Olivia Tauro still fighting hard to be her best

A seven-year absence from athletics following an exceptional junior career as a sprinter has not stopped Olivia Tauro from fighting through hard times to once again perform at the elite level on the track.

The 26-year-old was a junior star and had big expectations considering her natural speed and dogged competitive edge that saw her go undefeated in the whole of 2004 in 13 races in under 15 and 16 age divisions.

After clocking 23.64 as a 14-year-old her development continued in 2005 making the world youth championships final in the 200m and then the 100m semi-finals of the world junior championships two years later.

From there she stepped up to the 400m and represented Australia as a 20-year-old at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the relay team, which placed fourth in Delhi.

Less than two months later Tauro ran her current personal best in the 400m of 52.59 just about 18 months out from the London Olympics, but life and illness got in the way putting athletics to the side.

“So after my race in 2011 when I ran a personal best I ended up in hospital around 2am from convulsing and basically having a seizure,” Tauro explained.

“Doctors could mainly narrow this down to very severe dehydration and I was on a drip and in observation for that following day.

“I had a lot of personal issues that made it very difficult for me to be able to sustain my athletic career and I felt as though my body was breaking down on me so I should consider quitting.

“A series of unfortunate events unravelled after the hospital stint and I just gave it away.”

Her funding was cut leading in to the London Olympic Games and multiple injuries put the brakes on her development as a sprinter making the athlete lifestyle unfeasible.

Despite stepping away from the track almost completely, Tauro kept involved in competitive sport and began competing for the Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club in beach sprints and flags after moving to the Central Coast in 2013.

Naturally she was successful and even made a brief return to the track to win a medal at the 2013 New South Wales championships and also competed at the Australian championships that year.

Following another injury, this time a right hamstring tear, Tauro started working for the Central Coast Mariners Football Club and even played a few times as a striker for the reserve team, before the other hamstring gave way.

“I began to work full time so I could support myself as I had been living out of home and paying for my own means,” Tauro said.

“For me running was always an outlet and I pride myself on being very passionate about important things in my life.

“I took my running very seriously and believed that everything I had was worth putting into my running.

“I would never want to give up or give in because my athletics is my identity – I would always fight to keep the things in my life that made my life worthwhile.”

Tauro has not given up and the huge progress she has made in the beginning of her latest comeback, which includes a silver medal at the 400m national championships this year, is testament to her strength – both physical and mental.

With limited preparation, she came second behind Morgan Mitchell at nationals in a season’s best of 53.10 and then went on to anchor the women’s 4x400m team at the IAAF World Relays in the Bahamas to fifth in the final.

“For me to be able to compete at nationals after seven years off was a huge achievement, I had been deliberating about whether or not to come back for years,” Tauro admits.

“The field at nationals wasn't quite as competitive as previous years, like the Olympic year, but you can only race who's at the meet.”

Us girls killed this meet! 😍 #aus

A post shared by Olivia Tauro (@oliviatauro) on Apr 24, 2017 at 12:27am PDT

Her run at the world relays highlighted how she perceives herself as an athlete, attacking the last bend with aggression and threw herself towards the finish line just a third of a second from a bronze medal.

“World relays was a fantastic opportunity for me to step back up onto an international level and compete again with a great team,” Tauro said.

“It was a great experience in a beautiful location and I run better when I am chasing someone down, especially in relays.

“Whilst the other girls might have had a little bit more in the tank than me, I can take away from it that I fought hard and never gave up.”

Upon her return from the Bahamas, Tauro will continue her second stint with first coach Penny Gillies and continue to build her fitness before hopefully running at the London world championships in August with the relay squad.

At the moment, training is on the track two days a week, two hills and grass sessions along with two gym sessions a week – with Friday generally a rest day.

“I am currently working a casual job as I live out of home and need to support my living,” Tauro said.

“It had been extremely difficult to work throughout preparation for nationals and it put some stress on me as I was always away for meets and couldn't make training hours flexible.

“I would like to go back to university and develop a serious career.”

Tauro is currently ranked fifth over 400m in the country this year and if she can go a few steps further in this comeback becoming the 20^th Australian female to break 52 seconds for a lap is possible.

In her own words she does not run with her head, it is all heart and emotion, which is likely the only reason why she is again sprinting at the elite level.

“I turned 25 in 2015 and realised if I was ever going to return to the sport then I needed to put aside the battles I had endured and survived because if I didn't I would never reach my full potential,” Tauro recalled.

“I tried to get some of my affairs in order and by early 2016 I began basic training and conditioning.

“By August 2016 I was back with my coach since I was 16 and began competing in November.”

Hey so, I'm back 👋🏼 #running

A post shared by Olivia Tauro (@oliviatauro) on Nov 25, 2016 at 10:41pm PST

For now, the immediate goal is preparing to qualify for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, but her desire to be called an Olympian is still alive.

“I think for me I needed a few more races under my belt to be able to get faster times and I had a limited amount of races before nationals but I know I can do better,” Tauro said.

“The goal is always to get better and faster. I think for only six to seven months back properly training - it may take a little bit more time but the main goal currently is to aim for a home Commonwealth Games. 

“In Tokyo I will be turning 30 but the goal is to keep going until then as I've always wanted and needed to go to the Olympics.

“The cards hadn't been dealt easily to me but I'm here now.”