We’re back inside the Champ & Contender Pub 🍻 — and this one’s powerful.

Hosts Joseph J. Jones and Fabian Collymore sit down with James Ellington, a two-time European gold medallist 🇬🇧, Olympian, and walking definition of resilience. From track rivalries with Fabian back in the day to competing on the biggest stages in the world, James opens up about the highs, the heartbreak, and the hustle. He shares the career-shifting moment at the 2011 World Championships, his life-changing crash, and the incredible road to recovery that followed.

This episode covers everything: 💥 Training secrets & relay dynamics 🧠 Mental toughness & athlete psychology 🧪 The real talk on supplements 🚨 Setbacks, system letdowns & comebacks 💬 Honest advice for athletes, coaches & fighters 🎯 A serious Shot Stopper round you don’t want to miss!

This one’s for the sprinters, the dreamers, and the ones who never quit — James Ellington tells it how it is. Real talk, pure honesty, and a story that proves you can’t keep a true competitor down. 🏃‍♂️🔥

🎧 Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome to the Champion Contender Podcast

00:29 - Meet James Ellington

01:21 - Early sprint battles & athletic beginnings

05:25 - Supplement culture in elite sport

09:53 - Politics, pressure & performance

26:52 - Rio Olympics & relay team dynamics

31:20 - The crash that changed everything

37:52 - Falling out of love with watching athletics

38:45 - Rehab, mindset & finding purpose again

39:46 - Real friends vs fake support systems

40:38 - Coaching, training & life lessons

41:55 - Advice for anyone overcoming trauma

42:40 - Physical/mental state today

43:34 - Shot Stopper Game 🎯

50:26 - Why realness matters in track

53:02 - Juujitsu, Misfits Boxing & new passions

59:59 - Talent vs Work Rate in elite sport

01:02:00 - Looking back on key races

01:07:33 - Final thoughts & message to the next gen

📲 Follow James Ellington: Instagram – @jimmyells Twitter/X – @jimmyells

🎙️ Follow us: YouTube – @thechampandcontenderpodcast Instagram – @thechampandcontenderpodcast

🎯 Like, Comment & Subscribe if you respect the journey, the pain, and the comeback 🔥

#JamesEllington #ChampionContenderPodcast #OlympianStory #TrackAndFieldUK #RealTalkAthletes #RoadToRecovery #ShotStopper #FromThePubToTheTrack #SprinterMindset 🏃‍♂️💥🍻