As a track cyclist Anna Meares had a remarkable career. Anna holds the equal record for world championship wins, with 11 titles to her name. She is also the first Australian to win medals in different events over four Olympics, including gold in both Athens and London. For Anna another major career highlight came in 2016, when she was awarded the honour of being the flag bearer for the Australian team at the Rio Olympics.
While the public has witnessed the many highlights of Anna’s career, in her autobiography ‘Now’ Anna shines a light on the challenges she experienced along the way. In 2008, Anna suffered a broken neck in a race fall, yet worked her way back to win a silver medal just seven months later at the Beijing Olympics. As she approached her final Olympics Anna would have to contend with serious injury, a marriage breakdown and the illness of her coach Gary West, who was later diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
While Anna’s retirement in 2016 freed her from the relentless responsibilities of being a professional athlete, it also created many new challenges. In recent years Anna has forged new pathways towards a life of purpose, balance and joy. We hope you enjoy this wonderful conversation with the humble and indomitable Anna Meares.
Read more about Anna’s powerful story in her recently published autobiography “Now: sometimes the end of the race is only just the beginning“.