JESS Bailey is already a world champion and now has her sights set on adding a Commonwealth crown to her collection.

But what is most striking about the 16-year-old is the perspective she has on her sport which seems well beyond her years.

Bailey won a junior women’s gold medal at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Thailand at the end of last year, the culmination of what she declared the best week of her life.

Now, with the Ulverston Victoria High School student being selected to represent Team England in the Commonwealth Youth Games in Trinidad and Tobago alongside more than 1,000 young athletes aged 14-18, from Nations and Territories across the Commonwealth, she is hoping to use that experience in Chiang Mai to spur her to greater success.

"It was probably the best ten days of my life," said Bailey, who runs at Leven Valley athletics club.  

"We had a great time with the elephants, obviously the race as well, but the race was the last day, so we had the whole week to soak in the culture of it as well. I’d never been outside Europe, so I found it really crazy.

"I love the country; I want to retire there!

"Hopefully, because that was also hot and humid, some of the techniques we used to prepare for that, and the tactics we used, what we learned from that trip, I’m hoping to be able to put into Trinidad and Tobago.

"The conditions shouldn’t be too different."

Almost immediately upon returning from Thailand, Bailey suffered a stress fracture in her foot, an injury that has forced her to adjust her training for most of this year.

But rather than be disheartened by that setback, Ulverston youngster has enjoyed the opportunity to train differently, with a refreshing outlook on her ambitions within the sport.

She added: "After the stress fracture we took six weeks in a cast, four weeks in a boot, and took it really slowly with swimming and biking the last couple of months. So, we’ve only really just got back to proper training.

"It was a good reset, and I could start back from square one.

"I’d love to have a career in the sport.

"To be able to run as your hobby every day would be incredible.

But it’s very unlikely and a very long way away so we’re kind of just enjoying it, not getting injured and playing it safe.  

"I’m just having fun and hopefully that will lead into a career.

"And if not, all these experiences, I’ve been to Thailand, now I’m going to South America, you can’t take those away.

"So, you just enjoy them and soak it up now.  

"This is something I’ve learned from the injury; you don’t know what is coming next.

"I feel like a lot of juniors take it really seriously, but take a chill pill, we’re 16.

"I’m just enjoying that and learning what I can to hopefully take it forwards."

Follow Team England’s performances at Trinbago 2023 at www.teamengland.org