the time athletics can be quite all-encompassing and doing a show like that, especially with my brother as well, was so cool.”
With sport and music his two biggest loves, Mitcham was unable to give a definitive answer on whether he would have continued in athletics if he had triumphed on The Voice.
Through laughter, he said: “I don’t even want to answer that question! People always ask, would you rather be Drake or Usain Bolt?
“I don’t have the answer, unfortunately. I think I would [remain in athletics].
Mitcham failed to make it to Paris 2024 after injuries scuppered his Olympics dreamAFP“Athletics has always been at the centre of my heart, it’s always the dream that I am chasing every day.
“But if someone was like, ‘Oh, we’re going to headline you at this festival or you’re going to go run a race,’ it would be quite a hard decision for me, not one that I would want to make.”
While Mitcham has won medals in front of thousands of fans packed inside stadiums, it’s rapping on stage that makes him feel weak at the knees.
Pressed on what makes him feel more nervous, he said: “Performing in front of a stage, easily!
“Now that I’ve done The Voice and I’m performing at different stages, I think it’s a bit more even.
“But The Voice specifically was way more nerve-wracking, but now that I’ve done a few more shows, it might be a bit more even.
A post shared by RIO MITCHAM (@riomitcham)
“The thing is, when you’re in a crowd in front of a stadium, you’re warmed up so your heart’s meant to be beating and you’re meant to be sweating and you’re meant to have adrenaline.
“Whereas when you’re on a stage, it just makes you forget your lyrics. And that’s not really what I want.
“Also, I’ve run and run around a track so many times, it does feel a bit different at this point.”
With the World Athletics Championships two months away, Mitcham will be desperate to add to his growing medal collection.
And if he helps Team GB scoop the gold, you can certainly expect a track befitting of his heroics on it.
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