It takes a certain kind of focus to throw everything you’ve got toward a chance at success. As the world casts its eyes to Paris for the 2024 Olympic season, I turned my attention to our athletes’ roots to try to understand the resilience and discipline it takes to get onto the world stage. This year, 34 athletes from the University of Sydney’s sports community qualified for the Games. Long days and longer nights make the rigorous, and often solitary , training regiments of most pre-Game Olympians — and then there are some who throw in full-time medical training, just for the extra challenge.
I spoke with Olympic javelin star, Mackenzie Little, who is a 2023 graduate from USyd’s Doctorate of Medicine. Now representing Australia in Track and Field, Little is also facing the grueling demands of working full-time as a first-year doctor. Despite being advised to step back, Little has juggled intensive training in the lead up to the games with her lengthy hours at the Royal North Shore Hospital. Prior to setting off for Europe, her final weeks in Sydney were spent working the night shift. In past interviews, Little has gone so far as to point to this medicine-sports juggling act as being mutually beneficial. The javelin star will enter the Olympic Village on Thursday August 1 with the second half of the Australian Athletics team and prepare for her qualifying round on Wednesday August 7.
The twenty-seven year old has already represented Australia at multiple stages, making her Olympic debut in 2021 while in the second-year of her medical studies at USyd. In 2022, Little won silver at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and took home bronze at the World Championships in Budapest last year. After completing her undergraduate degree at Stanford University, Little was proud to join the Sydney Uni Sports Elite Athlete Program, something she cites as integral in making her dreams possible by advocating for accommodations for high achievers. Little feels it’s not unlikely for her to take home more medals this year.
“It never occurred to me to take time off work before the Olympics,” Little said. “I spoke to the incredible Jana Pittman (who qualified as a doctor in 2020 after her career as an Olympic athlete) and she recommended I take the year off or work part-time. However, I didn’t feel that was the best approach for me. In medicine, it takes a long time to get into specialist training and you can lose momentum. If I was compromising myself academically, I think it would weigh upon me and put undue pressure on my athletic performance.”
Grit and determination were key in Little’s training period earlier this year. While some of us struggled to shuffle up Eastern Avenue to more than one lecture, she was a powerhouse. Typically arriving at the hospital at 7.30am, Little would attend a full day of patient consultations as part of the medical internship. After clocking off, she would drive to Homebush for two hours of javelin training, then home for a night of study, as she is also preparing to sit the surgical training entrance exam in 2025. Frequently, she had to remind herself to eat and drink. Long days on her feet in the hospital had a significant impact on her legs, with ankles swollen and her knees hyperextended. Little said training was adapted to compensate for the changes in her legs, as well as the timing and power of her throw.
On how she first began javelin and when the Olympics became a dream
“I’ve played sports all my life and come from a generally sporty family. My mum was a hurdler from country NSW as a kid and I tried athletics for the first time when I was five at Northern Suburbs Little Athletics. Initially, I liked hurdles but tried javelin in Year 7 at Pymble Ladies College and quickly showed some promise, leading to a World Youth Championship win in Year 11. My family have always had a really balanced approach and so sport was always just one part of my life, I never expected to compete professionally but just made the most of all the opportunities provided. It was only during my time at Stanford University that I really started imagining one day making the Olympics.”
On the connection between sports and medicine
“I’ve found that having a balanced life and multiple aspects to my identity has been the strongest sports psychology technique for me. It’s clear that when I feel most happy and confident in my professional life that my athletics is strongest too. I also feel strongly that the lessons and exercise, and training for sport makes me a more well-rounded, relaxed, and resilient doctor too.” Little said, “I’m so motivated and fulfilled at work. When I started my medical career, one of the junior medical officers told me that internship is like the Olympics of medicine in terms of the hours and expectations of the job. There’s also an adrenaline rush that comes with the work that’s a bit like the adrenaline of training.”
Little went on to say that “I was a little surprised by how fatigued I’d sometimes feel at training after a day of work. It can be a really physically and emotionally draining job but … I’ve got no regrets about the choice this year to keep working.”
On her university experience
“My university experience doing postgrad medicine at USyd was tumultuous at first, starting in 2020 with COVID lockdowns, and just after moving back to Australia after college in the US. I almost quit athletics due to the rigors of first-year med but COVID gave me a bit of breathing room when classes went online. I made my first Olympic team for Tokyo in 2021 and felt such immense support from the uni who made it possible to travel to Olympics/Commonwealth Games/World Championships etc. during the degree while ensuring I met all the med requirements and for that I’m so grateful. The Sydney Uni Athletics Club was also pivotal in their support throughout and there’s some iconic memories from Uni Games.”
On beating challenges and finding motivation
“(The) biggest challenge is the uncertainty and compromise that is necessary training for an Olympics. So much time and energy is invested, sometimes at the expense of time with family or friends, or doing other things – all for a chance at success that isn’t guaranteed. That’s why it’s so important to me to set up my life in a way that feels balanced and to curate my environment to focus on the journey and seeing the value in athletics for all the opportunities I’ve already received and for the people I’ve met.”
“My parents have always been so incredibly supportive and have always encouraged me to take on as much as I can while only expecting that I do my best and have fun. My dad often texts me before a big comp to say, ‘just try not to hurt yourself and have fun!’. I think I also look to them as motivation for my career in medicine and have a lot of admiration for my mum, in particular, who shares my tendency to take on one thousand things at once.”
On the Paris Games
“The goal is to qualify safely through to the Olympic final on August 10th — the final night of the Games.”
“I’ve got a few technical things to straighten out and I’m feeling really excited! Of course, it’s easy to feel nervous, especially as all my friends and family prepare to come over to watch me, but I’ll be trying to use that nervous energy for good.I’d like to throw a personal best in the final in Paris. If I’m at my best, there’s no reason I can’t be up there in the medals with the best, so I’ll be working on just controlling my own performance and making sure to enjoy every moment. I can’t wait to soak up the Olympic atmosphere and cheer on my Aussie teammates! It’s going to be incredible!”
You can keep up to date with the 34 Olympic qualifying athletes from the USyd community via the Sydney Uni Sport’s Paris Athlete Tracker.