When Heather Warner was a little girl growing up on the family farm at Clerkenhill near Haverfordwest, she longed to run as fast as her three sisters.

Fast forward 20 years and Heather (nee Lewis) has become one of Wales’s top ranking athletes.

In 2022 she crossed the 20km European Championships race walk in 13th position and moved up to fifth on the UK all-time list with a time of 94:02. And this week she is stepping up her pace even further as she prepares to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the European Race Walking Team Championships which take place in Podebrady in the Czech Republic on Sunday, May 21.

“Yes, I’ve come a long way in the last few years, but growing up on the family farm back in the ‘90s, our parents always encouraged us to be as active and as sporty as possible," she said.

“I was a little bit jealous of my sisters to be honest, as they were younger than me, they were really good runners and they always beat me. So maybe that’s why I decided to give race walking a go.”

Needless to say, Heather has never looked back.

Her outstanding technique and her incredible endurance levels have taken her to some of the world’s most major championships including Australia, Germany and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

“Yes, the training levels are pretty intense,” she continues.

“I do about 70 to 80 miles a week which is very similar to a marathon runner. This adds up to around two or three marathons a week and includes two hard sessions on the track, where I do race pace work. I also do gym work at least twice a week to help keep the injuries away.”

Heather is determined to do all she can throughout 2023 with the aim of being selected to race in next year’s Paris Olympics.

“It’s a big goal, but this is a very important year for me and I’m determined to do everything I can to achieve it.”

The steep hills around Clerkenhill Farm help Heather to maintain her strength levels and despite her international prowess, she still regularly trains with the Pembrokeshire Harriers.

“I usually start my training sessions at around 5pm and everyone else turns up at 6. And I’m still there when everyone’s left,” she laughs.

“But it’s so good to be part of the Pembrokeshire Harriers, and to see the skills and the talent that some of the young ones are already showing is fantastic. I have no doubt that they’ll be visiting the Commonwealth over the next few years.”

Commenting on Heather’s success, UKA World Class Programme Endurance Performance Manager, Steve Vernon, said, “Heather is an experienced athlete who has demonstrated her abilities on the European stage over the last few years. This event will be a key opportunity for her to race against the best on the Continent, ahead of future events such as next year’s European Championships.”