Going to the Olympics has been a dream of hurdler Alanah Yukich since she started athletics as a little girl. 

But the moment she was told of her selection wasn't the fairytale she thought it would be. 

"I actually didn't get the phone call that everyone got, I was actually asleep," she laughed from her Texas apartment.

"It was a big relief and it still hasn't fully hit me yet."

The 26-year-old is competing in Paris in just under two weeks and is representing a small but proud regional town in WA.

The race to Paris

Yukich has been based in the US for the past five years, training and studying at the University of Texas in San Antonio – but turned her attention this year to qualifying for the Olympics.

After graduating from college last year and finding a new coach, she set off to do just that.

"We got along so well so quickly and then pretty much planned out the year from there," she said.

"My first goal was the world relays which I was selected for and went to the Bahamas, so that was a little stepping stone in the direction of the Olympics."

Unfortunately the team didn't qualify for the 4x400 metres relay, which Yukich said gave her "more determination" to qualify for herself instead in the 400 metre hurdles.

Within just 16 days, she hit five countries for five different races, with three of those races back-to-back.

"The hectic one was my three races in three days in three different countries. I hit Madrid, then Geneva, and then Poland," she said.

Yukich recorded personal best after personal best across these world-ranking races.

She was able to run sub 56.00 seconds consistently during this last-minute Olympic dash, ultimately leading to her dream becoming a reality.

'Overwhelming' support

Back home in Perth, the support has been flowing in for the young athlete.

"I called my parents pretty much as soon as they were awake in Perth and they were just so relieved as well. We've all been together in this process," she said.

"Until I see them in Paris when they come over to watch me, then I'll really take it in … I haven't been able to give them that big hug yet."

Yukich grew up in Gingin, 67 kilometres north of Perth.  It's a town with a population of just over 6,000 people.

She joked she "did every sport possible to get out of farm work" growing up with her brothers, but it wasn't until she went to high school that her love for athletics grew.

Yukich's mother Ineska and father Philip are making the big trip over to Paris from Perth with their two sons to see their daughter compete.

"I don't know if it's really hit me yet to think our daughter is actually going to the Olympics even though we've booked tickets and we're on the journey," Mrs Yukich said.

"I get emotional … I'm just really happy.

Mr Yukich said he was extremely proud of his daughter.

"Especially looking at all of these photos and bringing up everything in the past that is making it, because we've looked at the whole journey in one little sitting," Mr Yukich said.

Yukich said the support from everyone she's met along her journey has been "overwhelming" since she was allowed to publicly share the news last Monday.

"I had to turn my phone off and my notifications off," she laughed.

"The messages have been so lovely — people from primary school, people from my childhood, my old PE teacher that pushed me and always had faith in me.

"I come from a country background with a community that helped raise me, and to think that now I get to share this experience with them … it's beautiful."

Donning the green and gold

For Yukich right now, it's back to training until her heats in Paris begin in early August.

She's off to compete in a race in Florida this week to keep her in the racing mode before heading to the athlete training camp in the south of France.

But she's most excited to represent regional WA and put on the green and gold.

"I've missed a lot of birthdays, I've missed a lot of weddings, I've missed my friend's pregnancies … you definitely second guess if this sport is something you want to do, having so much sacrifice," Yukich said.

"Anything is possible when you dream that young."