On a brisk winter morning in the heart of Australia's Central Desert, a 29-year-old Nova Peris stood barefoot and freezing among the backdrop of the iconic sandstone monolith known as Uluru.
"I had made the decision to run with no shoes on and [an Elder] said 'No shoes Nova', and I said 'No, a sign of respect for this sacred country,'" Nova Peris told NITV.
Peris was the first Australian to run with the Sydney 2000 torch on home soil, kicking off a 100-day national relay.
It had been four years since she became the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal as part of the Hockeyroos in Atlanta 1996.
Peris ran a 1.4km stretch at the base of Uluru with her then 10-year-old daughter Jessica, who Peris said she had to hide before the moment came.
"The rules were no one is to run with the Olympic torchbearer," Peris said.
"Try telling that to a 10-year-old, who said 'I'm running with you mum.'
"That was just a phenomenal moment," she said.
8 Jun 2000: Australian Olympian Nova Peris with her daughter Jessica run past Uluru on the first stage of the Olympic Torch Relay in Australia. Source: Nick Wilson/ALLSPORT Credit: Nick Wilson/Getty Images
After taking home gold with the Hockeyroos at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, Peris made the decision to return to her athletics roots.
She excelled on the track, winning the 200m and 4x100m gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games before returning to the Olympics in Sydney.
It was me achieving my childhood dream.Nova Peris
In 2000, Peris reached the semi-finals of the 400m after running a 51.28s personal best in the quarter-final.
She was also a member of Australia’s 4 x 400m relay team, who placed fifth in the final and set an Australian record that remains today.
"Even though I had won Olympic gold in hockey at the '96 Olympics, to actually go out and run for Australia, that was my childhood dream," Peris said.
A newspaper clipping taken from the NT News July 26 1980 featuring Nova Peris at 9-years-old next to 29-year-old Nova Peris competing in the Sydney 2000 Olympics. Source: supplied.
"It was the highlight for me, apart from running myself," Peris said.
"You couldn't have scripted history better than what it came out to be.
"That was just two proud Aboriginal women representing our country."
Nova Peris remains the only person globally to reach back-to-back Summer Olympic finals in two sports and to win both Olympic and Commonwealth gold medals in different sports.
In 2013, she became the first Aboriginal woman elected to the Federal Parliament, serving three years as a senator for the Labor party.
When asked what advice Peris has for the future generations she said "never forget the journey that gets you to the destination".
"It's that one per cent, you've got to just ensure that there is no stone left unturned."
