They say nothing comes easy but take it from three of Australia’s biggest sporting heroes that hard work and determination can get you further than you might imagine.
From battling coaches obsessed with weight loss, struggling to support themselves financially and overcoming gender bias, these inspirational women were winners long before the race even began.
The Bond University Women’s Network hosted an event that featured three sporting trailblazers: Glynis Nunn, Bonnie Hancock and Bond University alumna Bree Masters.
All shared their experiences in the world of sports, aiming to inspire the next generation of athletes.
Despite Nunn’s busy schedule and commitments in Europe the previous day, she made it a priority to attend the event and share her insights.
Nunn is widely regarded as a pioneer in women’s athletics.
She began her career in track and field in Toowoomba and later became a heptathlete, ultimately becoming Olympic champion at the 1984 Games.
Nunn holds the distinction of being the only Australian ever to have won an Olympic multi-discipline athletics event.
She also went on to establish the Gold Coast Academy of Sport, leaving a lasting impact on the sporting community.
Bonnie Hancock, a former professional ironwoman, brought her own unique perspective to the event.
With nine Nutri-Grain Ironwomen Series under her belt, Hancock has left her mark on the sport.
As a dietician, she highlighted the importance of an athlete’s fuel and shared her personal challenges with illness and chronic fatigue due to overtraining.
Hancock also holds the remarkable achievement of becoming the fastest person to paddle a surf ski 12,700km around the Australian coastline, encountering great whites and crocodiles along the way.
She provided spoke of the importance of perseverance and her strategy for overcoming even the most difficult challenges.
“When I was doing my lap across Australia I kept looking at my tiny little location dot moving slowly around the map and thinking, ‘How am I ever going to get through a whole lap’?”
“But I thought to myself, all I can do is break it down and with each day give the best that I can.”
Bree Masters, an Australian beach sprint champion and world record holder, provided insights to her journey as an athlete.
At the age of 13, Masters won the Australian beach sprint title and by 21 she was a world champion.
However in 2019 she made the decision to prioritise her career over sports.
Masters pursued her studies in communications at Bond University, wanting to set herself up for success after her sporting career.
Fate intervened when she met her partner, a track and field athlete, and rediscovered her passion for track events.
Bree’s dedication paid off when she competed in the 2022 Commonwealth Games and secured the fastest 4x100m Australian relay time in 15 years.
Throughout the event the panellists shared their individual experiences in sport but stressed importance of women supporting women.
Nunn shared her experiences of growing up in an era when being a female athlete was not widely recognised as a profession.
She described her sport as something she loved and perused, but shouldered the financial burden herself.
Hancock acknowledged Nunn as a pioneer and expressed her gratitude for the trailblazers who paved the way for women in sports today.
The panellists also discussed the challenges they faced as women in a male-dominated space, and offered advice to the next generation of athletes on how to overcome obstacles.
Masters recounted her experiences with coaches suggesting weight loss as a means to run faster, highlighting the delicate nature of body image issues among young female athletes.
She emphasised the importance of educating young girls about the natural changes their bodies go through during adolescence.
Masters expressed her delight in hearing young athletes’ desire to be fit and strong rather than focussing solely on appearance.
“It’s so refreshing to see that strong is the new skinny for these young girls,” Masters said.