In our RT Snap Q&A series, we’ve had the privilege of interviewing some of the world’s best runners, delving into their extraordinary journeys, celebrating their achievements, and exploring the unwavering dedication that defines their careers.
Sarah Carli
- Born: September 5, 1994
- Nationality: Australian
- Short-distance runner
Sarah began her athletics journey at eight years old, competing in Little Athletics alongside her sister. Her early promise was evident when she won the Australian Schools 400m hurdles title at 16 and secured a silver medal at the World Youth Championships in 2011, setting the fifth-fastest time in Australian junior history. Despite these early successes, her progress slowed as she balanced sport with university studies and work.
Carli’s major breakthrough came in 2019 when she clocked a personal best of 55.67 seconds at the Canberra Track Classic, qualifying for the Doha World Championships, where she reached the semi-finals. In the same year, she defeated Lauren Boden, one of Australia’s most dominant hurdlers, marking a significant milestone in her career. However, in early 2021, Carli faced a life-threatening gym accident, severing a carotid artery in her neck. After emergency surgery and a challenging recovery, she remarkably returned to racing within months and qualified for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Sarah Carli finished fifth in her heat with a season-best time of 56.93 seconds, narrowly missing the semi-finals. After Tokyo, she continued to progress, and in 2023 set a personal best of 54.66 seconds, making her the third-fastest Australian in history for the 400m hurdles. This placed her among the top competitors at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, although she just missed advancing to the semi-finals. Carli went on to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympics, representing Australia once again at the pinnacle of her sport.
Personal Bests
- 400 Metres Hurdles – 54.66
- 400 Metres – 52.90
- 60 Metres – 7.53
- 200 Metres – 23.81 *
- 100 Metres – 11.76 *
- 200 Metres – 24.47
- 4×400 Metres Relay Mixed – 3:19.66
- 4×400 Metres Relay – 3:30.66
- 600 Metres – 1:28.68
- 800 Metres – 2:06.88
- 60 Metres – 7.55
- 100 Metres – 11.96
- 300 Metres – 39.75
RT: You mentioned there were several years where you didn’t improve your personal best. What was happening during that time, and how did you stay motivated to continue training?
Sarah: In my final year of high school I competed at World Juniors and at the time I thought I didn’t need to focus much on school because I had sport. But after a stress fracture at 17 and just barely getting into university, I realised I needed to have a backup plan in place. A lot of my identity in school was tied to being an athlete so during this period I focused on other areas of my life, like work and university, and building a life outside of sport. I kept training because I’ve always loved running, but I had lost the love for competing. That feeling you get when you race when you know you really want it. But I always knew it was there somewhere, still sitting in the back of my head. I had more to give.
RT: Your accident in 2021 was a life-threatening event. What was the most difficult part of returning to competition after the carotid artery surgery? Was there a moment when you doubted if you’d ever return to top form?
Sarah: To put it simply (without sounding too dramatic haha) – thinking I was going to die. My surgeon told me there were no similar case reports in the world of an elite athlete returning after this kind of injury. We had no blueprint of what returning to training should look like. All athletes know that if you come back too early from a hamstring injury, the worst case scenario is rupturing your hamstring. The way it was explained to me is that the artery is like any other muscle, if I came back too early I could rupture my artery. And I was warned that they didn’t know if they could fix it a second time. So the worst case scenario was pretty clear. I remember going on a google deep dive. I wish I hadn’t. But I had confidence in my medical team, and I was very diligent in sticking to the clear medical constraints I was given.
There were so so many doubts along the way. Was it even worth the risk? When you’re in the middle of any injury, it sometimes feels like things will never be the same. But time fixes most things. And again, I always had that feeling in the back of my head that I still had more to give.
RT: You’ve trained in Wollongong for much of your career. How has the environment and your team contributed to your success?
Sarah: I wouldn’t be here without the team of people around me. I’ve been with my coach Mel since I was 15 (and she was 18). We’ve really built the team together over the years. We have an amazing squad. Going to training is honestly the best part of my day. Having a training environment where everyone supports each other and works as a team is so important, and I truly believe the squad has created that together.
I’ve grown up in Wollongong and I’ve designed my environment to make everything as simple as possible. I walk to work, furthest I have to drive for training is 15 minutes, my parents live 10 minutes away, my siblings and friend’s live close by and can drop in and I know which clinic will have an MRI report back in 24 hours. It hasn’t always been this easy, but with such a busy life, building an environment where everything is as simple and convenient as possible has definitely contributed to the longevity and success I’ve had in the sport.
RT: What does a typical training week looks like for you?
Sarah: Right now, a typical training week looks like:
Monday: PM Endurance on the grass track
Tuesday: AM Gym / PM 30min Jog
Wednesday: PM Speed Endurance on the Track
Thursday: AM Gym / PM Tempo grass track
Friday: rest
Saturday: Speed Endurance on the grass track
Sunday: rest
RT: Competing in the Tokyo Olympics was a huge milestone, especially given the circumstances leading up to it. How does your approach to big events like the Olympics or World Championships change with experience? Has your preparation evolved over the years?
Sarah:I don’t think my approach changes too much; you just keep refining it based on what you’ve learned from previous experiences. For instance, we learned early on that if we have a key hurdle session before a major event we make sure to get it done before entering the village. It can be really challenging to do a hurdle session on a competition warm up track (people will take your hurdle mid rep). Over time you just become more familiar with what to expect. That being said, every major champs is different. Overall, I’ve always tried to stay focused on one thing: going out there and running.
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RT: You’ve achieved so much in your career despite significant setbacks. What would you like your legacy in Australian athletics to be?
Sarah: I’ve never really thought about this! It’s crazy to even think about having a “legacy”.
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RT: Outside of athletics, are there other passions or projects you’re pursuing that help balance your life?
Sarah: I work as a Financial Adviser at HLB Mann Judd Wollongong and I’m currently studying a masters in financial planning. Outside of that, nothing makes me happier than being at the beach with a good coffee.
