Portia Bing overcomes work hurdles to compete at fifth World Championships

Photo: Alisha Lovrich

Portia Bing is not only a successful athlete on the track but is also balancing a career in the financial industry.

Bing has been sucessfully juggling both becoming the first female 400m hurdler from New Zealand to qualify for the semi-finals at a World Track and Field Champs, in Oregon last year.

Following that she made the finals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.

“It was a huge achievement to be able to do two major competitions back-to-back.

“It’s not a full-time job its more of a hobby”.

A hobby in which she holds currently nine national titles.

Previously a heptathlete, she only picked up 400m hurdles in 2019 and qualified for the Doha World Championships that same year.

Although, she says she doesn’t have the luxury to compete internationally every weekend as she works full-time in the regulatory compliance sector.

It is validating that she can, “Still compete at this level…I can still improve and I still enjoy it”.

However, in her early 20s she found it to difficult to balance having a normal career outside of athletics and finding the flexibility to train.

“For some people being the athlete is the career…but for a lot of people that is not necessarily their primary career”.

However, as she progressed in her sector outside of the track and studied law. Balancing training became “easier as I got more experience as an athlete”.

“I know what to prioritise because I have alot of training history behind me”.

After working eight hours at work, Bing has a 25 minute bus ride she uses as her “downtime to prepare for training”.

“I listen to a podcast or to music to take my mind out of the work context”.

The 30-year-old says she shifts her mindset into training mode by ensuring she is out of her work attire and in her training clothes before arriving at the track.

“It’s a physical change which helps me get ready for training”.

Photo: Alisha Lovrich

Bing highlights how turning up to her session with a present mindset allows her to focus on “ticking boxes”.

“I am only here for one and a half hours and that is going to be my core focus.”

Now her main goal will be achieving her condition standard for the World Track and Field Championships in August.

Including qualifying for the Paris Olympic games with the help of her coach, James Mortimer.

Bing credits Mortimer for “accepting you as you are” as she performs at her best when she is working and training simultaneously.

“If I’m not working then I don’t perform well on the track”.

Mortimer who also coaches Zoe Hobbs, helped her qualify for Olympics on Monday.

Portia Bing, James Mortimer and Zoe Hobbs.
Photo: Alisha Lovrich

Bing acknowledges that to solidify her spot on the Paris team she needs to have more exposure on the Europe cycle.

Since 400m hurdles is not a common event that is raced in competitions, “I usually run out of time to qualify especially racing domestically…there is not enough races”.

“If we start [competing] early I have more buffer time”.

The hurdler to the younger generation of athletes who want to focus on both there chosen sport and career that, “it’s going to take five times longer than you ever expected it too”

“You have to be willing to recognise that there is moments in life where you can’t do both at 150% and you have to make small sacrifices”.

“But small sacrifices in one doesn’t mean forever…it’s just temporary”.

“You can still do both”.

-RNZ