Olympic pole vaulter Eliza McCartney returned to Takapuna Grammar School on Wednesday to open a new gymnasium named in her honor, advising students to pursue enjoyment over rigid career mapping.
McCartney cut the ribbon on the new facility and spoke directly to students about following their passions, 1News reported. She told the assembled students that they did not need to have their futures mapped out.
“What you’re doing now doesn’t need to dictate what you are going to do for the rest of your life. What you can do is you can follow what brings you joy, you can follow what is fun,” McCartney told 1News.
The bronze-medallist explained that enjoying an activity makes it easier to persist through inevitable setbacks. At school, she took up pole vaulting simply because it was fun and she was good at it, without applying external pressure or performance expectations.
That dynamic shifted rapidly in her final year when she claimed a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships. McCartney said that the sudden profile boost brought intense pressure that temporarily hindered her competitive performances.
“It really just shot my profile up quite quickly, and that actually did bring pressure, and it actually led to me not doing particularly well,” McCartney said. “That’s why I do really believe that, particularly as kids, you just need to enjoy what you’re doing, not feel so much stress and pressure, particularly around something like sport.”
Before athletics took over, McCartney intended to pursue medicine, focusing her studies heavily on science and mathematics. She confirmed she would have followed that path if pole vaulting had not accelerated so quickly.
Beyond opening the gymnasium, McCartney maintains a hands-on role in the local sporting community by assisting at Takapuna Athletics Club’s Wednesday training nights. Year 12 student Jess Lathwood and Year 10 student Kate O’Connell noted the impact of having an Olympian train alongside them.
“She’s so inspiring. Sometimes she’s training alongside us at pole vault, which makes the vision feel achievable. It makes it feel possible,” O’Connell told 1News.
“Not many professional athletes do go back to the community and just be there on a regular Wednesday helping little kids,” Lathwood told 1News.
McCartney said that her involvement with the club provides mutual value rather than one-sided mentoring. Lathwood and O’Connell now apply those lessons by coaching younger children at the club themselves.
| Participant / Student | Year Level | Involvement |
|---|---|---|
| Eliza McCartney | Alumna / Olympian | Gym namesake and Wednesday club coach |
| Jess Lathwood | Year 12 | Pole vaulter and junior coach |
| Kate O’Connell | Year 10 | Pole vaulter and junior coach |
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