Julia Henriksson, 24, has just become a full -time professional and moved to Italian Padova.
She leaves the reception at the health center in Helsingborg to invest everything in athletics.
– I want to reach higher than last year and join in and be made about a final place in the World Cup, she says.
Henriksson’s last year was strong with a Swedish record of 200 meters and a final place at the European Championships.
As she now lives her dream in Italy, increased training dose and focus on details is what will lift her further. As support there is a training group with, among others, Daryll Neita and Amy Hunt, British runners with medals from both the World Cup and the European Championships.
– I know that if I deliver on training and run fast, I can also participate in the big competitions. It is incredibly big to train with those girls, says Henriksson.
Great potential
The choice of Padova is that the city is one of the few in Italy with the indoor arena adapted for athletics all year round. Coach Marco Airele leads the group and sees great potential in its new adept:
– We take it step by step. The next barrier she can manage is 11.10 at 100 meters and 22.5 at 200 meters. When we reach those times, we can talk further.
Full focus on athletics became possible when Nike entered as the main sponsor. Previously, Henriksson worked 75 percent at a health center, but now she spends all the time fine -tuning technical details such as start and step length.
– I am incredibly grateful. I know this is what it takes to take the next step, she says.
Final place in the World Cup
This summer, the World Cup in Tokyo is waiting, and Julia Henriksson hopes once again to challenge for a final place. For her there is no doubt that she is on the right track:
– It’s fantastic to be 24 years old, live in Italy and live my dream. At home I would like to go back – but now this is my chance to be even faster and reach the goals I set.