You always climb strong when you're having fun, and you have fun when you're climbing strong.
Personal Details
- Nickname:
Oce
- Home town:
Warrandyte
- Occupation / Area of Study / Work:
Route Maintenance
- Hero / Most Admired Athlete:
Janja Garnbret
- Date of birth:
11 July 2002
Sporting Details
- Event(s) / Discipline:
Speed climbing, bouldering and lead climbing
- Coach:
Sarah Davis
- Olympic / Paralympic History:
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games
- Sporting Highlights:
From an early age Oceana Mackenzie was a regular at her local climbing gym. Her mother, an avid recreational climber, would often bring Oceana and her sisters along to the gym where they could play on the smaller walls and develop their skills.
Once old enough to join the local squad, it only took 6 months before Mackenzie was entering her first competitions. Fast forward eight years, she is now the current Australian National Champion across all three climbing disciplines and has secured her spot for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Having grown up surrounded by sport climbing, Oceana has always had a deep appreciation for the sport. However, it is her love of competing against the wall that keeps her striving for more.
As a 15-year-old, Oceana was granted wildcard entries into the senior events and would often beat other competitors who were much older. Oceana went on to compete at her first World Cup event in Hachioji and made the semi-finals for Bouldering and Lead.
A year later she was awarded an International Olympic Scholarship which aims to assist athletes get to the Olympic Games. In particular, the scholarship aims to relieve some of the financial burden for athletes in sports that aren’t well funded, in turn, helping them to qualify for the Games.
Oceana cemented her place in the world of sports climbing at the 2019 Bouldering World Cup in Switzerland where she placed sixth, a result she considers to be a career highlight. Only one other Australian female in history has achieved a final result in the sport, and she joins only a handful of males who have done the same.
After the postponement of Tokyo 2020 and during the first COVID-19 lockdown, Oceana spent time training on a climbing wall that her family built in their garage. This enabled her to continue practicing, even when local gyms and facilities had to temporarily close due to restrictions.
In December 2020 Oceana won the IFSC Oceania Championships and secured her spot on the Tokyo 2021 Team. The Victorian athlete will be making her Olympic debut in Tokyo competing in Speed, Bouldering and Lead.
Australian Olympic Team
