Life is all about small steps for Nagmeldin Peter Bol. Six months ago, the Australian middle-distance running great and his partner Mahtut Yaynu welcomed their daughter, Reyna, into the world. For Bol — a three-time Olympian — it's given him a perspective on life he couldn't have anticipated. "It's been really special … it's been so beautiful in a way that you're just so focused and so structured, you also lose so much sleep at the same time, but you're able to perform so much better," Bol said. "I thought I was (already) pretty focused, but there's always a little bit more that you can be focused on. Recovery is a little bit better right now, even though you sleep less. "But the most precious thing is getting back home to your baby girl and to your family. "So I'm spending a lot of time at home, and I'm refreshed and [have a] new perspective of life and everything. So, it's been great." Peter's pursuit of happiness Less than four years ago, Bol was on the tip of every tongue in Australian households, glued to their screens while watching the Tokyo Olympics. Now the 800m specialist says he's in the best space mentally to prepare for this season's goals, including a podium placing at the World Athletics Championships in Japan. But the first step Bol sets his focus on is to maintain his wellbeing off the track. After a tough two years plagued by injuries and being exonerated from a case submitted by the World Anti-Doping Agency, he explained his mindset heading into the 2025 season. "I'm blessed to be in the state that I am now and quite happy mentally … I'm proud to say that I'm doing pretty well at the moment," Bol said. "I believe a happy athlete is a performing athlete, and if I'm away from my family, I'm not happy. "Family has always been one of my biggest values and now I've added my own family, so that's pretty powerful." Bol is learning lessons as a young father have come quickly. Extending a branch on the family tree is a completely different experience and something he has been able to relate to his upbringing as his parents made many sacrifices on their move between continents. "Your gratitude for your partner is off the roof. You realise what they go through and how much they mean to you," Bol said. "And to also your parents. You're like, 'Wow, like they've done this for so many years and then they've done it moving places to places'. "It's been a really positive experience, and I wish I had it earlier." While the life of an athlete can be uniquely demanding with international travel and living away from home, Bol plans to return to Australia between events, rather than base himself overseas for months on end. "If I'm not performing, there's no point. So, it's just (about) being at home and finding my place," he said. "She (Reyna) gets to watch some of my races. My partner sends me videos of her watching and she's kind of recognising you in that. So, it's really cool. "And then it's also scary, right? Because at the Olympic Games, I was pretty calm and I could sense my parents were so stressed and nervous. "And I think as she grows older, she's going to start feeling that and as she starts competing and doing different sports I'm going to start feeling that." Beyond Bol pays it forward Bol's well-earned reputation as someone passionate about helping others in the athletics community has allowed him to recently set up the Beyond Bol Foundation. The organisation aims to give the next generation of young Africans and under-represented communities an opportunity in Australian athletics. "It's quite beautiful, it's quite emotional," he said. He hopes to inspire the next generation of talent from the grassroots level, to a pathway at the top of the sport. Age may be a factor for the 31-year-old by the time a home Olympics in Brisbane comes around in 2032, but it's something he's eyeing as a mentor to younger athletes. "So for me, it's beyond myself, it's beyond the sport. It's the reasons we've travelled so far and moved to be here. "To be able to put on that green and gold and represent your country and your culture, so many people, it's quite beautiful." Peak performance one race at a time After a difficult campaign at the Paris Olympics last year, finishing seventh in his 800m heat, Bol's long-term ambition is to join a rare club of quadruple Olympians at the LA Games in 2028. "Paris was quite disappointing. I had to come home and reflect on that and then re-evaluate and move on to this year," he said. "I just ran my fastest time I've ever ran in around March, which is pretty cool. "My goal is to be a fourth-time Olympian and to win a global medal." With one eye on the present and another on the future, a slate of meets across the country includes next month's national championships in Perth. The next small step for Bol is taking on the track this weekend at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne. "I always said you need to be the best in your country before trying to tackle the world and I'm looking forward to doing that," the former national record holder and national champion said. A key part of his preparation for the event is about "staying in the moment", with the experienced runner taking on a high-class field of athletes at this year's stacked John Landy 1500m. "Australian athletics is in such a special place in so many different ways," he said. "As long as I've been competing, it's probably the best I've seen it." Perhaps the stars are finally aligning this year for Bol, much like the meaning of his first name Nagmeldin in the Arabic language.