New Perspectives
Catriona Bisset
Catriona Bisset: No fairy tale
Catriona Bisset’s path to becoming the fastest Australian woman to run 800m may not be the well-trodden one, but the 27-year-old believes that is the secret to her success. “I have a very strong sense of what I want to get out of the sport, which comes from that perspective I gained from having time away,” she says.
Born in Newcastle and raised in Canberra, Catriona’s love for running was inspired by her dad and nurtured through junior athletics. There were early wins and promising signs but by her teens, Catriona’s love for the sport had faded. Mental health struggles took her further from the track but at 22, she found running again.
“The structure, the routine and the community that running brings was extremely good for my mental health and then it sort of snowballed from there and now I'm here,” she says. ‘Here’ is the reigning Australian women’s record holder in the 800m, breaking a 43-year-old record in 2019 and bettering her time again this year.
Catriona now lives and trains in Melbourne where she’s also studying a masters in architecture. Her time away from the sport has given her a unique perspective that sees her firmly in control of her career. Not content to just break long-standing national records, Catriona also wants to break down the stigma around mental health while creating space for a more diverse and intersectional athletics. “I love that athletes can feel like they're interesting, lovable humans that are flawed and complicated rather than just gladiators who are just there to do a job.” she says.
It’s been a rapid transition to professional athlete for you, what has that experience been like?
I've had to totally change the way I think about myself… And having that extra year without the pressure of comps coming quickly and all the attention that brings was really, really nice for me to grow into that identity. And now I feel really confident and happy about who I am.
What about that added pressure? You're the one to catch now - has that changed how you feel about running?
I think something's certainly changed. I think my sense of what was possible completely changed.
I feel a lot more curious about what my limits might be, as opposed to sort of scrambling and putting myself down and being like, “If I achieve this, this will be the best thing I've ever done.” Where it's like, "Well, I'm more curious about it, and what could I do? Let's see what happens. Let's see where this will go."
What caused you to turn your back on the sport in your teens?
I struggled a lot with an eating disorder and anxiety as well and all of this was undiagnosed. I didn't see anybody, I didn't talk to anybody about it. It was a pretty rough time during that period. And then when I was in my undergrad that's when I guess I had to address them. So I started seeing a psychologist more regularly and still had really big periods of ups and downs. I've been working closely with a psychologist for eight years now, with various different ones.
“My story is complicated and there are ups and downs. It's not the sort of thing where this horrible thing happened to me and I overcame tragedy. It's not a fairy tale.”
— Catriona Bisset
What brought you back to running?
It was a gradual thing over a few years where I started training a bit more and then I graduated, I finished my bachelor's. And so I had a bit more flexibility and I was working full-time, and so I could commit a little bit more time. I'm a hyper competitive person. And so being back in that world, it was very easy for me to really embrace it.
How do you think the time you took away from the sport has made you a better runner?
What really changed for me when I started athletics, started with my PE teacher. I think that the journey is so important to me feeling so comfortable and achieving what I've done… When I talk about this story, a lot of the narrative becomes that I've overcome some huge thing, and now I've come out the other side. I wouldn't have been here if I didn't have that decade of terrible times. That shaped me into who I am now.
I'm extremely self-aware and I know what I want now and it's really easy for me to make decisions but I feel like I'm finding even more reasons why it was a good thing.
But it's interesting, I don't feel a lot of pressure… I mean there's still expectation. I feel like expectation and pressure might be slightly different.
“I really want to help people feel safe in being themselves and talking about things that are important to them and to feel like they're people.”
— Catriona Bisset
What advice would you give to athletes who are coming back after time away?
My advice would be to find a really good training group. Find a really good group of people who see you for more than just your results and you want to do it together as a team.
You’ve returned to the sport with a fresh perspective, how does that influence your approach?
I feel like I'm bringing my own personality into it, whereas I feel like you get pulled along with the tide when you're younger and you just do what everyone else is doing. I have a bit more agency as an older athlete.
How important is community or a sense of belonging in your sport?
There's such power in being a well-rounded person. My coach always says that he wants all of his athletes to have really rich lives and be really interesting people outside of athletics… I think there's a huge load of pressure off me because I have these other pursuits and this other career that I can easily step in and out of.
What are some of the ways you’d like to see athletics change?
I want to see a bit more diversity of voices, particularly in the commentary around athletics. There's not enough female coaching and female leadership. And I don't think there's enough of that intersectionality between race and gender and sexuality in our sport… we need more role models who are more intersectional and represent real people.
What does the future look like for you?
My coach said to me after last year, “your moment hasn't happened yet. I think you've got a lot more to give” I'd love to run 1-55, 1-56, do something crazy like that. Win some big races, I guess those are where my mind goes. And even if I don't, that's okay.
If you or someone close to you needs support for a mental health issue, there is 24/7 help available. Reach out to the Beyond Blue Support Service on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.
Come Run With Us
Guided Runs give you a voice inside your head that believes you can do it, then shows you how. Visit the Nike Run Club App to get access to Catriona’s recommended Member-exclusive Audio Guided Run.