Junior doctor succeeds in career and sport
This year, Mackenzie Little, a full-time junior doctor, competed in the javelin event at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics
The unassuming new doctor downplayed her remarkable achievements when NSLHD News caught up with her. “I am certainly not unique in juggling a lot of things,” she said. Juggling medical studies and training, Mackenzie made her mark in 2021 at the Tokyo Olympics, secured silver at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, and claimed bronze at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest. Her schedule was, at times, gruelling. Last year, she flew to Europe five times to compete, with four of those for weekend competitions. “I’d leave late Thursday night, go to Europe, compete on the Saturday and fly back in Monday morning, and then go straight on the train to the hospital,” she said. The star athlete fell into javelin by accident. She started out competing in the under sixes Little Athletics and became a hurdler like her mother. But one day in year 7 at Pymble Ladies College, when hurdles were called off due to rain, she joined javelin training. The coach invited her back. “I gave it a go because the opportunity was there and I was naturally able to throw it,” said Mackenzie. But alongside her love of sport, as the daughter of doctors, she said she had always been science-oriented.
“I really like working with people and certainly couldn’t sit at a desk. I’m just excited to run around and get the job done,” she said. Mackenzie said she was aware of the challenges ahead as a junior doctor and anticipated a “balancing act”.
“Some might try to guess what my priorities are, but I’ve always wanted to do medicine, and that’s going to be my career long-term,” she said. “We hope to have made a difference in the lives of these wonderful young people.”
Mackenzie Little
21 NSLHD 2024 Year in Review
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online