This season has proved to be something of a rollercoaster for shot-putter Adele Nicoll but the Welsh athlete is determined to try an end it on a high.

Unable to pick up a shot put for five months during the winter months due to a back injury, Birchfield Harrier Nicoll managed to battle back and secure a bronze medal at the European Under-23 Throwing Cup in Gran Canaria in March.

She also won the Welsh title this summer and finished fifth at the British Championships in Birmingham earlier this month.

That all came despite also having the Cardiff Met student having her tonsils removed and contending with the effects of ulcerative colitis, the disease also battled by five-time Olympic champion rower Sir Steve Redgrave.

But another blow came her way this summer when she failed to gain selection for the 2015 European Athletics Under-23 Championships by 3cm, before having to watch as the qualification mark to reach the final was set at comfortably inside her personal best throw.

“It can be taken one of two ways, it can make you or break you. I’ve got through so much, also with my health and my injuries,” said Nicoll.

“It was really hard to watch. I would have been capable of reaching the final.

“Getting the bronze at the European Throws Cup after the winter I had was amazing. It really lifted my spirits and I thought I then had a chance for the European Under-23s. But it wasn’t to be.

“I’m looking forward though and I’m excited for the rest of the season.

“I was going to go to Portugal but because I’ve been travelling so much recently, I’m going to stay in the UK for a bit and compete here. Hopefully I can finish with a personal best.”

Nicoll has plenty to aim for this season still with the qualification window for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Australia open until the end of November.

She has already hit the B standard but with just over 100 spaces for the Wales team in general for the Games, she is determined not to end up missing out again on selection like with the European Under-23 Championships.

She also recently headed out to Amsterdam for four days as part of a group of SSE Next Generation athletes who got the opportunity to watch the England and Scotland players train ahead of their opening Women’s European Championships clash in Utrecht, which the Lionesses won 6-0.

“I’ve been a part of the programme since 2015 and the support of SSE has been fantastic,” she added.

“Obviously I’m a shot-putter and not a footballer but it was really interesting to watch how the two different teams prepared for their match and how they coped with that pressure. Preparation is also important for me in athletics.

“I also enjoy lots of different sports and watching live sports so it was great to go to the game. With Wales not at the tournament, I was supporting Scotland for the game although it wasn’t quite the scoreline they wanted.”

Since 2013, SSE is proud to make a difference to young people, their families and their communities, by investing in the future of sporting talent through the SSE Next Generation scheme. Keep up to date @YourSSE.