Olympic gold medallist Anna Meares inspires Canberra Raiders' NRL finals bid

Because velodromes and Olympic Games gold medals live well outside the "rugby league bubble". The only crossover between cycling and the Canberra Raiders might be an exercise bike in the club's gym.

Until now.

Meares, the most decorated female track cyclist of all time and the Australian flag-bearer at the 2016 Olympics, had lunch with the Raiders this week and shared one of sport's most inspiration comeback stories.

Meares was seven months shy of the 2008 Olympics when she crashed during a competition in Los Angeles.

MORE SPORT:

It left her with a fractured C2 vertebra - a mere two millimetres from a clean break - as well as a dislocated shoulder, torn ligaments and countless bruises.

Ten days later, she was back on a bike.

It might have only been for two minutes, but Meares was determined to make a comeback in time for the Beijing Olympics.

She did just that, claiming one of the most remarkable silver medals in Australian Olympic history.

The story left Raiders hooker Starling gobsmacked.

"That neck injury, she said she was only a couple of millimetres away from being almost dead or a paraplegic," Starling said.

"To be able to think within 10 [days] she was back on a bike, just to put everything aside and get on with the job, that's her love and that's her passion and she just hopped right back on the bike, literally.

"That determination and her mindset to put that behind her and continue on with it [is incredible].

"She had a lot of hurdles to cross in her career with the massive neck injury she had. She ended up beating a world record when she came back."

So you would imagine inspiration won't be hard to come by for the Raiders as they mount a serious push for a top four finish this NRL season.

Canberra sit fifth with six rounds to play, two wins shy of the ladder-leading Penrith Panthers and Brisbane Broncos, and two wins clear of the eighth-placed Parramatta Eels.

With a points differential of -56 working against them, Saturday looms as a crucial chance for the Raiders to keep in touch with the top four.

The Raiders host a reinvigorated Newcastle Knights outfit at Canberra Stadium to cap off a double-header featuring an NRLW clash between Canberra and the Sydney Roosters.

Starling may well have Meares' words ringing in his ears when he runs onto the field to the sound of the viking clap.

"Because you're in this little rugby league bubble, it's good to get a different perspective," Starling said.

"Everyone goes through their rough patches and everyone has different ones. Hearing how people handle it and how people approach it differently, that's the main thing we got out of it.

"From a team aspect, she spoke about the team she had around her and how she had to lean on every one of them.

"Personally, I probably see the boys taking more out of it about what she went through individually, because everyone goes through different stages in their career. That's something I got out of it, for sure."

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on The Canberra Times website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. See our moderation policy here.