Enabling Opportunities for Athletes

The world would be a better place if everyone felt empowered to have voice, says Olympic pole vaulter Eliza McCartney.

She’s been involved with the Athlete Leaders Network from early on and has been buoyed to see the support and resources offered to athletes and the opportunity to upskill.

Eliza is a passionate advocate for always learning more, so the strengths that the ALN bring to the New Zealand sporting table are truly valuable in her eyes.

“We have definitely seen a rise in athlete voice mechanisms and that hopefully does make it easier for athletes to speak up and be heard,” she says. “The ALN has really opened up the opportunity to more athletes, particularly those who are interested in becoming leaders in their sports. It is more equal across sports now, given that athletes from sports that don’t have an internal athlete voice mechanism can instead take part in the ALN.”

She felt there has been a lot of positive change over a lot of areas in recent times. “It’s only in the last couple of years that organisations have understood the performance advantage of having athletes fit mentally and physically – and the athlete voice is critical in that. It is much better understood now.”

She is on the NZOC Athletes’ Commission and vice chair of Athletics New Zealand’s Athletes’ Commission.

“Being involved in athlete commissions, I understood the need for an athlete voice, but through the ALN I have learnt there is so much more to it. Having the opportunity to upskill, to become leaders in our sports and communities, is just as important as providing feedback on matters that effect athletes, which is something many athletes wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do before. It is a very positive thing for everyone involved.”

She’s looking forward to November’s forum and says the 2023 gathering offered a very diverse range of guest speakers. “I took a lot away from it,” she said.

Having launched herself onto the global stage as a teen setting a world junior pole vault record (2015) when she cleared 4.64m, won a world junior medal, a bronze at the Rio Olympic Games (2016), a silver at the Commonwealth Games (2018) and a silver at the World Indoor Championships (2024).