My Story

Torema Thompson 2023

Hey you 👋🏾, thanks for visiting my website.

So, here’s a bit about me…

The Early Years -

I’ve always been sporty, and a natural educator, but it wasn’t always sprinting & fitness! I started gymnastics at age 8, followed by pretty much all the sports in school. However, it was at age 15 that I needed to make a choice, and that’s when I firmly chose athletics as my sport of focus.

Teaching-wise, I was always the kid making up games and stories, choreographing dances, and even tutoring my peers or youngers (usually in maths though 🙃). During my teenage years, I was also fascinated with shows that chronicled people’s weight loss journeys and how this changed their lives … I guess becoming a personal trainer was inevitable!

 
Me winning English Schools at age 13.

English Schools Champion —

My first English Schools Championship was in 2003, and I was blessed to come away with a win in the under 15 girls 100m (and to make history since I was only a first-year U15 at the time!).

English Schools are like a mini Olympics for secondary school children here in England, and to this day those champs still hold a special place in my heart.

I went on to attend a few more English Schools over the years, picking up an additional bronze & silver medal.

 
Age 17, beginning to discover purpose.

Discovering My ‘Why’

Although growing up, I excelled both academically and in sports, I was actually extremely, extremely, insecure. I thought my skin was too dark, my legs were too big and I hated the way my voice sounded (I share more in my book, G.I.R.L Esteem). Simply put, I never felt good enough or like I truly fit anywhere! However, at 16 years old, I found faith in Jesus, got baptised, and began a journey of discovering my true identity and purpose… It’s this faith journey that has made me the confident woman I am today and my ‘why’ behind all that I do... I want to see people become who they were created to be and reach their full potential. That’s my heartbeat.

 
Me & Eugene Ayanful at the European Youth Olympics 2007 in Serbia (both silver medallists).

Competing For Great Britain

My first appearance for GB didn’t go so well (in Mannheim Germany). I was only 16 at the time (still in the under 17 category but competing against under 20s) and extremely nervous. Nevertheless, the following year, I managed to pull it together (by the grace of God!) and came away with a silver medal in the 100m at the 2007 European Youth Olympics.

Over the next few years, I managed to also make a European Junior 100m final and get a bronze medal alongside my teammates in the 4x100m at the 2011 European U23 championships. I’m grateful for these years, my experiences, and my successes, but it definitely wasn’t all smooth sailing…

 
Czech Republic 2011 — My last season competing for Great Britain before “the break”.

Injuries Galore!

2007 was probably my last injury-free season before stress fractures in my feet and hamstring tendonitis began to plague my life. In 2008, I had been selected to attend the World Junior Championships, but a couple of days before we were set to fly out, UK Athletics received the results of my foot scan and pulled me off the teamI was devasted!

I really struggled physically from then on, and after the 2013 outdoor season (my first year as a senior) my body was so broken that I could hardly run.

I didn’t return to winter training that year and I ended up taking 2 complete years out of the sport.

 
I'm here to help you thrive!😏

Sharing My Knowledge & Experience

During my years out of the sport, I worked as a playleader, teaching assistant, and PE coach in a primary school, and also published a couple of children’s books. In February 2015, I registered my company, left my employment in the summer, qualified as a personal trainer in the autumn, and it was shortly after that I returned to athletics.

Things didn’t quite go as smoothly as I would have liked when I first returned to the sport; nevertheless, I’ve found joy and passion in creatively sharing my journey, and in helping others LIKE YOU to reach their sprinting/fitness potential.