Small made history on Olympic debut at Sochi 2014 when she became the first Australian to compete in all five alpine events at an Olympic Games. Just 18-years-old at the time, Small was still considered a junior and had not yet specialised in a particular event.

“Sochi was definitely about the experience for me, rather than the performance and it was a massive learning experience. I was still a junior at the time, so for me it was just about going and competing in all the events.”

One year after her Olympic debut, Small tore her first ACL while competing in Japan.

“My first ACL injury was a big shock, because I had never really been injured before that. But I knew I was going to come back stronger,” she said.

“I moved to Canberra to train in 2015 and 2016 and completed my rehab. Once I was 100% cleared for training, I spent six months on snow, ready to come back for the 2017 season. And then at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Test Event I retore my ACL.”

Just 12 months out from the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics, Small underwent her second ACL reconstruction surgery and began her rehabilitation program. Despite the situation, the 26-year-old continued to persevere and completed her return to competition in record time.

“I definitely pushed it in the early days because I basically had to hit all my targets at the right time to keep progressing towards the Olympics.

“As soon as I passed, I return to snow testing, I was on snow, skiing at just seven months post-surgery. I then started race training at about eight months post-surgery,” she said.

"At eight-and-a-half months post-surgery I was entering my first race, and that was the race that qualified me for the 2018 Games.”

As a result of her injury, Small chose to focus on the speed events in PyeongChang and at the Games competed in Super G, Downhill and Alpine Combined.

“Coming back from my second ACL, I had to make a choice and decide what was going to put me in the best position to qualify for the Games.

“I've always loved skiing speed, ever since I went in my first Super G races when I was 13. The first international competition I won was a speed event. So, it naturally happened, I just gravitated towards the speed events and I’ve stuck with it ever since.” Small said.

Small went on to record multiple personal best results throughout the 2018/2019 season, including a 20th place at the 2019 World Championships.

Unfortunately, in March 2019 she was involved in another major crash in training which resulted in her third ACL tear.

“It was just really unlucky, I caught my arm in the gate and I actually ended up doing a 360-degree spin on my Super G skis, which are 210cm long at about 100 km/hr. I went straight through the panel, and I twisted my knee.”

After yet another grueling 12-month rehab, Small was back in action earlier this year competing in Europe. Consistently moving up the ranks in the speed events, Small capped off the season with her career best - 15th at the 2021 World Ski Championships.

“It was pretty amazing to come back after almost two years away from the sport, and just smash through a month of race training, and then go on to get a PB at the World Championships in the Combined. It really made all the hard work worth it.” she said.

Reflecting on her career so far and the adversity she has had to overcome, Small is most proud of her ability to persevere and continually strive for more.

"My passion and perseverance in the sport is what I'm most proud of. It's not necessarily one thing that you do on one day, it's that you keep showing up every day and putting in the work.

“A lot of people question me, why I want to keep going, they say ‘you've already been to two Olympics, why do you want to go through all of that pain again and the months of hard work’. My response is, I haven't reached my potential.” Small said.

“I feel like there's a lot more for me to give to the sport, and a lot more I want to achieve. I'm a long way from my potential. So that's what keeps me motivated, my love for skiing and that drive to get out there and show the world what I've got.”

With the World Cup season and Olympic qualifying events beginning in December (2021), the Victorian athlete said she is prepared for the season ahead and is focused on what she can control in order to perform her best on the day.

“It has been over two years now since my third ACL and I am feeling really strong and in the best shape that I've been in both mentally and physically.”

“There is always a risk involved in skiing, but I know I've done everything I can to come back from that. I'm skiing pain free, I am working hard in the gym and that's what mentally prepares me to push it hard again on the course.

“For Beijing, I’m just thinking about the type of skiing I want to do there, that great feeling of skiing good, fast turns. I know the rest will come from that. So, I’m focused on the performance and what I need to do to achieve a good outcome.”

Greta kicks off her 2022 Olympic campaign on December 3 at her first qualifying World Cup event of the season in Lake Louise, Canada.

Taylah O’Neill