Laura Muir, the accidental runner and fastest vet in the world
The Olympic silver medallist in 1500m had no plans to be a runner, the British athlete's heart was set on being a vet, until she took up running as a hobby at university, where everything changed.
"Wow, wow, wow," said an excitable Laura Muir when a turtle popped its head up in the waters off Hawaii in October.
The turtle likely thought the same upon looking up to see the likes of the 1500m Olympic silver medallist, the 2019 200m world champ Dina Asher-Smith, two-time Olympian, high jumper Morgan Lake, and European indoor long jump title holder Jazmin Sawyers all peering back at it.
Quite the girls' holiday, that.
The British athletes were taking time out at the end of the 2023 season to relax and regroup, ahead of the intensity of the Olympic year to come, and Paris 2024. Muir was "super happy" to finish the season running her second fastest time ever over 1500m placing third in the Diamond League Final. Her 2024 season proper starts with the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow from 1 March.
"A holiday to last a lifetime 🌺," posted Muir on Instagram alongside photos of dramatic rocky coastal scenery, secluded waterfalls, and beach-side property, plus a video, of course, of said turtle.
"Had an amazing time mainly due to the company 🥰" she continued, at least managing to reference her friends first before continuing: "(Also the fact I snorkelled with countless turtles)."
"Such an amazing time," chipped in Asher-Smith.
"The BEST time!" acknowledged Irish hurdler and Tokyo 2020 Olympian, Sarah Lavin, who was also on the trip. "I will never forget the first turtle sighting 🐢"
"Core memory for life 😂🥰" responded Lake.
Rounding out the comment section was Muir who acknowledged: "Got a bit excited 😂🥰".
Laura Muir's balancing act
Muir's love of animals is not new. In fact, the Glasgow resident never intended to be a runner at all, but a vet.
"A lot of people I guess when they're growing up think 'oh I'd love to be an Olympic champion' but for me that was never the case, I always wanted to be a vet," she said in an interview in 2018.
But once she headed to Glasgow University to study veterinary science, she took up running again as a hobby having previously been a club-level athlete and competing just for fun.
On reaching university, she took up the sport again for the same reason, plus some downtime away from her intensive studies.
"It wasn't until I went to university and I changed my coach and the set up and all my training sessions that I made a very big progression very quickly and that was really when I thought, professional athlete could actually be something I could do as a career as well".
What followed was an intensive five years, studying and training, which culminated with the 2018 athletics season combined with graduating from her course.
"2018 you have been the most stressful and exhausting year of my life! But also the most rewarding and absolute best! 😊
Veterinary Surgeon 🎓
Diamond League Champion 💎
European Champion 1500m 🥇
World Indoor 1500m 🥈
World Indoor 3000m 🥉"
Laura Muir's animal farm
Muir also spent time on farms working as a trainee vet to practice her newly acquired skillset as part of her university course. This had likely changed somewhat from the periods as a kid where she helped friends in the farming community.
During lambing season, the young Muir would chase after the newly born lambs to spray them so they didn't get lost from their mothers.
"They’re fast little things, even though they’re only a few hours old," she told the Guardian ahead of the Tokyo Games in which she secured a first Olympic medal. "We had a great system, me and the farmer: he would drive the quad bike and, at the last minute, I would jump off.
“I’d catch the lambs, because I was quick, and then we’d spray them, and then I would hop back on and we’d be off again. Running came in handy for that,” said Muir of her days growing up in the 2,000-strong village of Milnathort.
Holidays too, see Muir engaging with her beloved critters.
At the end of the industrious 2018 season, Muir headed for a well-earned break to Vancouver Island to chill out with some more animal friends.
"We saw Orcas (killer whales) and humpback whales!!! 😁😁" she enthused. "Absolutely amazing day, sunrise seaplane to Vancouver Island before a whale watching tour where we saw a Bald Eagle and sea lions too 😊"
With studying now done, Muir was also now free to head to warm-weather training beloved by athletes, with South Africa the location of choice.
Posts over the winter season over the next few years included photos of lions, leopards, baby elephants, giraffes, and cheetahs.
Cheetahs. That'll be the fastest land animal on earth.
Muir could learn a thing or two from them.