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Liverpool athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson emotional as she makes family discovery

Athlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who grew up in Liverpool, pays tribute to her late father today on BBC One.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is sharing a personal side of herself in an upcoming BBC episode of Who Do You Think You Are?

The Olympic athlete first broke into the limelight during the London 2012 Olympics, before winning a heptathlon gold medal at the 2019 World Championships and breaking the British record, and later scoring a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Away from the spotlight, Katarina has been dating fellow athlete Andrew Pozzi since 2018.

Shes now opened up about another part of her private life, as she discovers more about her family history and heritage, reports the Mirror.

Inside Katarina Johnson-Thompsons family background

[Katarina Johnson-Thompson]

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Katarina is undergoing a journey into her family history (Image: BBC)

The 33-year-old, who grew up with her mum Tracey in Liverpool, travels to the Bahamas for the BBC series to learn about her dads family.

Katarinas dad, Roberto, died in 2017, aged 59, having lived in the Bahamas and apart from Katarina since she was one year old.

Ahead of the programme airing, she shared: From my mums side of my family, I know my nan and grandad, and all of my nans brothers and sisters.

From my dads side, I dont know that much. I would love to know more about that side of my family.

As an athlete, my training is very precise. I know exactly what Im expected to do, so going into the unknown is quite scary, but Im ready for the challenge.

[Katarina Johnson-Thompson and her mum]

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Katarina and her mum recall her late dad (Image: BBC)

In a clip from Who Do You Think You Are? Katarina hears from her mum about how her parents met for the first time.

Tracey recalled meeting Roberto on her way to work, when she used to dance at a show at the Crystal Palace Casino.

At the time, employees, including Roberto, would be taking a free bus to work, with the pair meeting on the way.

She said: At first we were really good friends, he came across as a kind, generous person."

During their first Christmas together, she revealed he "won my heart", recalling how, after telling him that she was feeling homesick during one of their bus journeys, he brought a Christmas tree to her apartment.

[A picture of a couple on their wedding day]

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She remembered her dad's 'full beam smile'(Image: BBC)

She said: "There was a knock on my door, and as I opened my apartment door, all you could see was this great big tree."

Tracey added that when he appeared he "won my heart and before long, everything happened very, very quickly".

"Were both so happy there, she added, showing Katarina a picture of their wedding day, as Katarina replied: The smile is definitely how I remember him, this full beam.

During the episode, Katarina travels to the Bahamas to meet her dads sister, Toni, who shares memories of growing up with Katarinas dad and grandmother.

After the discovery journey, though she faces sadness over missing her late dad, Katarina opens up about how proud she is of all her ancestors, who worked to better themselves and their communities.

Who Do You Think You Are? airs at 9pm on Thursday on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.

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