Australia's biathlon exotic: She works as a waiter in a café to fulfill her dream

You quickly notice that Darcie Morton is, in the truest sense of the word, an exotic splash of color in the biathlon circus. While Norwegian, French, German and Italian biathletes mostly push themselves across the trails in blue, dark blue or even black suits, Morton stands out with a flashy green and gold outfit. They are the colors of Australia, the home country of the 24-year-old biathlon exotic.

Australia and biathlon – at first glance, they go together as well as a kangaroo and the North Pole. Nevertheless, Darcie Morton has been pursuing this sport with great passion for years. And she smiles when asked how this unusual liaison came about. “It’s a family story,” says the Australian. Her dad Cameron is one of the biathlon pioneers Down Under. “He took part in the Olympic Games in 2006 and infected us all with this sport. My brother was also active in the World Cup, my little sister has now started in the IBU Junior Cup. I’ve had skis under my feet since I could walk.”

Darcie Morton in action. © det

Morton comes from Marlo, a village of 600 people on the southeast coast of Australia. The nearest metropolis, Melbourne, can be reached in just under five hours by car. Much closer is the Hotham Biathlon Arena, the only biathlon structure down under that really deserves the name. “It’s only two and a half hours away from me and there’s snow there from June to August,” says Morton, explaining with a smile: “Here you still have to set up the targets manually.”

She was one of the best table tennis players, but... The fact that this 1,52 meter tall bundle of energy burns for the sport of biathlon can also be seen from another fact. Darcie Morton used to be one of the best table tennis players in her country, she even played tournaments in Europe with the Oceania team and could have made a career in this much more popular sport in Australia. In the end, she decided on biathlon, for her family, for the affair of her heart - but at the same time also for the hardships that the life of an exotic woman brings with it.

Darcie Morton is highly concentrated at the shooting range. © det

It's no big deal that Morton can't go home for six months straight. In fact, keeping the biathlon dream alive is often a tough task from an organizational and, above all, financial perspective. Morton has to plan her travels and book accommodations herself during the season. The Australian Olympic Committee and the World Biathlon Federation are providing her with some financial support. Otherwise, Morton's motto in the months she's at home is saving and working.

Waitress and tutor “Hardly anyone in Australia knows biathlon, which is why our association is very small and there is hardly any support. So when I'm in Australia I wait tables in cafes to earn money. “I also sometimes help out as a trainer for young biathletes and give tutoring sessions,” says Morton. “Later I would like to work in the field of medical science.” Darcie Morton The fact that the young Australian usually appears outside the top 50 in the result lists does not dissuade Morton from her path. “I want to make it into the top 40 – i.e. the points – in the World Cup,” she says aggressively. “And I want to be there at the 2026 Olympic Games. I’ll definitely want to keep going until then.”

And then? “In addition to my sports career, I completed a bachelor’s degree in medical sciences. I would like to work in this area in the future.” Ambitious and full of energy – that’s what sets Darcie Morton apart. On and off the biathlon trail.

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Australia's biathlon exotic: She works as a waiter in a café to fulfill her dream

Australia and biathlon – at first glance they don’t go together at all. Nevertheless, a young lady from Down Under is currently at the World Cup and is living her dream - even if it often has its pitfalls.

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