Bridge over water

“Success is never confined to doing things one way, and only one way.”

Emma McKeon

Emma McKeon is once again ready for the starter’s gun. After a distinguished career in the pool, this Olympic swimming legend and Porsche brand ambassador has tumble-turned her focus to running. Christophorus caught up with her ahead of this year’s Sydney Marathon, where Porsche again led the field as the official automotive partner, this time with the new Cayenne Electric.
 

What motivated you to tackle this year’s Sydney Marathon?

This is my first marathon. In fact, it’s my first running race since school cross country! I’ve jumped straight into the deep end but it’s a great way to see what I’m capable of. Since finishing my professional swimming career, I’ve missed training for something big on the horizon, and to really challenge myself to get there. I’m a novice runner, and I know I don’t need to be the best. This is all about getting out there and giving it a go and challenging myself. 

Porsche knows that endurance racing requires careful preparation. How have you prepared yourself for the Sydney marathon, and how does it compare to preparing for a big swimming competition? What has surprised you most about distance running? 

I’ve been following a program. I’m running four times a week and I’ve been doing a small amount of gym work, primarily to prevent injury. The physical impact of running is entirely different to swimming. Interestingly, at the peak of my swimming career, I would swim well over a marathon distance every week to train for a 200-metre race. But when you’re training for a marathon, you never actually reach a marathon distance.

I’m trying to not be competitive. The goal has been to keep it fun and challenge myself just to see what I’m capable of, but I still have that competitive instinct. I’ve been jumping on Strava, the running app, to compare my times and distances to my running friends, and it’s made me realise how slow I am! I didn’t think I would be so competitive outside of swimming, but it’s obviously still with me!

What have you been able to apply from swimming to marathon preparation?

The routine, which has been great because I had such a super strict routine with swimming. But I’ve dialed it back compared to those peak athlete days because I’m focusing on keeping it fun; I’m not trying to become a professional runner. My goal is to push myself to finish the Sydney Marathon.

You’re keen to share your story to encourage people to pursue their goals. How is running the Sydney marathon helping you achieve this? 

We are all capable of achieving far more than we realise. I’m passionate about encouraging people to aim high and believe in themselves to achieve difficult things. Swimming taught me this. And by sharing my journey in swimming, and now the Sydney Marathon, an event that I previously thought I’d never be able to do, I can help bring to life this belief we can all achieve goals we think aren’t possible. 

As an elite athlete, what advice can you offer about the mindset needed for an event like this?

Keep going. And target smaller milestones, whether it’s within a month, a week or even a single run. Set yourself the goal of getting to the end of the podcast you’re listening to when you’re running. I would chase smaller milestones when I was swimming, especially on the harder days. It helps you get past any negative mental chatter. And hitting the smaller milestones gives you feelings of achievement, and these remove any sense of overwhelm about a 42.2-kilometre race.

The new Porsche Cayenne Electric, which embodies new ways of delivering performance, will lead this year’s event. How does this parallel with your own journey from the pool to the road? 

I’ve never felt boxed into anything and tackling the Sydney Marathon is proof. Every high-performer pushes their personal boundaries further than they think is possible; that’s how you succeed at the highest level. Success is never confined to doing things one way, and only one way. That’s always been true for me, whether it’s in the pool or now on the road.