We are delighted that Olympian, Marilyn Okoro, continues to be part of our BRIT Ambassador family to support young adult mental health and fitness in the UK.
Marilyn is a former Great Britain athlete and Olympic, World and European medallist. Since her retirement as an elite athlete, Marilyn has become a Mental Health Advocate, Mindset Coach and Public Speaker.
Marilyn graduated from the University of Bath in 2007 and then started her first season as a full-time track and field athlete.
She finished third in the 800 metres at both the 2007 and 2008 IAAF World Athletics Final and was on the bronze medal winning 4 x 400 m relay team at the 2007 World Championships. Marilyn represented Great Britain at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008 and was on the bronze medal winning 4 x 400 m relay team.
In 2009, Marilyn suffered an injury that plagued her outdoor season, however still managed to be included in the squad for the World Championships in Berlin. In 2010, Marilyn took bronze in the 800 m at the UK Championships and was part of the bronze medal winning 4 x 400 m team at the 2010 European Championships.
“As a former university student, and through my work as a Mental Health Advocate and Mindset Coach, I understand the mental health challenges and pressures that young adults face. I’m also mindful that the COVID-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on particular groups in society; those on a low income, people with an existing mental health condition; children and young adults and people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities. The COVID-19 pandemic is undoubtedly impacting on all our lives and if there was ever a time to support and improve young adult and student mental health and fitness it is now.
I am both excited and delighted to be part of the BRIT Ambassador family. Olympians, Paralympians, sports personalities, adventurers and explorers are being invited to join BRIT as Ambassadors, support a university or college of their choice, and share their lived experience to destigmatise mental health, encourage participation in the BRIT Challenge and champion equality, diversity and inclusion.
I know that my fellow current and retired Olympians, Paralympians and Track and Field athletes, will appreciate the importance of young adult mental health and I urge them to embrace this call to action and join our BRIT Ambassador family.
The annual BRIT Challenge has been designed to be inclusive so students and staff of all abilities can participate in many different ways, both on campus or at home. This is a fantastic opportunity for university and college students who have a passion for sport, mental health or wellbeing, to take the lead on entering teams and encouraging their fellow students to take part.
I look forward to supporting students and staff at the University of Bath as they take on the annual BRIT Challenge.”
Marilyn Okoro
Olympic, World and European Medallist
Since her retirement as an elite athlete, Marilyn has become an Athletics Ambassador, Mental Health Advocate, Mindset Coach, Mentor, Personal Trainer and Public Speaker.
In 2021, Marilyn founded Detach the Stigma; Courageous conversations about sport and mental health. On her webinars, Mariyln hosts some of the nation’s top athletes, past and present, connecting them with some of the nation’s top specialists who are working to challenge and change the way the world of elite sport treats its athletes. They seek to add a more holistic and person-centred approach to high performance. These are courageous conversations that need to take place more in order to de-bunk the many myths that exist and contribute to revolutionising the current, not so healthy, win at all costs culture of sport.
Marilyn delivers webinars on a range of subjects including detaching the stigma when it comes to eating disorders and the wider Black community. Marilyn invited Kaysha Thomas, a Registered Nutritional Therapist and mental health and anti-racism advocate, and Kadeena Cox MBE, Paralympic Champion, to discuss some of the challenges Black Women and Black Female Athletes contend with, while battling eating disorders.
Marilyn and fellow Great Britain athlete, Becky Lynn, have also teamed up to deliver a Gracefull Girls Programme. Each Gracefull Girl who books onto the programme has access to;
Online strength & conditioning sessions
Personal optimisation seminars
Supportive online community
Online technique analysis & physio screens
1-2-1 mentoring sessions
For more information on Marilyn, Becky and Gracefull Girls, please visit the website.