Team GB Keely Hodgkinson on Winning Gold and Empowering Women to Look and Feel Good

When I was offered an interview with Team GB 800m runner Keely Hodgkinson, the name rang a bell, but I couldn’t quite place her face. After a quick google search and what can only be described as the most incredible semi final performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics on Sunday, I will never forget her name again and I have a feeling this will be the same for millions of people too.

Like many others I’m sure, I watched in awe as Hodgkinson won gold last night in Paris, with poise and confidence way beyond her 22 years. I was also blown away by her composure and maturity in her post race interview. Hodgkinson isn’t just a phenomenal runner, she is without a doubt going to be a global superstar.

I was lucky enough to grab her for a quick interview before the final, to chat about how she feels about being under the spotlights every time she races, what it means to her to look after herself and how she manages to run at world record pace and still look flawless, oh and what her expectations are for Paris 2024.

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When asked how she thought the race would go, Hodgkinson was very frank. “I think it will be very quick,” she says. “We have got incredible ladies pushing each other on. In the last couple of years the 800m has sky-rocketed to new heights, I am really grateful to be part of that.”

“I have said it all year I really want to upgrade my silver [from Tokyo],” Hodgkinson reveals. “I think I am in the best shape physically, mentally, emotionally to do that, than I have ever been. So I just hope that I can put it together tomorrow and let’s see what we can do.”

In terms of winning medals, Hodgkinson says everything is going to plan. “We’re in the final now. Mission is on,” she says. “All I can say is tune in tomorrow for a really exciting race.”

And she wasn’t wrong, after one lap Hodgkinson took the lead and took control of the pace to win in what can only be described as a comfortable manner. But it’s not just her stunning speed that is catching everyone’s attention, Hodgkinson is always quite honest that she sees running as a performance too. “For me, it’s like getting ready to put on a show and I go off of: look good, feel good, do good,” she tells PS UK. “I do believe confidence is always the best thing you can ‘wear’ to feel good, but makeup helps to express myself in different ways whether on the track or if I am going out with my girlfriends.”

I wondered how important beauty was to her and she always tends to wear quite a full face when she’s competing. “I have always loved beauty and makeup and how it can change up your look so easily,” she tells PS UK. “For example, a good lipstick can make me feel super empowered in seconds. It also allows me to become a chameleon and adapt to my mood or the event!”

With so many eyes on her I wondered if she had any pre-game beauty treatments, as I presume it must feel similar to your wedding day when you know you will be photographed from every angle. “I had facials,” she tells PS UK. “Microdermabrasion and brightening are my go-to for glowy, smooth skin!”

I like to use my skincare routine as a form of self-care and relaxation, I wondered if she had a pre-race skincare ritual? “I like to keep it simple with a three step routine (cleanse, serum, moisturiser), ” she says. “My beauty staples are Dermalogica Pro Collagen Banking Serum (£89) and Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Pro Barrier Cream (£37).”

Hodgkinson’s base doesn’t seem to move, even after sweating and running at Olympic-winning pace, so I needed to know her secret. “Better Than Filters Primer by Rimmel London (£13),” she reveals. “It’s a great lightweight base, and is one product I can use loads of different ways depending on the look I’m going for – either as a primer underneath something heavier or on its own to give me a really nice glow and I think it leaves a really nice touch on the skin. I use it all the time,” she tells PS UK. As a big fan of the product myself I can confirm that I’m not surprised it is one of my go-to when I want to look like I’m not wearing makeup but want my skin to look radiant.

She also joins other Olympians like Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles as a ride-or-die lip liner devotee. “I’m a big lip liner fan and literally use whatever’s sharp in my makeup or bag,” she tells PS UK. “I usually opt for a pinky/nude shade, and top it off with my favourite Rimmel Oh My Gloss Lip Oil (£9).”

I wondered how she felt about beauty, often being regarded as frivolous and girlie with many turning their noses up at its importance. “Beauty is however you want to take it,” she tells PS UK. “I think it is a personal opinion. But for me, I think it is a tool to empower, and bring confidence.”

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“A woman can empower themselves through how they think, feel, and dress,” she says. “Beauty plays into that as it allows you to feel confident which changes how you enter a room, show up for yourself, posture, your energy!”

As someone who has always advocated for the benefits of using beauty to benefit your mental wellbeing I wondered if this was something Hodgkinson identified with, “Beauty can definitely benefit one’s mental wellbeing,” she says. “I see it as self-care – a time to focus and be kind to myself. It can be completely transformative to my mood if I am having a blergh day.”

I’m with you there for sure and feel it is important that we promote how empowering it can be, rather than connect beauty with trying to change how we look or how we feel it is about embracing what we have and allowing ourselves to want to look and feel good for our benefit, no one else’s.

As the race for Olympic gold begins I couldn’t help but wonder what Hodgkinson would be doing to look after and treat herself once the games were over too, “It can literally be as simple doing things that make me feel peaceful, whether it’s listening to music, or catching up on something I’ve been watching on Netflix,” she says. “And if it’s after a race – for me it’s getting lots of food, I’m usually starving!”

After last night, I hope Hodgkinson is eating all the food and celebrating her achievement in style – as she absolutely deserves it.

Lauren Ezekiel is an associate editor at PS UK, where she writes about all things beauty and wellness. With a degree in journalism and 12 years’ experience as a beauty editor at a leading Sunday supplement, she is obsessed with skincare, hair and makeup, and is often found offering advice to innocent bystanders. Her work has been published in Grazia, OK, Health and Beauty, The Sun, ASDA, Dare and Metro.