This week is National Careers Week and Australian Athletics is shining the spotlight on athletes extending their dedication beyond the track, with the initiative celebrating careers and career development.
A series of Q&A’s will provide an insight into what Australia’s best athletes are achieving in their chosen fields, today featuring Paralympian Eliza Stankovic-Mowle who now works in Athlete Wellbeing / Para Support.
Throughout my career in athletes, I was either studying, working or parenting, sometimes all at once! I found having a balance of life outside of sport actually gave me more focus for my sport and allowed me to be a better athlete and the skills by having this balance I still use to this day. I was fortunate to have 2 careers in athletics from 1999-2007 and then 2017-2021. Having my life set up outside of sport made the transitions easier.
For me it’s about continuous improvement – and this applies in most things in life. You can’t expect to know how to work through and navigate all scenarios or challenges but knowing who to ask for advice and support is critical, just like your team supporting you in your sport – find those people outside who can support and help you grow in your career outside!
There have been many phases of this. At different times I have had different jobs during my sporting careers. I think this always gave me some preparation and direction.
Absolutely! Given the roles I had previously undertaken and my interest and passion for sport and wellbeing, it seemed like a natural fit to move into the Sport Wellbeing Space. Throughout my careers in sport, I have seen such a shift in the value of Wellbeing and having such an impactful Wellbeing Manager Mel Perkiss guided me toward the space I now work in and love.
It depends on how you view challenges – to me seeing challenges as opportunities has always been my reframe. Sometimes needing to take a step back and look at what is actually in front of you and examining the situation from different approaches allows you to work out the best way forward. Sometime this may even mean revisting the challenge or opportunity multiple times until it feels right!
I wouldn’t change anything, however I wished I had realized the importance of Superannuation, But that again as a female, a mother and then as an athlete, as a person with a disability this is not uncommon. I will never call the choices I made sacrifices however I do wish that as a 20 something and 30 something year old I considered the impact of these choices. I strongly encourage young athletes to learn more in this space and start young!
Your working life is such a huge portion of your life to be doing something that doesn’t align with your values and make you feel good! Whilst, when you are young, you often look for the quick fix to get by, take these experiences and learnings as you move towards your future longer term career. I also feel there is no need to rush, all of the little experiences along the way will one day contribute to the bigger picture.
Talk to people! Ask about their careers, what they enjoy, what challenges them, how they got there. Just like an athlete can inspire, someone doing a job they love can inspire. Seek those people and find people to support you. Don’t forget to leverage the skills you have used as an athlete to transfer into your CV and workplace. Later in my career as an athlete working with a Career Development Practitioner was of great value – so tap into that support!
By Australian Athletics
Posted 16/5/2025
