Zoe Hobbs is New Zealand’s fastest woman and one of the quickest people on the planet today.
When the sprinter set a blistering pace in Switzerland last year, not only did she set a new Oceania record, but she also made the athletics world sit up and take notice. That success has seen her confidence bolstered as she prepares to take on one of track and field’s glamour events – the 100m sprint.
Her appearance at the 2024 Paris Olympics will be a standout moment for Kiwi athletics. She will be the first New Zealand woman in almost 50 years to compete in the prestigious race.
“It’s going to be special –something I’ve dreamed of for a long time,” says the 26-year-old. “Growing up, I didn’t have any sprinters I could watch on TV. It’s why there was almost this imposter syndrome … It seemed almost impossible for a long time. Lining up on that line, once I get to Paris, will be a moment I’ll never forget.
Zoe, who is also a quialified nutritionist, is blazing her own trail. She was the first woman from the Oceania region to break the 11-second mark in the 100m sprint.
Hailing from Stratford in Taranaki, Zoe’s athletics journey began at just five years old, when she could often be found running barefoot against the boys at school lunchtimes, beating them easily.
By eight, she could run 100m in under 15 seconds, finding her passion for the track.
Zoe’s parents, Dorothy and Grant, have always been her biggest cheerleaders, while her partner, Stewart Dodson, understands the pressure and sacrifice required to deliver at elite sporting competitions – he’s a sailor with the Spanish team on the Sail SP circuit.
When she takes to the track in Paris, Zoe knows it will be more than 100 years since any Kiwi made the 100m final. She’s hoping to halt that streak and help other New Zealanders moving up the ranks.
“I want to inspire the next generation,” she says. “It’s important they see the opportunity, and are given that hope and belief.”
Watch Zoe compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics exclusively with Sky Sport.
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