You might have seen her on your TV screen - but this week, the Canberra sports reporter is in the thick of the action at the Australian athletics championships in Adelaide.

Places at the Olympic Games are up for grabs with some of Australia's best athletes vying for a ticket to Paris.

Among the ACT contingent desperate to shine on the national stage are 17-year-old runner Cameron Myers, who won his first 1500m heat on Thursday and has soared to heights no teenager has reached before in his bid to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Zoe Buckman competes in the 5000 metre event while Chad Perris, Cameron Crombie and Angela Ballard lead the capital's contingent in para events.

Some eagle-eyed punters would have noticed Moodie's name on the entry lists and wondered if it's the same one delivering their sporting news on ABC television.

Moodie's nationals campaign started at the SA Athletics Stadium on Thursday morning - but the moment she crossed the finish line with a personal best in the 100 metre hurdles, she was far from done.

The adopted ACT representative is competing in the heptathlon - an event comprised of seven different disciplines including the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200m sprint, long jump, javelin, and the 800m.

"I don't know why I choose to do heptathlons, it's a little bit silly," Moodie joked. "One event is hard enough."

Moodie hails from Queensland and won gold at the Oceania athletics championships in Fiji as she rose through the sporting ranks.

She shifted her focus to a career in media, which led to a move to Canberra in January 2023.

So, chances of Moodie forcing her way into the Australian Olympic team and onto a podium in Paris?

"Could you imagine? I think it's very slim, but I'm just stoked to be here," Moodie laughed.

"I just walked out for the hurdles and looked around and I was just smiling to myself. I couldn't believe I'm actually here, competing at my first open nationals, competing against Olympians in an Olympic year.

"When I was younger, it definitely was [a dream to compete at a higher level]. I was probably more at the height of competing at nationals and medalling and things like that.

"When you get to the open level, it becomes so much harder. All of a sudden, you're competing against Olympic medallists and it's like 'oh my god', you realise how good they are.

"It's tough. I train three times a week at the track. I've got to try and run away from work. You know in this industry, it isn't always possible. There might be something that happens at 3.30pm and you're like, 'Ah, I've got training at 4.30pm'."

Balancing training with a full-time job means early morning gym sessions and the occasional early start at work, just so Moodie can get away for training in time.

She laughs you can tell when she's competing against full-time athletes, but Moodie is happy to find the balance if it means getting a chance to mix it with the best in the country.

"I was at a regional carnival when my former coach picked me up and said 'hey, you go alright, want to come and train with me?' I started training with him from nine years old then went on to win nationals," Moodie said.

"We had no idea what we were doing, mum and dad aren't really athletic people or anything like that, so it was a bit of a surprise.

"Ever since then, it's just something I've kept up. Athletics for a lot of people is something you do at school and then it falls away. For me, I love it so much I continue to do it as an adult, although it does get tricky at times when I'm working a full-time job, that's for sure."

And for the record, asking Stuart questions might be more daunting than racing Olympians.