Grace Young is only 21-years-old and is already making her childhood dreams come true.
The former St Patrick’s Catholic College Sutherland student will be jetting off to Paris for the 2024 Summer Olympics, representing Australia in field hockey.
“I always had Paris 2024 in mind as the ultimate goal and to realise this childhood dream coming into fruition is unbelievable,” she said.
Grace’s sporting journey began back when she was only five years old, growing up in the country town of Grafton. By the age of 12 she was already representing the state of NSW in national competitions.
“Looking back I was so fortunate to grow up in a country area where I was able to play in both a girls and boys competition all the way through to U16’s, which brought my game to another level,” Grace told The Catholic Weekly.
However, a major turning point in her sporting career came when she moved to Sydney in Year 10, giving her more opportunities to develop and compete in international competitions.
Before graduating high school, Grace had already represented Australia in competitions in South Africa and Europe, as well as competing in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires.
“The sacrifice my parents made in moving us to Sydney was undoubtedly a key turning point in my hockey career and enabled me to reach that next level through the training and coaching at the NSW Institute of Sport,” she said.
She further notes how her time at St Patrick’s Catholic College Sutherland allowed her to foster her talent and grow as an athlete.
“My teachers throughout that first year at Pat’s were always flexible and did all they could to ensure I wouldn’t miss key learnings in the classroom when I was away for big chunks of the school terms, which I will always be grateful for,” Grace said.
The progression of Grace’s professional career has been swift and well-deserved. She has played for the most prestigious field hockey teams in Australia.
Grace was a key player in the national Jillaroos team, which placed fifth at the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup in Chile. From there, Young joined the Hockeyroos in 2023, with the team finishing third in the Women’s International Pro League.
Her Olympic dream was fulfilled when the Hockeyroos beat New Zealand in the Oceania Cup series, securing the Hockeyroos a place in Paris.
Grace said it was “definitely a surreal feeling” to represent Australia.
“I have always dreamt of the Olympics and Paris, always counting the years and working out what age I’d be at each Olympics,” she said.
Grace and the Hockeyroos set off for Paris last Wednesday, 17 July, and are getting ready to settle into the Olympic Village and train as effectively as possible until their match.
“We get to the Olympic village with 10 days to settle in before pool rounds start. We have two practice matches and training in that time, so it will be a good chance to get used to the pitch and soak up the excitement of an Olympics before the games start,” she said.
The Hockeyroos first match is against South Africa on the 28th of July at 8:45 pm AEST.