Human 8: Sharni Williams OAM

Australian Women's 7's Captain, Olympic Gold Medalist

Sharni made her test debut against New Zealand in 2008 and was named Australian Rugby Women’s player of the year two years later. She then transitioned to the seven-a-side game where she made an immediate impact, co-captaining Australia to a gold medal victory at the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Following this inaugural achievement, Sharni and her team mates were awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 2017. She is currently finalising preparations for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, where she will again captain the Australian Women’s sevens team. 

Sharni is a human mammal. Here are her thoughts:

What brings you the most joy in life? 

Seeing people succeed in something they never thought possible.

What does success mean to you? 

Giving back to the world and making a difference. Opening yourself up to new challenges that enable you to grow and develop mentally, spiritually and professionally.

What do you see as your greatest achievement? 

Winning the first Rugby Sevens Olympic gold medal at Rio 2016 - no one can take that away from me.

Has there been a defining moment in your life? Can you tell us something about it? 

When I was eight, my Dad came and watched me race cross country for the first time in Sydney. I came 56th and he told me it wasn't good enough. This was the beginning of my drive to be a winner and fuelled my ambition to become an Olympic athlete. So, to this day I always try to be better than I was the day before and enjoy what I am doing.

What are you most grateful for? 

My platform. Being able to reach people worldwide, and hopefully have a positive impact on their lives.

Who or what has had the biggest influence on your life? 

My community, no matter where I live or have lived - the people that have supported and educated me in profound ways.  

What is the most important thing we can teach kids in school?

Life skills. For example, tax returns, writing resumés, budgeting, cooking, cleaning, and being a good human.

What do you regret? 

What I could have done. I find without regret, we are not evaluating or learning about ourselves. 

Has there been a defining moment in your life? Can you tell us something about it? 

The realisation that I don’t have to have a huge circle of friends. Quality over quantity is definitely true. 

What advice would you give your younger self? 

Be kind to yourself.

If you could have a conversation with anyone, living or dead, who would you choose and why?

God - so I can understand the reason we are on earth, and how we can make the world a better place. 

What is the role of luck in our lives? 

I think luck has a few different names, like the Universe, for example.  

Do you have a favourite quote? What is it? Why do you like it? 

“Never say never because limits, like fears, are often just illusions” - Michael Jordan.  

I think this quote is powerful. It shows me how much our mind influences our decisions. We put limits on ourselves. We fear certain things because of past experiences or imagine that a situation played out differently to how it did in reality.

What concept/fact/idea should every human on the planet understand? 

Love is love.

Do human beings have free will? 

No, we like to think we do.

Do you believe in God?  

Yes.

Could we be living in a simulated universe? 

I don’t know. I guess there is a 50/50 chance that maybe we are living in base reality, like The Matrix.

Will the continual development of technology have a net positive or negative influence on humanity? 

Both! We understand more about the world than ever. We have powerful computers in our pockets and artificial intelligence tools that analyse data for us. We live in a world of information and connectivity, yet we are paralysed in fear. Too much information can bombard us and give us the wrong impression. For example, the more bad news we are exposed to, the more fearful we become and go into survival mode. In survival mode, we don’t care about the future, we are focussed on immediate solutions. So when we are faced with a global problem, like climate change for example, it doesn’t matter to a person worried about paying the bills.

What is the single greatest achievement of humanity? 

The Olympics. It brings people together from all over the world and promotes a sense of international friendship and individual achievement. It has the ability to unite countries that may have in the past been at war.

What do you see as the biggest existential threat to humanity? 

Climate change.

What does it mean to live a good life? 

To spend your life doing what you want.

What is a good death? 

One free from suffering. 

What question should I have asked you? 

What’s my favourite dance move…. It’s ‘the worm’ by the way.

Thanks for your time, Sharni!

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