Jumping from Victoria to Paris: Patterson gears up for her third Olympics

When 8-year-old Eleanor Patterson tagged along to her friend's Little Athletics in regional Victoria, little did she know that two decades later she'd be heading halfway around the world to compete in the Paris Olympic Games.

Australian high jumper Eleanor Patterson already knows what an Olympic Games feels like having competed at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021.

However, when she steps onto the Paris track, she's coming in with a world championship gold under her belt.

Despite being "ping-ponged" around the world for competitions, the 27-year-old has always felt the support of her hometown Leongatha.

"When those moments happen of great successes on the track, it kind of makes me think back to where I've come from and those early days," the Olympian said.

"I have so much support from home, the community has always supported me and cheered me on from afar."

The high jumper's "obsession" with the sport began in her Victorian home town of 14,000 people, Leongatha.

From day one, she was breaking records.

"I think I did high jump on the first day. And I think I broke the Little Ath's record there and so I became absolutely fixated with the idea of athletics and Olympics as well," she said.

"It came pretty naturally to run at a bar and fling myself over."

With the continual support of her family, who took her to and from competitions, often hours away, she is a longtime supporter of the sport.

"I was very lucky that they never held me back as far as being able to help me achieve my dreams," she said.

"First and foremost I am a big fan of the sport, I just love athletics full stop."

A natural talent, Patterson has been flinging herself over bars across the state, country and world - with her eyes always fixed on the Olympic stage.

New coach, new records

A pivotal moment was moving to Sydney in June 2019 to begin training under Alexander Stewart.

The move came after taking 18 months off the sport, a decision she says was challenging but a step to discover her identity beyond "Eleanor the athlete".

"I really needed to come into my own as a person, and that in turn allowed me to come into my own as an athlete," she said.

Under her new coach, and as a member of the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS), Patterson began to see improving results, to the point that she qualified for Tokyo.

"He always told me to walk like you're already Olympic champion," the NSWIS scholarship athlete said.

This mentality has underpinned her performance since 2019, and in the last three years Patterson has achieved personal bests on the world stage.

In 2022, she became the world champion in Oregon, USA, jumping a best of 2.02 metres.

"I always knew I was capable of it and then suddenly the rest of the world knew," she said.

The high-performing jumper is excited to feel the love from a sold-out crowd, much different to the audience-free Tokyo Olympics in 2021 where she took out fifth place.

"To be able to leave the stadium and find your family and give them a big squeeze is one of the most special things," she said.

"It's cool to see Leongatha taking the world on."

Patterson will compete in the women's high jump competition with fellow Australian high jumper Nicola Olyslagers.

Both athletes were announced in the initial selection of the Australian athletics contingent for this year's Olympic Games, in April.

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will take place between July 26 - August 11.