Adam Gemili (second from left) won gold with Team GB at the World Athletics Championships in 2017 (Image: Getty)
Not many athletes can honestly say they could’ve made it to the highest level in a completely different sport. But for a three-time Olympian who beat Usain Bolt to glory in 2017, that’s exactly what might have transpired in a parallel universe.
Adam Gemili, who announced his retirement from athletics on Monday, enjoyed a brilliant career at the highest level and represented Team GB for over a decade. His crowning moment came when he won gold in the 4x100m relay at the World Athletics Championships nine years ago, beating a star-studded Jamaica team featuring the iconic Bolt.
However, if things had gone differently when he was growing up, he could’ve been playing Premier League football instead.
Gemili was on Chelsea’s books as a youngster, spending eight years in their academy system. He also played for Dagenham and Redbridge and spent time in non-league with Thurrock, making 12 appearances during a loan spell in Essex.
He was destined to thrive as a footballer before he discovered his talent for athletics, ultimately choosing to pursue a full-time sprinting career in 2012.
It was a decision made with absolutely no regrets and his experience at Chelsea taught him some very important lessons that allowed him to shine on the athletics track.
“I loved growing up playing for a club like Chelsea,” Gemili told Express Sport. “Football was something that shaped me. They teach you from such a young age how to be a professional.
“It’s not just about how good you are on the field, it’s how you act and carry yourself off the field and those values still hold massively true today.
“It teaches you about discipline, embracing competition and work ethic. I definitely wouldn’t be half the athlete if I hadn’t spent my childhood at a club like Chelsea.
“The players that you got to learn from and see at the training ground every day, it was a very unique experience and something I was very grateful for.
Gemili spent eight years in Chelsea’s academy system before choosing athletics (Image: Getty)
“I would love to think I could’ve gone to the very top, but you never know. I chose to go into athletics and I’m very happy with that decision.”
Gemili is now using his expertise in both football and athletics to help the next generation of Chelsea players improve their physical prowess.
“I’ve been working with some of the academy, the under-13s and under-14s, teaching them speed and how to move properly, understanding how to accelerate,” he explained.
“I’m really enjoying that and I’ll be starting my own athletic academy which will hopefully help young footballers and athletes how to move right, giving them that extra little advantage.
“I’m like a speed specialist, you would say. I’ve got the best of both worlds, really, starting my career in football as a young player and changing to athletics. I understand both sports really well.
“It’s quite a unique position and if I’m able to share that gift and give these kids an extra one or two per cent for them to be successful, I’m happy to do that.
“I’m looking forward to a lot of exciting things. It’s going to be the Adam Gemili Academy, which I’ll be launching very soon, and I’m just excited to see what opportunities come next.”
The three-time Olympian is back at Stamford Bridge helping the next generation (Image: Getty)
Gemili is fondly remembered at Stamford Bridge and he jumped at the chance to work with his former club when the opportunity came about.
“I went in to speak to the academy in August and they sat down with me and asked if I’d be interested in helping out once a week with some of their guys,” he said.
“They’re at the forefront of a lot of innovation and they understand it’s not just football, there’s other ways to train in other sports. They’re always trying to learn.
“I’ve been working with the guys for quite a while now and they’ve come on, these kids. You can see how talented they are. These are footballers and if any of them ever wanted to make the transition into athletics, they probably could very easily.
“If I can teach them skills and get them to understand the feeling of how to put force down, how to move properly, they can get an extra yard or two on their opponents.
“It makes a massive difference on the football pitch in a game of 90 minutes, so I’m just trying to help the best I can.”
