HOLLY Bradshaw is as happy talking about Cardiff and coffee shops as she is about the Commonwealth Games.

The Welsh capital has been home from home for the Chorley-born pole vaulter for the last five years and when she is not busy training, you won’t find her too far away from her favoured hot drink.

“I love living in Cardiff,” said the 26-year-old who has joked she will one day open a coffee shop. “I’ve been down there for five years and it is a great city to live in and explore.”

But mention the Commonwealth Games and Bradshaw’s attentions firmly turn to the country of her birth rather than the Land Of My Fathers.

The British record holder has twice represented Great Britain at the Olympics but she has never worn the vest of England at the Commonwealths - and she is ready to put friendships on hold.

Bradshaw, who is a member of Blackburn Harriers, trains and is friends with Sally Peake while she is also coached by Scott Simpson and both will be wearing the red of Wales on the Gold Coast.

“I’ve been to all the major championships before but this is slightly different,” said Bradshaw who was sixth at the London 2012 Olympics and fifth in Rio four years later. “I have never actually represented England before and all the majors I have done have been under the British flag and everyone has been together as a team so it is going to be slightly different.”

Despite being close pals with Peake - who won a bronze medal in Delhi eight years ago - she admits country comes before colleagues.

“I consider myself English through and through,” she said. “But I have spent five years in Wales with my coach (Simpson) who is Welsh and my training partner (Peake) who is Welsh.

“So it is going to be strange that I am going to be competing against them rather than with them. There is a bit of rivalry between the home nations but I have never seen it like that. I have always seen everyone as one team, everyone is British.”

It is slightly ironic that Bradshaw is going in to a major championship in top fitness thanks to the efforts of Simpson - although she did pull out of the recent Indoor World Championships in Birmingham due to a slight hamstring injury as a precaution.

“Training is going really well,” said the former Parklands High School pupil. “This is the first time in four years that I have not been injured or had a surgery in January or February so things are going well and I feel I am in the best shape I have ever been physically and technically so I am quite excited.”

Despite being just 26, Bradshaw has plenty of experience having appeared in two Olympics and two World Championships as well as representing Great Britain indoor on both the European and World stage.

And she says that is something she can use to her advantage.

“I’ve done a lot of major champs and I think I have learnt a lot from them,” she added. “I think what I have learnt has helped me this year in terms of knowing how much training I can tolerate and that inevitably has got me in really good shape.”

But while she can be considered a seasoned campaigner these days, Bradshaw still enjoys the buzz of kitting out days - just as she did at the Kukri headquarters in Preston, the official kit suppliers for Team England.

“It makes it feel like real and exciting,” she said. “Getting your kit is super exciting so I really enjoyed the day and it makes it feel real.

“The ones I have done before with the Olympics have always been really fun days.”

The difference this year is that Bradshaw will be wearing the flag of St George while her coach and training partner will be sporting the dragon of Wales.