Paris Olympics 2024: ‘Medals are great, but there is much more to life’

In the not too distant past, there was nobody who wanted a gold medal more than Michaela Walsh.

At the Tokyo Olympics, and the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games, there was pride that she gave it everything, but you could also sense the heartbreak.

After two Commonwealth Games of standing on the second step of the podium, Walsh got her moment when she won gold in Birmingham in 2022.

It had been a long time coming, and while Walsh says it “meant a lot” to win gold, she adds “I wasn’t only there for that”.

“If I’m being honest it wasn’t really about winning the gold medal,” the 31-year-old said.

“Maybe when I was younger it was about that, but when I went to those Games it wasn’t.

“People said to me that I had two silvers and had to get the gold, but I didn’t look at it like that.

“I really enjoyed the lead up to it and wanted to enjoy the experience, and because I went into the competition like that I think it is why I won the gold medal.”