Beth Dobbin, Team GB Olympic Runner, pictured above​​​​

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Olympic running star Beth Dobbin took time after her race to pay tribute to her best friend’s mother, who was a long-serving frontline NHS nurse.

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Dobbin performed for team GB in the 200m semi-finals race at the Tokyo Olympics on Monday, placing her out of the competition after finishing in fifth.

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Once completing the run, the 27-year-old honoured the tragic passing of her best friend’s mother as she unfortunately took her own life in June due to the pressures of the pandemic.

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Beth Dobbin spoke to the BBC about the difficulties athletes face at the tournament, she said “Dina [Asher-Smith] did a really good captain's speech where she said this group of Olympians are the most resilient that we've probably ever had”

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“that just really touched a nerve with me because obviously I've been through a lot myself and also this past 18 months has been really difficult for every athlete.”

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Among athletes, frontline workers throughout the NHS such as nurses were dealt with an increasingly difficult hardship which Beth Dobbin wanted to mention due to the tragic passing of her best friend’s mother.

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She ended her speech with “can I take this moment to shout out my best friend’s mum, Julie? She was an NHS nurse for 34 years and she sadly took her own life in June.”

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“She was a frontline NHS worker, it’s been a really, really difficult year with Covid and I’m just proud of myself I stuck at it and all the athletes on the team because it’s not been easy at all for anyone.”

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The Olympics were pushed back to 2021 after 2020 found it impossible to host the event during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

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Similar to the subject of mental health, USA gymnast Simone Biles withdrew earlier in the competition for the protection of her mental health.

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