It was the event she finished fourth in when she burst onto the scene at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the event she made an Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro.

However, a string of injuries saw the Shellharbour product move away from the challenging event, with Hills consigned to the 5000m and 10,000m flat races since the Olympics. 

Now healthy and with a full base of winter training under her belt, Hills is returning to her preferred event. 

“I was never meant to leave the steeplechase,” Hills said. “I haven’t raced it since the Olympics, which is a bit absurd. I just had a string of little injuries and with major championships coming up, I didn’t quite have the time to rehab for the steeple.

“I intended to run the steeple on the Gold Coast, but the little niggles meant the 10,000m and 5000m were what happened there.

“I’ve been lucky I have that extended repertoire, it meant I could still get to championships in other races, but steeple is where we see my strength being. It’s now just about balancing different demands of intensity of training.”

With the 2020 Olympics now less than two years away, Hills knew she had to make the move now to ensure she has enough time to prepare for Tokyo. After finishing seventh in Rio, she is hopeful of improving on that result.

“It’s been over two years since I ran a steeple, so I have realistic ambitions of just getting to the start-line, running that first one and building from there.

“There’s nothing to say I can’t do what I was able to do before, if not better, it’s just putting the months together to allow me to do that.

“World Championships in Doha are quite late, which allows me a bit more time, which I’m grateful for, I really just have that plan of getting to Doha in the best nick I can. One finish line is in September, then I’ll build towards Tokyo.”

The start of the Australian summer of athletics comes after an eventful year for the 31-year-old. She had a brief, but successful, trip to Europe and took out the Australian Cross Country Championships in August.

It was at the Commonwealth Games where she made headlines, however. Hills was applauded for her sportsmanship after waiting alongside Australian teammates Eloise Wellings and Celia Sullohern, for the final athlete in the 10,000m to cross the finish line.

The trio’s sportsmanship was recognised last Thursday when they received the Sport Australia Award at the AIS Sports Performance Awards Ceremony.  

“It’s taken me a while to process impact it’s had. Around the Commonwealth Games time, I was disappointed with my performance, but pleased with the response the moment generated.

“In the last six months, I’ve been able to see the impact it’s had. I look at the photo and realise what a special moment it was, I’m grateful to be a part of it.”