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Little will represent Australia at the upcoming World Championships in Budapest with high hopes of making the podium in the women’s javelin, though it quite remarkably almost never came to be.
After graduating from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in Human Biology, Little returned to Australia only to find her athletics career at a crossroads; caught between the demands of training and further education at Sydney University.
“I had just come back from the U.S. and my degree at Stanford, and I’d started medicine here,” Little told SBS Sport.
“I was trying to train and get in a good routine, but we’d have lectures from 8am to 6pm and it was really difficult to then train.
“And so, in 2020, I was considering stopping athletics. I had not re-established a relationship with a coach back in Sydney, I was kind of at a bit of a loss and couldn’t balance the two.”
What came next was the most unexpected of lifelines for the 26-year-old, at a time when its very existence was threatening the lives of countless others.
“COVID-19 swooped in there and was actually a huge silver lining for me because I just got a bit of a breather,” she explained.
“I had the two hours of travel that I usually do to and forth from university back; I could just (do classes on) Zoom and then go straight to training.
“I started working with my coach Angus (McEntyre) then and he had a gym space in Hornsby. So, when all the gyms were closed, we could still train.
“It was kind of the perfect timing… COVID-19 probably changed a lot about my career and then I was able to qualify for the Olympics that were delayed a year later, and everything just picked up from there.”
Little would go on to finish eighth in the javelin final in Tokyo, having surprised a 30-strong field in which she was originally ranked 24th.
She credits McEntyre and training partner Cameron for fostering her ability in the years since, all the while framing it around a routine that serves her needs as both an impending medical professional and elite athlete.
Having a future beyond the track and field has helped Little let go of any lingering anxieties that come with competing and instead realise her potential during what she believes to be the peak of her career.
Reigning world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber and Kathryn Mitchell will round out Australia’s representatives for the javelin throw in Budapest, where the former will aim to win her third consecutive gold medal at the World Championships.
A last-gasp attempt from Barber relegated Little to a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games last year, and while she maintains a healthy relationship with her more experienced compatriots, there’s an inherent belief she has what it takes to succeed on the world stage.
“They’re absolutely unreal athletes but, you know what, I reckon I can take them on my day,” Little said.
“I find it difficult to talk in terms of medals and placings and other people’s results that I don’t have control over, but I’m confident that I can throw well,” she added.
“If I have a good time and feel like I’ve really unleashed a nice, swift throw that just disappears into a little dot, and your whole body feels it, then I could do really well.
“I’m hesitant to say exactly what I really want to do but I’m excited to give it a real good crack in Budapest.”
