"My heart breaks but feeling proud of how far I've come... 27th in the world."
"Bringing my authentic self has brought me to a point where I feel comfortable again," he said. "It's silly but this is the first year in five years where I've completed every race I've stepped on the start line to do, which is such a nice feeling and such a big accomplishment."
"I've had so many messages saying it's so nice to see someone living the way I am. They wish they could have had someone doing that when they were younger, or parents [saying] it's a really nice example for children."
Seamus Derbyshire made his World Athletics Championships debut in Tokyo, finishing seventh in his heat with a time of 49.20 and placing 27th overall. He became the fifth-fastest British man over 400m hurdles in June, clocking 48.47 to secure selection. Derbyshire gained viral attention on TikTok for fierce on-track poses and celebrated by emulating Glinda from Wicked. Previous mental-health struggles derailed European and Olympic plans and prompted reconsideration of his career. Bringing an authentic identity back into competition helped him complete every race this year, a milestone he considers a significant personal accomplishment and source of pride. He hopes his visibility will inspire others.
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