To most sports fans, Teagan Micah is an Olympic hero. But the Matildas goalkeeper says she is a reluctant one.
Growing up watching and admiring Australia’s best athletes, Teagan says it’s now a strange experience to have people look up to her.
Teagan jumped into the footballing spotlight with her Tokyo 2020 heroics.
In her Olympic debut, Teagan played five games for the Matildas with memorable performances: She ensured the USA remained scoreless in the group stage, and her famous extra-time penalty save against Great Britain in the quarter finals, helped the Matildas make the Olympic semis for the first time.
“As a kid you see Olympians differently. It is weird to think that someone looks up to you,” she says.
“It's great and an honour for sure, but I've never seen myself in that light, even though I've done it.
“I have so much more to achieve in my career until I can somewhat even feel close to that regard.”
Teagan, who grew in Moe in Gippsland in regional Victoria, says becoming an Olympian is the culmination of a life-long dream.
“As a kid in primary school, if the Olympics was on they’d turn the classroom into an Olympic themed classroom and every time it was on I was like ‘that's what I want to do’,” Teagan says
“Once an Olympian, always an Olympian; no one can take that away from me.”
It’s been a harrowing journey to Paris.
The 26-year-old was sidelined for six months after suffering a serious concussion in a Champions League match while playing for Swedish side FC Rosengard in December 2022.
As a consequence she relinquished her starting spot in the Matildas to Mackenzie Arnold, who has since cemented her role as starting keeper after the World Cup heroics in 2023.
Teagan was named on the World Cup squad last year but remained on the bench all tournament. She is expected to serve as back up keeper to Arnold in Paris.
Having now fully recovered from her injury, Teagan hopes her hard work will provide an opportunity for a starting position during the Games.
“I don't think people would be in the team if they weren't pushing to start and play those games,” she says.
“I know Tony [Gustavsson] does trust me, and he does have confidence in me. I've proven that before. So hopefully we'll be good to go.”
The Matildas face a tough group stage in Paris, drawn against Zambia and former Olympic and World Champions Germany and the USA.
Teagan says that the nature of the Olympics means every group is tough.
“The Olympics is just 12 teams, so when you qualify you expect it to be a tough group,” she explains.
“The last Olympics we had Sweden, the USA and ourselves and we all were in the top four at the end of it so you have to expect the hard draw.”
The Matildas begin their Olympic campaign against Germany on 26 July at 3:00am (AEST).
This article was originally written for The Australian Olympic Team. You can read the published version here
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