Balancing the hurdles of elite sport and financial advice

Sarah Carli, a 29-year-old from Wollongong, Australia, has represented her country as an accomplished hurdler since the age of 16.

Ms Carli’s athletic journey began at the age of nine when she answered a simple advertisement for Little Athletics in Wollongong. Her early exposure to athletics quickly evolved into a lifelong passion. Running since she was a child, Ms Carli’s commitment to hurdling eventually led her to represent Australia at the young age of 16.

However, at the age of 18, Ms Carli took a step back to pursue her academic journey. She enrolled in a bachelor of commerce degree, setting her on a path that would ultimately lead her to spontaneously discover the world of financial planning.

“When I finished school at 18, like a lot of 18-year-olds, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do as a career. I decided to do a bachelor of commerce because I thought that kind of gave me the most number of options. And then kind of looking at my majors, I was kind of like, which major is going to give me the best job prospects? So, I did finance and management just to keep it a bit broad. And in my final semester of uni, I still, again, had no idea what I wanted to do. So, I just applied for a job,” Ms Carli told ifa.

“There was a job going in the shire for a financial planning firm, so I decided to just apply for that, having not really known, I guess, the financial planning space or what a career in that looked like. But I did a bit of research, and I think it looked like something that I would enjoy. And, yeah, that was quite a few years ago now, and I think from there, I just really enjoyed being in the industry.”

Ms Carli later landed a job at HLB Mann Judd, where she currently remains, but balancing the demands of a full-time job as a financial planner with an intensive athletic career in hurdling is no easy feat, she admitted.

“It’s taken me a long time to kind of really work out that work-life balance,” she explained.

“It’s been a work in progress and it’s something that I’m constantly trying to get right. I’m sure a lot of people can probably relate to the constant struggle of a work-life balance, but yeah, I think this is the last two years, I think I’ve really got it right, and I think my running has really shown that I’m getting it right now, definitely.”

As for how she eventually “got it right”, Ms Carli emphasised the significance of time management, consistency, routine, and setting a strong foundation in both aspects of her life. She shared that her work in financial planning, with its professional standards, client interactions, and time management, has been invaluable in managing the rigorous schedule of a professional athlete.

“Being organised, time management, being able to plan, that’s all skills that I have learned, being an adviser, that definitely transfers over to being an athlete,” Ms Carli said.

“Habits are probably the biggest thing for motivation for both. There are plenty of times when I finish work and I don’t feel like going to training. But if it’s in your routine and it’s a part of your habit, then you kind of don’t give yourself that option about whether to go or not.”

To hear more from Ms Carli click here.