Champions Of Change: Eliza McCartney

HIA #224 Eliza McCartney is New Zealand’s vaulting sensation and we’re lucky to have her a part of our team at HIA.

An athlete from the get go, Eliza dabbled in the world of athletics until specialising in pole vault as a teen. Her breakthrough came in 2016 when she improved her personal best to 4.80 meters, breaking both the New Zealand and Oceania records. This simultaneously earned her spot in the 2016 Rio Olympics where she went on to secure a bronze medal for her country, not to mention becoming the youngest Olympic medalist in women's pole vaulting at just 19 years old. Her personal best of 4.94m, set in Jockgrim, Germany, was one of the best heights in women's pole vaulting history at the time. Eliza has worked to make an incredibly successful career out of vaulting and uses her platform to help the planet.

A prime example of what can happen when you use sport for good, we asked her a few questions to try unpack the mind behind her mastery.

Hey Eliza.

Hi Marcus!

What advice would you give your younger self when you started your career?

Actively find the enjoyment in what you do. In the early days, I often saw my job as difficult, taxing, and stressful. At times I lost some of the pure enjoyment I had as a young teenager in the sport. It will never be 100% enjoyable, there will always be tough periods, but sometimes you have to sit back with perspective and gratitude, and find moments of joy. That's when you can truly express yourself.

Eliza at the Rio Olympics

What’s something you wish more people understood about the life of a pro athlete?

It's a full time job. Athletics, like many sports, has evolved very quickly, and you can no longer be the best while holding down another job through the day. It requires all of you, all of the time. I only physically train for 2-3 hours in a day, but everything I do outside of those hours, whether it be directly sport related or not, is centred on being a better athlete.

How do you mentally reset after a tough loss?

First I allow myself to feel the pain and sadness, not suppressing the feelings that come up. I talk about it with the people close to me, including my coach and mental skills coach, getting it all out. Then it's about reframing, bringing some perspective back in, and focusing on how you can apply those learnings next time. I also find it calming to turn it into a plan that is logical and we can get stuck into right away. My coach always says, at the end of the day we are just using one stick to jump over another stick, and that always makes me smile.

The best piece of advice you've ever received?

One piece of advice that has been resonating lately is to not waste a good worry. I'm incredibly susceptible to overthinking and catastrophising. I tend to worry about all sorts of things that turn out not to be a problem. Nothing ever is solved by worrying about it. Don't waste a good worry, instead do your best with the information you have at the time and do something about it.

What is the most unexpected lesson your sport has taught you about life?

Sport has taught me gratitude. We push our bodies and our minds to the limit, under immense pressure and the public eye, and there is no guarantee it will achieve the desired outcome. It can be so easy to get lost and not see the wood for the trees. But gratitude helps me transcend this bubble and see what an absolute privilege this job and this life is. Gratitude begets perspective which is the foundation of my resilience.

Has there been a fan interaction or message that’s left a lasting impact on you?

I had a father come up to me recently and, with tears in his eyes, thank me for the impact I've had on his young daughter. That is the highest honour I could dream of.

How has competing in different countries and cultures impacted you as a person?

Two things - I think it really broadens your world view, which can only be a healthy thing, and it makes me feel even more connected to my roots. It's hard to articulate, but essentially when I've been away from home for a long time, I start to crave what everyone else has around me, and that is a place they call home, where they speak the language and the culture is the most natural thing to them. What we have in Aotearoa New Zealand is unique and it is ours. Embracing who we are on the world stage is incredibly powerful and makes me so proud to be kiwi.

What personal cause or issue are you most passionate about outside of your sport, and why?

Being kaitiaki (guardians) for our beautiful natural world. This is the only known planet that we, and everything else here, can live and thrive on. We know that this rate of consumption and growth is finite because we will exhaust everything this planet has to offer. I feel so strongly about evolving our society to operate with this understanding as its very foundation.

Appreciate you sharing your thoughtful and inspiring words and worldview with us and the community Eliza, here’s to changing the world through care for the planet!

To follow Eliza @eliza_mac_