Derbyshire's Niamh Emerson always knew that taking part was the only thing that mattered at these Commonwealth Games.
Eight years after winning bronze on the Gold Coast, the 27-year-old from Shirland finally returned to a major championship heptathlon after a succession of injuries left her contemplating quitting the sport.
It is also eight years since she won the world junior title and was tipped to join the ranks of Britain's great multi-eventers, from Denise Lewis to Jessica Ennis-Hill.
Emerson was a late selection for Glasgow following the withdrawal of double world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson from Team England on the eve of the Games.
Though she barely had time to prepare or get nervous, she took her chance to finish sixth in the seven-discipline competition, with a season's best 6,002 points.
That's some way off her 2018 personal best, but Emerson had no complaints as she reflected on a journey that’s been far from easy.
"I'm really happy and it's just a dream to be back competing on the big stage again," she said.
"It was so unexpected to be in the team and to be back here after so long. I didn't really know how to play it and I didn't really execute how I wanted to.
"I'm being harsh on myself because I've been out of the competition environment for such a long time. Ultimately, I need to remember to be a bit kind to myself because just being here is massive for me.
"I've got brilliant information to pre-empt all these feelings for next time. You forget what it's like to compete on a stage like this; it's never how you imagine it will be."
Emerson now trains with coach Aston Moore, who also works with Johnson-Thompson, who prioritised the forthcoming European Championships in Birmingham over a bid for a third consecutive Commonwealth title here.
"This was never really about points or personal bests. It was about proving to myself why I'm still doing this, why I'm still pushing myself," added Emerson.
"I lost count of the times I felt ready to quit. Even though I gave everything every day, there were moments when I thought I just couldn't keep going.
"But taking a step back when I needed it gave me the chance to come back stronger."
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