Doha next for Catriona Bisset after she buries mental health issues en route to 800m national crown

Catriona Bisset has completed a stunning return to athletics by winning the national 800m, capping off an extraordinary story of triumph after mental health issues during her childhood.

Two years ago Catriona Bisset decided to reconnect with running to help with her mental health.

It was a decision which has proved to be a winning one on many levels given she is now the national 800m champion, is in the top 10 of Australia’s all-time list and qualified for October’s world championships in Doha.

Bisset’s extraordinary story of survival and ultimate triumph was the breakout performance of the final day of the national championships after she stunned Homebush Stadium to stop the clock at 2min00.48sec.

“The last couple of years I just decided to take up running more serious again because it was so good for my health, for my mental health,” she said.

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Catriona Bisset takes out the women’s 800m final at Sydney Olympic Park Athletic Centre.

“I was going through a really bad patch of just this horrible circles of depression around my undergrad and then found the crazy routine of running was extremely good for that.

“And I guess I’m pretty good at it.”

Catriona Bisset wins her heat of the women's 800m.

Bisset, 24, had been a promising junior athlete before leaving the sport as she battled a number of health issues as a teenager.

“Through my childhood I had a lot of issues with eating disorders, anxiety, I’ve always had horrible problems with anxiety and still do now,” she said.

“I had a lot of stuff that I wasn’t dealing with as a kid, it all came to a head when I was living by myself out of home into that really stressful environment of uni.

“I’ve come out the other side of it now.”

Bisset moved to Melbourne from Sydney two years ago to hook up with Cathy Freeman’s former coach Peter Fortune.

She is currently doing a masters of architecture with a diploma of Chinese language at Melbourne University but is planning on taking next semester off to focus on athletics.

“I think I have always struggled with that identity thing over the last few years because it has happened so quickly,” Bisset said.

“I can think of myself as an elite runner now, I can do all this stuff, I’m allowed to do it as it’s not just for the people who I think are quote “elite” people.”

Luke Mathews was at his flamboyant best in the 1500m final, gesturing madly to his arm as he crossed the line to win a slowly run affair in 3min43.15se ahead of Ryan Gregson (3:44.03sec).

The celebration was borrowed from NBA star D’Angelo Russell.

“It has nothing to do with my tattoo, it’s a basketball celebration,” Mathews explained. “D’Angelo Russell just says, ‘I have ice in my veins’, because he scores three points under pressure and I’d like to think I am a pressure type runner.”

Exciting sprinter Naa Anang backed up her 100m victory on Saturday night with the long jump title — which she continues to say is her preferred event — after blasting an impressive 6.88m to defeat Olympic finalist Brooke Stratton (6.70m).

Another feel-good story came in the women’s 400m hurdles where Lauren Wells won her 12th national title in a personal best time of 54.87sec — the first time the 30-year-old had broken the 55-second barrier in her career.

Morgan Mitchell congratulates fellow Victorian Catriona Bisset