Athlete Caitlyn Bobb will shortly be travelling to Europe to represent Bermuda at the Indoor World Championships.

The 22-year-old will next week compete in the 400 metres in Katowice, Poland, just six months after being the first Bermudian since Arantxa King in 2013 to race at the outdoor world championships when competing in Tokyo in September.

Effervescent as ever, Bobb is counting down the days until she hits the track.

“I’m so excited and honoured to represent my country at the Indoor World Championships,” Bobb said.

“It’s not an easy meet so I’m interested to see how this goes, but I’m very optimistic in the way I've been training and trending, so I just now need all the pieces to come together.

“I’m not really set on a time that I want to run because you can sometimes psych yourself out if you expect a specific time. I just want to go and compete because great things come out of executing your race and making it to the next round. I really just want to go out there and do what I know I can do.”

Bobb is navigating a new normal with the comfort and support structure that comes with a college athletics career now removed after completing her education, but she has discovered life as a professional brings significant challenges.

“The transition has been quite difficult,” Bobb said.

"At college everything is laid out for you in terms of fall training, nutrition, coaching and facilities, but when you are professional you have to kind of find all that yourself unless you’re in a Nike group or Adidas group.

“I'm currently unsponsored, so I’m finding that I have to provide a lot for myself and taking on more roles than just the athlete. I’m also the coach and my own physio, so it’s definitely different, but I am a firm believer that God doesn’t give me more than I can bear. So I’m just doing what I need to do right now and hoping that sponsorship comes through.”

Bobb is in Bermuda for just over a week and recently took part in a Bermuda Olympic Association panel discussion for International Women’s Day. She is also giving a talk on Thursday night to young female athletes at the National Sports Centre.

“It feels nice to be back home and nice to just bring awareness to sports,” Bobb said.

“People see the posts, read the newspaper or look online but they don’t necessarily know what goes on behind the scenes and what leads up to that, so I was glad to shed some light to some wonderful businesswomen and to actually connect with some of them on that day.

“I have never grown up in Bermuda, so I don’t really know what the life here entails when you’re that young, but I’m happy to give a little glimpse of what my life looks like and the doors that have opened for me as a result of track and field.

“To young people, I’m just letting them know that there's much more that meets the eye and so many more opportunities and potential.”

The Indoor World Championships brings the winter season to a close before the action moves outdoors and this is a big year for Bermuda’s elite athletes with the Central American and Caribbean Games and the Commonwealth Games both taking place in the summer.

Bobb has her eyes firmly focused on the Commonwealths in Glasgow and has some lofty ambitions.

“My big meet for Bermuda in 2026 is the Commonwealth Games and I would definitely like to medal and get on that podium,” Bobb said.

“Time-wise, I'm not going to give a specific number but I want to set myself up nicely for the following year and then lead in to the Olympic Games.

“But I am really chasing that Commonwealth Games podium and if I don’t get it, I’m going to die trying.”