Proving Persistence Pays Off

She’s only 15, but Gracie Johnston knows exactly where she wants to be in a few years from now – on the Olympic stage.

The teen Rugby Sevens talent has just returned from the Next Gen Youth Girls Under 15s tournament, where she debuted for Queensland.

In the lead-up to the selection, Gracie travelled hundreds of kilometres to participate in 14 training sessions over eight weeks in Brisbane. Still, she says it was all worth it.

‘It was the first time I have ever pulled on the Queensland jersey, and I was so proud and excited for all the new experiences.’

The young gun was rewarded for her dedication and performance and was selected in the top 20 under 18s Queensland squad. While it means more travel to Brisbane and extra gym and education sessions, Gracie says she’s grateful for the new opportunities.

‘I missed out on making a few key teams last year, so I turned my disappointment into determination, and I can’t wait to see what doors this will open for me.’

Like many Rugby 7s players, Touch Football was Gracie’s sport of choice, but she soon caught the rugby bug after watching her older sister play.

‘Touch has helped me to think quickly and to pass effectively, because, in Rugby, you need to think about ball movement and to get that long ball out to the winger.

‘It was pretty scary at the start, being only 12 and learning how to tackle, but once I got the hang of it, I loved it,’ Gracie says.

Fairholme College has a long history of producing Rugby7s stars, the likes of Gemma Etheridge, Emilee Cherry, Demi Hayes and Dom Du Toit have come through the school before representing their countries, and Gracie said she would love to wear the green and gold one day too.

‘That is the dream and seeing multiple Fairholme girls achieve amazing things with Rugby 7s is a big motivator.’