How Australia’s fastest 400m runner Steve Solomon found his promised land

Armed with two degrees, Australia’s track golden boy Steve Solomon was destined to juggle athletics with a corporate career. But the nation’s fastest ever 400m runner was kicked to the kerb until a tech giant came calling.

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As quick-witted as he is on his feet, Australia’s fastest 400m runner Steve Solomon was in high demand from Australia’s biggest corporations when he returned home last year with degrees from two of America’s top universities.

A finalist at the London Olympics when he was in his late teens, he had the profile, the smarts and the ambition that the big end of town is looking for.

But there was a problem. Solomon’s athletics career is still flourishing and he’s preparing for next year’s Tokyo Olympics so needed a job with the flexibility to train, travel and work.

Steve Solomon balances his track commitments with his corporate career. Picture. Phil Hillyard

The offers disappeared. “Sorry,” they said. “You can’t do both.”

Welcome to the world of Australian high-performance sport, where our best athletes have to fend for themselves because the government has slashed funding to elite sports’ programs.

Solomon wasn’t asking for a handout because he believes working compliments his running, just as study did when he was based in the U.S.

And he got lucky. He found an employer willing to take a chance on him, the American online food ordering giant Uber Eats.

Tokyo Olympics Medal Predictor

Position	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	US	51	34	41	126
2	China	38	24	19	81
3	Japan	29	26	12	67
4	Russia	17	23	25	65
5	Great Britain	15	13	15	43
6	Australia	13	15	15	43
7	France	10	16	15	41
8	Germany	10	11	17	38
9	Netherlands	13	7	14	34
10	Italy	6	10	16	32

And not just as a driver, they hired him as a partnership associate on their enterprise team and gave him their blessing to continue running for gold.

“I didn’t realise how difficult it would be to find such an employer,” Solomon said.

“It was a long process and at times it was very frustrating but Uber Eats totally got it.

“It’s a young tech company that’s moving very quickly in the sense that people don’t have time for office politics or any of the barriers to my success and ability to contribute positively.”

Australian Olympic 400m runner Steve Solomon juggles a successful business career. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Solomon is a six time Australian champion. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Fitting everything in means Solomon arrives at the office at 7am each morning and knocks off early on Tuesdays and Thursdays to train at Homebush with his coach Penny Gillies, who represented Australia in hurdles at the 1972 and 1980 Olympics.

He also trains on weekends and squeezes in gym sessions during his lunch breaks after he leaves the office but says he’s been blessed.

“I am very conscious of the luck that has fallen upon me,” he said.

“And maybe I’m making something look easier than it is for somehow who hasn’t gone through my experiences but I guess the proof of that is that it’s not the norm, I’m not taking the normal path.”

Solomon made the 400m final at the London Olympics.

CAN I GET A TICKET TO TOKYO OLYMPICS?

With a year to go to the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, demand for tickets is breaking records across the world.

Millions of Japanese are clamouring for seats at their home games, and Australia’s official ticket provider, CoSport, reports that 96 per cent of tickets available to Australians sold within hours of going on sale on July 10.

If you don’t have tickets but want them, that doesn’t sound promising. But CoSport spokesman Michael Clyne says ticket inventory can change for reasons such as customers’ cards getting rejected, venue seating coming into clearer focus or additional tickets being released.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

The first step is to register your email at CoSport.com as a way of staying up to date with future ticketing developments. Keep checking the website for updates, too.

ANY OTHER OPTIONS?

Yes, CoSport also sells hotel-ticket packages inclusive of accommodations, expert guidance and event tickets. You can self-select available tickets to favourite sports, or rely on CoSport to pre-select events.