We are immensely proud of our Class of 2015 graduate, Alanah Yukich, who represented Australia in the 400-metre hurdles at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Alanah gave an incredible performance, competing with the world’s best in Paris. Reflecting on the race, Alanah said, “I fought hard that last bit. I took the momentum of everyone back home, all the messages. I was just happy with how I executed.”
Alanah grew up in Gingin and started her athletics journey at Swan Christian College at the age of 13. She quickly found success in the 400m hurdles, winning the Australian Under-17 title at 14 and going on to represent Australia at the World Under-20 Championships in 2016.
In 2019, Alanah earned a scholarship to the University of Texas in San Antonio, where she completed both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in business while continuing to compete in athletics.
To qualify for the Paris Games, the Texas-based Yukich travelled extensively, racing five times in five different countries within 16 days as the June 30 qualification deadline approached. Although she narrowly missed the entry standard by just .30 of a second, her determination earned her enough world ranking points to secure her spot in her Olympic debut. Alanah’s journey took her to the US, The Bahamas, Spain, Switzerland, and Poland.
We are very proud of Alanah’s accomplishments and can’t wait to see what she will achieve next.