Lightfoot aims to be cut above the rest clearing hurdles

Hotfooted hurdler Mitchell Lightfoot doesn’t only focus on shaving time off his PB of 13.53 for the 110m . . . the two-time National champion also finds a sense of satisfaction in shaving, clipping, curling and cutting his mates’ hair in the salon he’s set up in his garage.

Lightfoot, who progressed from being a talented junior to seizing gold for Australia at the 2023 Pacific Games, finds cutting hair as a tremendous way to switch off from the high hopes he has for his athletic career.

“It’s a side gig I do from home; very low key,” said Lightfoot. “I have a tight knit group of people whose hair I’ve cut for the last couple of years, and while I know it may sound crazy to some, I really enjoy it.

“I’ve had a full set up in the front garage for a couple of years, including a proper barber’s chair. I see [cutting hair] as a sense of creativity, but the reaction from people when they hear about what I like to do is, I guess, one of shock.

“From a young age I’ve been passionate about cutting hair. I think that’s all part of a brand you can bring to all sports, including Track and Field. I’m a firm believer in the idea that if you look good, you’ll feel good and you’ll run good.

“And that aspect may be a reason why I’ll continue to cut hair.”

The New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship holder, who, for the last six weeks, has been based in Europe and competed at meets in Belgium, Netherlands and Portugal. is doing everything possible to fulfill his lofty track dreams.

For instance, Lightfoot’s decision to link up with highly accomplished Sydney-based coach Alex Stewart has consigned him to a 350km, four-hour round trip whenever he travels to NSWIS HQ for a training session.  His supporters insist that’s an indication of the determination driving him to excel.

“I wanted a training environment where I could challenge myself; to be put in uncomfortable places and get used to what’s needed to perform under pressure,” he said.

“That’s why I like training under Alex because it’s a very straight forward approach. There’s no grey area, and I’m continually learning. Plus, I know where I’m at and Alex does as well.”

The athlete who was born and bred in the Hunter region of NSW said the hard work is developing an even greater sense of confidence.

“When you see how the work is helping, it feels really good,” he said. “It’s cool to know you can continue to get better.”

And while his name . . .  Lightfoot . . . leaps out of track meet programs because it suggest he was born to wear it; just as eight time Olympic gold medallist  and sprinter Usain Bolt was for his, rower Olympia Aldersley who represented Australia at the Olympics for hers and American swimmer and 1984 Olympic gold medallist, Jeff Float and Kiwi Malcolm Champion, who won a gold medal at the 1912 Stockholm Games, were destined for theirs.

 “When I got success from a young age, people mentioned my name and some of them remembered it,” he said.

“But I hope people see how much I love competing. Style-wise I’m a technical hurdler, that can be a big plus because as a race goes on, the cleaner you are the less time you’ll lose.

“Something I think I need to work more on is holding the aggression. I know I have a clean race, but being able to smash it out at times would help. I like that I’m a technical hurdler because when you do it right there is it almost a poetic feeling to hurdling and it can be so satisfying.

“And it’s always exciting because there’s 10 barriers, so that means there are 10 things that can go right and 10 things that can go wrong. Always a lot of room for improvement, but there’s so much to this sport that keeps it exciting.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS