Very tall, very talented, and just the right level of delusional.
The first two traits carried Erin Shaw to her World Championships debut at the age of 18, but the third has fuelled her comeback from a spinal cord injury and torn patella tendon.
Delusion has meant different things over the last 533 days, the time since Shaw last competed.
On some it has meant being out of the hospital, on others it has meant being able to walk, and on most it has meant an Olympic dream.
But after another year of meeting and beating deadlines, there is a case to be made that Shaw is not delusional at all.
The 22-year-old high jumper has spent 2026 recovering from a gym accident last December, where 135 kilograms crushed her spine as she attempted a routine single-leg squat.
Shaw’s disc between her L1 and T12 vertebrae burst and disappeared into the bloodstream, while her ligaments were in tatters and her L1 was left fractured.
Spinal fusion surgery on Christmas Day was followed by 10 weeks in a brace from her hips to her shoulders.
“Having everything stripped away from you leaves you with a real appreciation for simply moving your body, even if it is just walking,” Shaw says.
“Mentally, I feel I had learned how to cope with a big injury already.”
Those learnings came from a torn patella tendon sustained in May of 2025 during a competition in Japan – her last appearance on the track.
“I found it a really frustrating injury, probably harder than my back because there were no real timelines or things to work towards. I just had seesawing emotions constantly,” Shaw says.
“When you get injured, you are forced to sit back and reflect and that has basically been me for the last two years.”
Her reflections have been more than a mere pastime.
They show up regularly throughout the 20-minute conversation and serve as a constant reminder that there is more to Shaw than a very tall, very talented high jumper who is just the right level of delusional.
“You hear lots of athletes say injuries can be a blessing in disguise. I have really found that I have been able to work on my weaknesses in the gym, on the track and mentally,” Shaw says.
“It’s also helped me set up my life so that I’m not just an athlete. I’m working in a client service role at a law firm and have a lot of friends from outside the sport.
“It’s been so important to have those elements to me and to continue developing as a person.”
As a teenager, Shaw finished in fourth place of the 2022 World Under 20 Championships. The following year, she jumped 1.90m and made her senior debut at the 2023 World Championships.
During her time on the sidelines, World Under 20 champion Izobelle Louison-Roe leapfrogged Shaw into Australia’s third position behind world champions Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers, but that has only added fuel to the fire.
“I’m really competitive, so seeing the Aussie girls killing it on the world stage has just made me so much more hungry to get back,” Shaw says.
“Obviously there will still be periods of time where I doubt myself and my ability to come back, but I’m surrounded by people that believe in me more than I do.”
There are few greater role models than her former training partner Patterson, who describes Shaw as the sister she didn’t get in her family but found in real life.
“Seeing Eleanor succeed this season has almost felt like my own success in a way,” Shaw says.
“She is someone that I have always looked up to and has become one of my closest friends.
“Everything that I’ve been through with injures and coaching changes, she’s been there and done that.”
Every commute between her northern beaches home at the New South Wales Institute of Sport has been worthwhile, with Shaw having access to physio Rob Mullard and strength and conditioning coach Chris Brandner, who work closely with her surgeon Nathan Hartin and coach Jack McArdle.
“Some surgeons can be very strict on timelines, but they have been very understanding that I’m an elite athlete and not your usual patient,” Shaw says.
“I haven’t really had to think about a whole lot. I just do as I’m told and everything has gone to plan, if not better.”
Shaw’s year has gradually progressed from side quests ranging from jogs and hikes to training more resemblant of an elite high jumper, as she targets a return to competition early in 2027.
“The most boring part has been the isometrics,” Shaw says.
“But anytime training is boring or hard, I just remind myself that I wished for this in my hospital bed, so I’m not going to complain about it.”
At an age where athletics has lost some of its greatest talents, this one is here to stay.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 18/10/2026
