The 24-year-old Cantabrian has moved back to her family home in Prebbleton with sister and business partner Margo to continue their Two Raw Sisters plant-based food business online during the coronavirus pandemic.
It’s a far cry from the Tokyo Olympic dream she once held for this year.
“We’ve moved everything from our kitchen in town to mum and dad’s place and we’ve just taken over in a way,” she said.
“It’s like going right back to the start.”
For many of her teenage years, Flanagan thought she would be representing New Zealand this year at the 2020 Olympics on the track as a steeplechase runner.
She represented New Zealand at the 3000m steeplechase at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.
However, after mental health battles which culminated in an eating disorder and an exercise addiction in her early 20s, Flanagan decided to stop running competitively late last year and pour her competitive energy into the business instead.
“I was damaging my body but was oblivious to it,” she said.
“There were negative things happening where I wasn’t making time to catch up with family and friends and I was low on energy because I wasn’t eating enough.
“I was solely focused around what times I was doing and what competition I was doing, nothing else mattered.”
Even after overcoming the issues, she came to the conclusion her competitive running aspirations had to end for the foreseeable future.
“Training and running a business was a lot. I then hit a personal rock-bottom and realised that I had to make a decision and prioritise one over the other,” she said.
“My competitive side just goes towards the business now – I’m at peace with the decision not to run competitively.
“Running will still be part of my exercise regime but I remember doing the Run to Remember earlier this year and it was the first time I could run for myself without trying to win a medal or beat a time, it was strange.”
She now shares her story openly to other young athletes who may be going through the same issues.
“Everyone’s body is different and what I’m learning is to be happy with what I’ve got and it’s allowed me to focus on my business and exercise in a healthy way.’’
She said her bond with Margo had been a great help.
“We’re both strong-minded people and when we have an idea or a vision, we both try our best to make it a reality.”
Flanagan said the door was not closed on a return to the track one day but it was not a short-term goal.
