'I thought I'd be bleeped by BBC' - but Hunt's words resonate

At the time, Amy Hunt was worried that her words might be bleeped out by the BBC.

But, while she may no longer feel able to wear the T-shirt which inspired her "corny" spur-of-the-moment quote, it has since become clear that the impact was worth the sacrifice.

Shortly after completing her long-anticipated rise to a first individual global podium by sprinting to world 200m silver in Tokyo, the 23-year-old, caught in an adrenaline-fuelled daze, brilliantly summarised the demanding path she had taken to get there.

The University of Cambridge graduate proclaimed to all young girls watching on BBC TV: "You can be an academic badass and a track goddess."

"As soon as I said it, I was like, 'oh my gosh, I'm on the BBC'. I was like, 'are they going to bleep that out?' I feel so bad," says Hunt.

"I was so incredibly high with adrenaline and endorphins that there wasn't a connection between my brain and my mouth. All I remembered was that I had this T-shirt that said 'Goddess' on it, so that flashed into my mind.

"I feel like I can't wear that T-shirt because it's too corny to wear now."

Corny or not, her words resonated.

Fast forward six months and Hunt, who will compete for further global honours over 60m at this weekend's World Indoor Championships in Poland, is offering as much guidance to those inspired by her achievements as her busy schedule will allow.

It is no easy task, amid the exciting opportunities which followed her Tokyo breakthrough - she has had to decline invites to movie premieres and fashion weeks - and while working towards her next major goals of breaking three British records and winning three European titles this year.

"There's so many girls that message me every single day. I reply to as many as I can, especially those trying to go through the Oxbridge system, but it's quite hard," says Hunt, who graduated from her English Literature degree in 2023.

"I'm trying to open more doors for people coming up behind me. I've helped a couple of girls get into Cambridge and some of them I'm now close friends with.

"It's lovely to see more girls be emboldened and empowered to do that. It's just having those conversations, or reaching out with a message saying 'you can do it'. That goes a long way."

Hunt's stunning run for world silver came six years after she alerted the world to her potential as a record-breaking junior.

But, between those headline moments, injuries disrupted the start of her senior career, including a ruptured quadriceps in 2022 - while attempting to manage an often frictional relationship between her sporting ambition and studies.

Hunt would not improve on the 22.42-second run - which smashed the under-18 200m world record in 2019 - until last summer, before going faster still by running 22.08 in Japan at the end of a season where she also recorded 60m and 100m personal bests.

Continuing her development under coach Marco Airale in the northern Italian city of Padova, Hunt's immediate target is improving on her fifth-place finish at last year's world indoors.

The 60m is her least-favourite event - her 5ft 10in (1.78m) frame makes getting out of the blocks quickly challenging - but a necessary focus to benefit her performances over the longer distances.

Longer term, she hopes to become a contender over 400m as part of a bid to win as many as four Olympic medals in 2028, an achievement which, she says, would see her become "an icon".

But, away from the track, Hunt is also keen to ensure she plays her part in encouraging more athletes to pursue a degree by setting up a scholarship, similar to the initiative by British rapper Stormzy to support black students studying at Cambridge.

"I didn't want to take the easy way. That's not me and that doesn't inform anything I do. I have to always try and be the best every single day," says Hunt.

"Talking about it opens it up a lot more and enables more women and girls from an athletic background to be able to get there.

"It's about having a conversation and helping them be more confident."

Follow coverage of the morning and evening sessions from Poland on BBC Two, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app, with live text commentary of the evening sessions.

Friday, 20 March

09:00-13:00 - Day one, morning session - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

17:00-20:30 - Day one, evening session - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

Saturday, 21 March

09:00-12:30 - Day two, morning session - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

17:15-20:45 - Day two, evening session - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

Sunday, 22 March

09:00-12:45 - Day three, morning session - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app

17:15-20:15 - Day three, evening session - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website and app