Clutch: What makes Kelsey-Lee Barber tick in the moments it matters most

You have one throw to win Commonwealth Games gold - the medal that has so far proven elusive throughout your career - inside Birmingham's Alexander Stadium. What's going through your mind? Nerves? Wondering if you have that one last throw in you, one good enough to put you in a gold medal position?

Try this: "What I'm bringing to the table is good enough, and it's good enough to win. Be happy to present that and express that".

Seems simple enough.

But it's a mentality driven - and results suggest one almost perfected - by countless hours of work with sports psychologist Renee Appaneal, one of the key factors in Barber's rise to becoming perhaps Australia's greatest clutch performer.

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"I'm there because I want to be there and I want to be there because I love it. It's another opportunity to go out and do what I love," Barber said when asked what she thought at the top of her mark for that final throw.

"It's really an expression for me, an expression of power, an expression of the love I have for the sport and an opportunity to do that in front of a crowd."

So off she went, sending her javelin 64.43 metres to snatch the lead with her final throw of the competition - and not for the first time.

Twice, Barber's last throw of a competition has lifted her to gold - in Birmingham and the Doha world championships three years ago. Once, her final attempt secured bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

It's a clutch moment which wouldn't look out of place on a highlight reel with a John Aloisi penalty, an Andrew Redmayne save or a Michael Bevan boundary.

While the title of Australia's greatest clutch performer is always open to debate, one that isn't is Barber's status as Canberra's women's athlete of the year.

Barber beat mountain biker Rebecca McConnell, who finished second in this year's World Cup standings, and snowsport athlete Laura Peel, who was a flag bearer at the Winter Olympics in Beijing, to claim the award at the Canberra Sport Awards on Friday night.

"It's truly humbling and I'm really grateful to be recognised for this award," Barber said.

The 31-year-old has resumed training after a well-earned break in Europe and Tasmania, targeting a return to competition in May ahead of another lengthy campaign overseas.

"We can be quite quick to step into a new season and the new goals for next year, so it's always nice to take a moment to sit and think about it, and share the stories from 2022," Barber said.

"There's been a lot of talk about [the clutch performer reputation] given the season and what I did again this year. It really comes down to the fact I love my sport, I love throwing the javelin, and it's one more opportunity to do that.

"There's lots of training that goes behind it and a lot of mental preparation to set myself up in the right headspace just to be free on it. It comes down to the freedom and passion.

"I've always valued the sports psych element to athletics. I've been really lucky, I've been working with Renee Appaneal, my sports psych, for many years now. The skills I've learnt definitely set me apart from my competitors and allow me to bring my best on the days when it matters most."

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