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Law will represent Australia in both the 100m and 200m sprints, with the Oceanian event marking his first competition since suffering a stress fracture in his spine earlier this year.
It’s been a long road to recovery for the 19-year-old, but one that has allowed him to take the next step as it pertains to the physical and nutritional requirements at the elite level.
“Everything is perfect right now,” Law told SBS Sport.
“I haven’t had anything go wrong during my recovery and I’ve been doing a lot more improvements to gym, diet, and my track work.
“I’ve added more track work in and everything is going perfectly with my recovery. I’m ready to go.”
The Pacific Games, held from November 19 - December 2, will take place eight months after Law last competed, having won the men’s 4x100m relay at the Sir Graeme Douglas International in Auckland.
Nevertheless, the Queensland-born sprinter remains confident in his ability, one that was first unearthed and developed under the tutelage of his aunty Karla at the age of 10.
Karla, a 400 and 800-metre runner herself, oversaw the first few years of Law’s fledgling career before the pair put their partnership on hold due to the latter’s lingering growing pains.
A return to athletics at the age of 15 saw Law improve under new coach Andrew Iselin, though Karla remains “very involved and very supportive” to this day – much like the wider Wakka Wakka tribe Law calls family.
“Ever since I was little, it’s always been a part of my family. All of my family on the Indigenous side … from my experience, it’s a very supportive culture,” Law said.
“Everyone supports each other, and everyone is there for each other. With my family, I’m not even related to (some of) them but that’s my aunty, that’s my cousin and that’s my uncle. They’re always there for you.”
A proud Indigenous athlete, Law’s desire to further explore the corners of his culture led to an ambassadorial position within the Share a Yarn program, where he, together with his 2023 cohort, can connect with fellow First Nations athletes and communities around Australia.
It’s the latest step in the teenager’s journey towards personal growth and something he aims to tie in with his already impressive career on the track.
The last two years have been particularly kind to Law, who in 2022 became the first-ever Australian teenager to qualify for a semi-final at the World Athletics Championships.
Two weeks later, he took bronze in the men’s 200m final at the World U20 Championships – the first global medal by an Australian 200m men’s runner in three decades.
Now, a gold medal at the Pacific Games is next on his list before attention turns towards automatic qualification for the Paris Olympic Games in 2024 and a potential crack at the Australian record.
Representing his nation has always been a childhood dream for Law, who harbours hopes of going one step further than Australian athletics icon Cathy Freeman.
“I’ve always wanted to do it since I was a kid. I’ve always watched athletes like Cathy Freeman, and I’ve always sat there (thinking) like, ‘I want to do that’,” he said.
“I want to be better than them. So, I think now that I’m almost at the level that I want to be, I’m going to keep going and keep pushing to be better.”
