Every Olympian makes sacrifices to reach the top, and Josh Kerr's decision to live apart from his fiancee underlines his commitment to athletic success.
Edinburgh's own and the current 1,500m world champion is gearing up to clinch Olympic gold in Tuesday's much-awaited final. Team GB star Kerr, 26, narrowly missed out on top spot at the Tokyo 2020 Games, finishing just seven-tenths of a second behind his arch-rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen to claim bronze.
Scotland's Sportsperson of the Year for 2023 was still in his teens when he moved to the University of New Mexico in Albequerque, where he met partner Larimar Rodriguez. The couple got engaged in 2021 but have been forced to live apart from each other as Kerr prepares for the big events.
"The best athletes are making sacrifices on a daily basis," said Kerr. "I don't live in Scotland any more, I live over in the US (Seattle) away from my parents and family.
"I live in a different state to my fiancee as well. I've put in the hard yards, I've done it an honest way, and I know that if I come into a championship without missing any days through injury or illness then I'm going to be in a position to medal."
Last year, Kerr also took the step of giving his phone to his partner to cut down on distractions during training. He replaced it with a no-frills alternative and kept only two apps: Fantasy Football and Duolingo, so that he could keep brushing up on his Spanish.
Fiancee Rodriguez took up a residency as a doctor at the University of Miami in 2023, while Kerr has called Seattle his home since 2018. The journey from the US's northwest corner to its tropical southeast spans roughly 3,300 miles by car, and even the fastest flight clocks in at about six hours.
It's quite the trek
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