A DESIRE to prove the experts wrong was the driving force behind Paula Radcliffe’s amazing recovery.
Radcliffe was diagnosed with a stress fracture in her left thigh in May, seemingly ruling the marathon world record holder out of the running for the Olympic Games in Beijing, which begin later this week.
It was the latest in a number of injury setbacks since she was forced to quit during the women’s marathon at Athens 2004 due to illness brought on by anti-inflammatories she was taking for a leg problem.
However, a burning desire to add an Olympic medal to triumphs at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games, saw Radcliffe overcome the odds and confirm she will be at the start line on August 17 upon arriving at the Team GB training camp in Macau.
“I think I’m the type of person that if you say you can’t do this and you make it harder, it kind of makes me more determined anyway,” she said.
“Aside from anything that happened four years ago, it seems like it’s just been one nightmare after another and when each one comes it’s like a punch in the stomach, but fighting it gives me energy a little bit as well.
“That’s why I said it gives me a boost to come this far and confidence that things are going to go well.”
Radcliffe, however, could not predict how she will fare in the Chinese capital due to her disrupted build-up but claimed she would not be going if gold was not on her mind.
