Farming instilled discipline in fit-again Barber

Growing up on a farm surrounded by cows and horses might not be a common pathway into elite sport but heptathlete Ellen Barber credits her upbringing with pushing her to her Commonwealth Games debut.

The 28-year-old is from Shepton Mallet, Somerset, where her family has operated the world’s oldest cheddar cheese farm since 1883.

Barber is also the granddaughter of late horse racing owner Paul Barber and spent many of her formative years at his stables on the other side of Ditcheat, which for the past 30 years have been the home of renowned trainer Paul Nicholls.

“I feel all those values are instilled into you when you’re growing up – discipline, getting up every day. Farming, you have no days off because cows don’t wait around for you,” Barber told BBC Radio Somerset.

“And then with Paul’s yard being there, it’s a world class performance centre.

“Growing up, seeing that day in, day out, a relentless pursuit of excellence of just trying to be the best and at the top – without even realising it, you’re getting characteristics from that.”

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Barber’s family has a long working relationship with horse racing trainer Paul Nicholls [BBC]

The Barber-Nicholls partnership has been one of the most successful in British horse racing, with the duo twice winning the Cheltenham Gold Cup with See More Business in 1999 and Denman in 2008.

Barber has also competed as a jockey, one of several sports she tried at an early age.

“I did loads of sports at school. I did cricket, rugby, hockey, I did a lot of riding and my parents never wanted me to go into just one sport, they wanted to keep my options open,” she said.

However, at about age 15, athletics became the focus when Barber’s teacher signed her up for a regional championships and in 2016 she won the English Schools’ title for heptathlon.

“I really like the challenge of seven events because I naturally pick things up quite quickly,” she said.

“Trying to master all seven events is hard and I’ve liked that challenge of getting good. I’ve slowly plugged away and got better.

“If I told myself 10 years ago that I would go to the Commonwealth Games or the Indoor Championships, I would have been like, ‘What?’ So, yeah, it’s crazy.”

Barber’s route to Glasgow has not been straightforward.

Four years ago she was out with a major injury caused by three stress fractures in her tibia and another fracture in her foot.

Barber eventually underwent surgery, missed the 2022 Commonwealth Games and has had to fight to prove her fitness.

“I thought it was going to be career-ending,” Barber said.

“A lot of the doctors as well didn’t think it was going to be any good. Especially coming back in the heptathlon when you’ve got seven events that you’ve got to get back healthy for,” she said.

Barber still attended the Birmingham Games four years ago, albeit as a fan, and sitting in the stand gave her added motivation to return.

“I remember stepping in and thinking this is going to be the last time I will be watching,” she said. “The next four years I’m going to make it and be there and come back and give it my all.

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Barber represented England at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland in March [Getty Images]

Barber has had to be patient and assiduous in regaining her best form.

Last July, she won gold at the UK Athletics Championships – a title she also won in 2018 – and in May set a new personal best in the heptathlon at the Hypo-Meeting in Gotzis, Austria.

She found out she had earned a place in the 84-person England athletics squad for the Commonwealth Games via a phone call from head of combined events Darren Ritchie.

Barber will compete against team-mate Jade O’Dowda, who won bronze in 2022, with two-time champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson ruled out through injury.

The heptathlon starts on Tuesday when day one includes the 100m hurdles, followed by the high jump, shot put and 200m.

The following day, Barber will participate in the long jump, javelin and 800m.

“To get there I’ve got to be very proud of myself,” she said.