Megan Keith admits she took “a bit of an odd” route into top-level athletics given her teenage years were spent having “a fair bit of success in quite a short time in orienteering”.
She is one of eight Scots in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team going to this month’s World Championships in Budapest.
The 21-year-old from Inverness will compete in the 5,000m.
“I grew up in the Highlands in a very active family,” Keith explains.
“I went to my local athletics club’s training sessions, but then on top of that I went to orienteering races and I rowed for Inverness Rowing Club. Then I skied and I climbed hills in the summer.”
Keith was so talented at orienteering that she won European and World Youth Championship gold medals in the sport.
“I just did lots of things and I didn’t really feel like I needed to commit to one 100% because I had friends doing all these things and I was enjoying the variation and wasn’t taking any of them seriously,” she tells BBC Scotland.
Keith admits she got “a bit frustrated” as her running ability was compensating for her “slightly more unreliable” navigation skills.
“Then it just struck me – why am I not just focusing on the bit I am good at?” she says.
It means the Inverness Harriers runners is something of a late starter in athletics.
“It was when I was only 16 or 17 that I started focusing in on the running,” Keith recalls.
“I am glad I did it like that. It has just been so fun and low pressure, a bit of an odd way in to it, but it has been a fun journey.”
The third year sports science student at Edinburgh University is in eye-catching form.
After winning 5,000m gold at last month’s European Under-23 Championships, she then smashed her personal best over the distance at the London Diamond League event.
Her time of 14:56.98 was 35 seconds faster than her previous best and was two milliseconds inside the World Championship qualification time.
Only Laura Muir has run faster in this season’s UK standings.
However, she is going into this month’s event somewhat under the radar given the spotlight is likely to be on Muir and compatriots Eilish McColgan and Jemma Reekie.
“I like it – it keeps expectations down,” Keith adds.
“I don’t feel there is any pressure on me because we have got these big names in Scotland who are going out there fighting for medals, but it is just a really crazy group to be a part of because everyone in Scotland is performing at such a high level right now.”
