Who Is Keely Hodgkinson?
Keely Nicole Hodgkinson was born on March 3rd, 2002, in Wigan, Greater Manchester.
A middle-distance runner who specializes at 800 metres her outstanding achievements in recent years means she is one of Team GB’s best hopes for a medal in Paris this summer.
A Different Life
We will get to those achievements very shortly. But first we must acknowledge what Keely had to overcome and furthermore highlight just how different her life and career could have been were it not for good fortune and bravery.
Having experienced hearing problems throughout her childhood she discovered the cause of it aged 13 when an examination revealed a non-cancerous tumour in her left ear. It had crushed her hearing bones and after a decade’s growth was now pushing on her spine.
By this age, Keely was already being tipped for the top, finishing runner-up in the British Schools Modern Biathlon Championships and winning regularly for Leigh Harriers at 800 and 1500 metres as well as in the cross-country discipline.
An early passion for swimming was put to one side with a bright future in athletics beckoning.
With time of the essence due to the real risk of developing facial palsy, she underwent a mastoidectomy, a long operation that removed the tumour and Keely remains grateful to this day to the doctors for their timely diagnosis and high competence in surgery.
Alas, they were unable to reconstruct the damaged bones which has left her 95% deaf on one side.
Her convalescence was drawn out, and most distressing of all for one of the best athletes of her generation, left her unable to walk for a month after.
“I could have had a very different life,” the Olympic hopeful relayed with some under-statement to the London Evening Standard prior to the Tokyo games.
Achievements
It is notable and entirely understandable that Keely’s results post-operation became a succession of thirds, fourths and fifths, and this continued for 18 months and more.
In 2017 however, aged 15, ‘The Hodge’ – as she is affectionately known among friends on the circuit – returned with a bang, putting in a series of personal bests, one of which secured her gold at the England Championships.
Under-18 and under-20 titles followed, both domestically and abroad, and arguably her highlight at junior level came in Vienna when she became the first ever junior competitor to post under two minutes for an indoor 800m race.
It was that feat that first saw her portrayed in the athletics media as the next Kelly Holmes, a comparison that immensely flattered the youngster given that Holmes is her sporting heroine.
In 2021 Keely took the big jump up to senior level in her stride, winning her first of two Diamond Leagues, and this was more than sufficient to secure her a place in the British Olympic team heading to Tokyo.
In the race of her life, Keely smashed two seconds off her personal best in the final, picking up a much-celebrated silver medal.
Since then, there have been consecutive silver medals won at the World Championships and golds at the European Championships, her latest success coming in Rome just last month.
All of which has placed her very much among the favourites in the online betting to triumph in Paris.
How Much Is Keely Hodgkinson Worth?
Funding was initially an issue for the up-and-coming talent, with her parents financing her dream despite being on modest means.
Emerging onto the athletics scene during a global pandemic didn’t exactly help matters but all the same, the UK Athletics body were slow to back a hugely promising talent.
In their place stepped Barrie Wells, a self-made multimillionaire who matched Keely’s Lottery funding and this afforded warm-weather training in America and travel to competitions.
And all the while Keely was a student, studying criminology at Leeds University.
The financial picture has changed now of course, though not substantially so.
Runners – especially sprinters – are the glamour stars of the athletics world, and subsequently earn considerably more than any of their peers, yet until Keely brings home an Olympic gold, and becomes a household name, her income will remain on the prosperous side of ordinary.
This is true even when factoring in recent commercial affiliations with Nike and Omega watches. At the time of writing, Keely Hodgkinson’s net worth is estimated to be in the region of £250,000.
Mini-Ella
‘The Hodge’ is not the runner’s only nickname, with Wigan residents referring to her as ‘Mini-Ella’ due to her close and long-standing friendship with Ella Toone, the professional footballer. The pair were in high school together, with Keely two years Toone’s junior.
“We’re just two young girls living their dreams”, is how the athlete has described their relationship and who knows, maybe both can come true in the coming year.
The Lionesses’ club side Manchester United is well-priced in the football betting to attain their first ever WSL title next season. As for Keely, her aspiration is golden and very possibly within reach.
*Photo credit belongs to Istvan - stock.adobe.com*
