World field athlete of the year Nicola Olyslagers – in her words

On her 2025 season:

"It's been a beautiful year, but I’ve also found myself even more excited for the future.

"Usually after a major championship, we’re straight back into competition, but with the way the calendar was this year, the World Championships was the last competition of the season. That was beautiful, because it meant that throughout the season you could celebrate on the day but you were also always focused on the big competition ahead."

On resetting for 2026:

"I usually have one month of complete break and that’s the time physically for my body to go back to its factory settings, and mentally to process everything that has happened and to set goals for the future. During that break, I also try to do all the things that I couldn’t do during the season – from going on long walks through Australia’s beautiful national parks to painting skirting boards at home. Once I’ve ticked all of those things off my list, I feel like I’ve then got a clear head and I’m ready to go for another 12 months."

On the turning point in her career:

"When I was 20 years of age, I was working in a café washing up dishes in the back, saving money to pay for flights to compete internationally. My personal best at that point was 1.88m, and I was so far away from being competitive. I also felt like my life had no purpose; I was studying biochemistry at university and so I considered working as a dietician. I also thought about doing some missionary work. I prayed for guidance and I felt like God was saying, ‘no, the sports field is your mission’.

"So in the back of that café, I had a dream about the places where I’d compete and the people that I’d reach if I made it to the very top of the sport. Now, when people ask me, ‘what's next?’, I say that my purpose is still the same; it’s just that the potential is so much greater than I ever thought."

On her camaraderie with other high jumpers:

"I wasn’t the best jumper when I started competing on the Diamond League circuit, but I was always a big supporter of the girls I was competing with. I’d always stay out on the infield, long after I’d exited the competition, simply to support and cheer on the other jumpers. Since then, I’ve noticed many other high jumpers taking that same approach and it’s been a dream to see the culture develop that way.

"We actually love the people were jumping with; we don’t see them as barriers to success. We see them as friends to enjoy the journey with."

On her mental approach to high jump:

"As a teenager and young adult, I realised that my value as a high jumper and a person doesn’t fall if the bar comes off. I’ve never associated a high jumper’s personal best with how valuable they are as a person. When I came to that realisation, it made it easy for me to accept when the bar falls off. It became an opportunity to test myself rather than be measured by it. And every time I knock off the bar, it reveals to me another area to work on so I can keep getting better.

"I love the sport and the fact I’m able to do it, but the sport and my success doesn’t define me."

On the joy and satisfaction she gets as a high jumper:

"I love clearing big heights, but it’s such a small part of the mind compared to the person of who I am outside of that. I try not to let it take over my whole life, otherwise the joy won’t be there anymore.

"I see medals as different coloured sprinkles on top of the cake. I had a lot of silver sprinkles and now, after this year, I’ve got some gold ones too.

"Back when I was at that crossroads in my life, it took a lot of belief to even think about it. But even if it was invisible to the world, it felt like I had something special. Thank you for being on this journey. It’s the reason why you’ll see me smiling when I’m jumping. Because it is a dream."