Surrounded by some of the best swimmers to ever fly the flag for her nation, Abbey Harkin admits she has endured a never-ending battle with self-confidence.
“I've always doubted myself a lot,” she tells this headline ahead of the Australian Swimming Championships.
Abbey Harkin says life after swimming is constantly on her mind.Credit: Getty
“When I was in the team at the beginning, I never felt like I belonged because I didn't think I was good enough.
“Even though I had done the times and proved that I am good enough to be there, I would love to succeed and be better.”
Now the Brisbane breaststroke sensation can picture it: atop the podium in Paris, triumphant, the culmination of her grueling comeback from a serious knee injury.
Those dreams have come at an alarming cost for the Tokyo Olympian, one of thousands of elite athletes living below the limit.
Harkin talks about a “draining” experience while working part-time and studying business at Griffith University, while following a grueling training regime.
loading
It details the harsh reality that “only 1% of elite athletes benefit from widespread recognition and sponsorship,” as 46% of the athletic fraternity balanced life on an annual income of less than $23,000, according to the findings of the Australian Sport Foundation.
But the 25-year-old, fresh from a victorious World Aquatics Championship campaign in February, with four medals with the Australian relay teams, has sought to break the mould, joining Project32.
While his aim remains to achieve success in the pool, as he prepares for this week's Gold Coast-based championships which begin on Wednesday, Harkin says the future and life after swimming are constantly on the line. his mind
“More than half of elite athletes have considered quitting the sport in the last 12 months simply because they're at the stage where it's hard to think about what we might be doing after swimming,” said Harkin .
“You think about that every day. It's been a challenge, and I think with this project coming in, it's going to take a lot of weight off my shoulders and allow me to be the best athlete I can be.”
Australia's gold-medal 4x100m medley relay team of Iona Anderson, Abbey Harkin, Brianna Throssell and Shayna Jack at the world championships in February in Doha, Qatar.Credit: Getty
Project32 intends to pave a path for athletes to post-career opportunities by aligning corporations with emerging talent to serve as in-house ambassadors.
The initiative, created by Bastion Experience and Peak Impact, founded by former Olympic gold medalist Duncan Armstrong, will provide athletes with professional and personal development, career opportunities and mentorship.
The program is expected to provide more than $7 million in athlete development support for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
“Olympic dreams come with great risk, with post-sporting careers and a lack of financial independence often the price paid for a chance at sporting glory,” Armstrong said.
“The goal of the program is to improve the off-field sustainability of an Olympic career, which in turn should take some of the pressure off athletes so they can focus on their sporting goals.”
Harkin will link up with U&U Recruitment Partners through the project, allowing him to envision a life beyond the pool.
Just a few months ago, that life threatened to become an immediate reality.
After tearing cartilage from his knee bone late last year, he underwent surgery to repair what was the first major injury of his career amid fears that I would have missed the opportunity to swim in Paris.
Harkin finally returned in February for a shock call-up to the World Championships in Fukuoka, but his partnership with Project32 has led to the belief that Paris would not be his last hurrah.
He said his support would eventually extend the careers of the country's top swimmers.
Abbey Harkin put injury aside to take part in the World Aquatics Championships.Credit: Getty
“If you asked a female swimmer a couple of years ago, a female athlete would stop around 24, 25. But you look at Emma McKeon, Cate and Bronte Campbell, and they're still in the sport and they're over 30.” , Harkin said.
“I know Cate talked about possibly retiring after 2021, and look at her now … she knows what it takes and those nerves and pressure are off her back.
“I think that's why a lot of athletes, as they get older, that's what they can do. I know what it takes to get here, I made the commitments and the dedication, so now it's time to explore how good I can be.
“The support from these guys [Project32] it will really extend that sports career for the athletes because it gives them that flexibility to work as well as be successful in their sports career.
“We're eight years out of Brisbane now, so I think it's going to be the younger generation coming up, and for us, it's what we do now to inspire that younger generation.”
Harkin is determined to ensure that, should she make it to the Olympics, she will be there as a genuine breaststroke medal contender.
This week she will compete in the 100m and 200m freestyle in addition to her 50m, 100m and 200m breaststroke pursuits, ahead of June's Olympic trials in Chandler.
Now, stronger after enduring a frustrating rehabilitation process, he sees a path to a triumphant Olympics.
“I had been healthy and injury-free, so it's definitely taken … a long time to get back into things, and mentally it's been harder than anything. It definitely takes a toll on you … it's something that takes a toll on you doubts,” Harkin said.
“[But] I'm in a really good place right now. I've had some setbacks in the last 12 months, but I'm training really well and in a really big mental space.
“[The Australian Championships] it will be an opportunity to see where I am. I've been posting great times in training so I'm looking forward to seeing what I can do and if this comes close to a personal best I'll be really happy.
