'It lights the fire': disappointing year drives quest for Olympic glory

The javelin thrower will travel to Paris determined to claim her first Olympic gold and make amends for an underwhelming season.

After a dominant 2022 in which Barber won gold at the world championships and Commonwealth Games, the veteran struggled to reach her top form last year.

The 32-year-old scraped into the final at the world championships, ultimately finishing seventh amid a tough season.

The performances prompted some to wonder if the former Canberra athlete's best was behind her as she approaches the twilight of her career.

Barber, however, has made a habit of producing her best performances when her back is against the wall and is determined to prove the doubters wrong this year.

"It really lights the fire and keeps the fire burning really strongly," Barber said.

"I know internally what I'm still capable of and I'd really like to show that on the world stage this year, so I'm quite excited about it."

Barber took a break following the world championships to mentally and physically refresh and has now returned to training. Her exact plans for competition are still up in the air, but the Australian championships will be a primary target.

The veteran has enjoyed unprecedented success throughout a decade-long international career.

Barber made her first Australian team in 2014, winning bronze at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. Since then, she was won two world titles, an Olympic bronze and the Monaco Diamond League event.

Throughout this time she has had multiple compatriots challenge her and push her to reach new standards as she followed in the footsteps of Kathryn Mitchell and Kim Mickle.

A new generation of emerging stars has emerged in recent years, with Mackenzie Little solidifying her status as an elite thrower by winning bronze at the 2023 world championships.

Barber takes her role as a mentor for the next crop of athletes seriously, but said they also provide crucial motivation to stay one step ahead of them.

"One of the big things for me coming into the 2024 season is to make sure I'm enjoying what I'm doing and finding enjoyment from all aspects of it," she said.

"If I can get myself to the start line healthy and I have that love and passion and joy behind me, then I'll be ready to go."

While she now lives in Queensland and trains at Brisbane's state-of-the-art throwing facility, Barber recently returned to Canberra to run her eye over the region's junior athletes.

The world champion attended Woden Little Athletics as a Coles ambassador and provided the youngsters with a chance to meet their hero.

Barber won't be competing when Brisbane hosts the 2032 Olympic Games, but she's hopeful some of the ACT's top youngsters will have the opportunity to feature at the event.

"This is where it all begins," she said.

"Little Athletics does such a good job of allowing the kids to explore all the events. That's what I continue to encourage because I don't think you'll specialise until a bit later.

"Go out there, enjoy everything, explore everything, test it all out and then you never know, down the road you might find your speciality and be on an Australian representative team."