“I’ve learnt a lot more about overcoming failure”
In 2022, Pallister rebounded in the pool and out of it, and so committed to finally making her Olympic debut in Paris.
Though she didn’t recognise it at the time, the pressure piled on as she sought to be perfect throughout the build-up.
When, at trials last year, she secured herself a spot in the 400m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 1500m freestyle and the 4×200 relay team, the emotions were intense. Wiping away tears, she shared with her country what she had suffered and what she had overcome to get to the Games in France.
Paris, then, was supposed to be Pallister’s great Olympic debut, but the swimmer found herself painfully thwarted again.
On the day of the Opening Ceremony, her roommate tested positive for COVID, and later, so did she. It forced her into impossible decisions; choices she never thought she would ever have to make.
“I remember talking to my coach and just sobbing when he told me I should maybe think about pulling out of the 1500m,” Pallister recalls.
“Then I sat with myself for like an hour just outside. I had a mask on because I had to isolate from everyone, but I was out in the fresh air and just sitting for an hour crying and then being like, well, do I give away every opportunity I’ve got or do I focus on one?”
Having already scratched the 400m ahead of the Games to focus on the longer distances, she decided to pull out of the 1500m, where she had been a medal contender.
By the close of the Games, the only race she would do individually was the 800m. Despite a strong showing in the heats, a kickback of symptoms from stopping her antiviral medicine left her feeling awful for the final, where she finished sixth.
There was some respite, though, for Pallister. She was part of the Australian relay team that stormed to gold in the women’s 4x200m. The quartet, featuring the talismanic Ariane Titmus and superstar Mollie O’Callaghan, dominated from start to close, setting a new Olympic record of 7:38.08 – more than two seconds quicker than the gold medal time set by the People’s Republic of China in Tokyo.
It was a sweet moment, but straight after, her mind hardened. Yes, she had finally made it to the Olympics and could call herself a champion, but there was still a feeling of discontent.
“The Olympics last year were incredible, but also I think getting COVID at my first Olympics has made me realise that I think I wanted a lot more than I ever realised,” the Australian says, resolutely, circling back to why now she is perhaps better today than she ever has been.
“Now I’ve learnt a lot more about overcoming failure in a way and just being willing to do absolutely anything and everything in the pool, in the gym, and I guess in training to be the best version of myself possible,” she continues.
“Stepping away from Paris, being disappointed with the week that I had has made me a lot motivated for LA. And I think it’s just levels of motivation more than anything because, obviously, I wanted to race while I was in Paris, but I think now, walking away from the Olympics disappointed, having four years to think about that disappointment all the time, is perfect motivation for the next Olympics.”