After javelin gold, Aussie star heads straight back to hospital work

Sydney doctor Mackenzie Little has achieved a significant athletic milestone, winning a gold medal in the javelin at the Commonwealth Games. The 29-year-old, who works as an ear, nose, and throat registrar at Northern Beaches Hospital, has demonstrated a remarkable ability to balance a demanding medical career with elite sports. Little secured her victory with her first throw, achieving a season's best of 61.88 meters. She revealed that her training regimen has prioritized quality over quantity in recent years, a necessity given her professional commitments.

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I'm so I'm relieved and excited, this is so fantastic. Nailing the first throw is maybe something to do with how my training's been a bit quality over quantity in the last couple of years.

Little's dedication is further underscored by her immediate return to work scheduled for Tuesday. She described the challenges of fitting training around her job, which includes performing surgeries, seeing outpatients, and caring for hospitalized patients. Her training locations have been adjusted to remain within a 30-minute radius of the hospital, essential for on-call duties. "I perform surgeries and see outpatients in clinics and take care of patients who are in the ward sick in hospital. Then in the evenings, I'll get to training," she explained, emphasizing the logistical hurdles she overcomes.

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I wish I could say, you know, that I'm really, really training my butt off, but I'm just having to fit things in around my job. I'm having to make the most of sometimes challenging situations, not having all the time in the world.

On a challenging night for throwers, Little's strategy of throwing low and hard proved effective against the wind. New Zealand's Tori Moorby took silver with a throw of 60.08 meters, and Kenya's Irene Jepkemboi secured bronze. In the pole vault, Kurtis Marschall also delivered a stellar performance, winning gold with a Games-record 5.85 meters, marking his third consecutive Commonwealth Games title. Marschall's victory solidified his place in Australian athletics history, surpassing the previous record held by his idol, Steve Hooker.

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I perform surgeries and see outpatients in clinics and take care of patients who are in the ward sick in hospital. Then in the evenings, I'll get to training, but I've had to change my training locations this year to stay within 30 minutes of the hospital. When you're on call, you need to, overnight and in the evenings, be within 30 minutes of the hospital in case of emergencies.