WEBVTT - Resilience in sport: Olympian Alice Williams Part B

0:00:05.921 --> 0:00:13.161
<v Speaker 1>Apogae Production. Hi, my name's beck Woodbine and welcome to

0:00:13.241 --> 0:00:17.401
<v Speaker 1>Tenderness for Nurses. I'm grateful for the person that I

0:00:17.801 --> 0:00:19.241
<v Speaker 1>have the opportunity to be.

0:00:19.961 --> 0:00:23.480
<v Speaker 2>So I hit it and parked it for Nelly four years.

0:00:24.121 --> 0:00:26.361
<v Speaker 2>We always have free will, We always get to choose.

0:00:26.481 --> 0:00:30.041
<v Speaker 1>We are autonomous. Hi everyone, thank you for tuning back

0:00:30.081 --> 0:00:35.601
<v Speaker 1>into Tenderness for Nurses. Today we have the wonderful Alice Williams,

0:00:35.641 --> 0:00:38.241
<v Speaker 1>who I've known for many many years as she played

0:00:38.241 --> 0:00:41.400
<v Speaker 1>water polo with my daughter Chloe here in Australia and

0:00:41.441 --> 0:00:44.201
<v Speaker 1>she was part of the Australian team that won silver

0:00:44.321 --> 0:00:47.681
<v Speaker 1>at the Olympics in the water pollo, of which I

0:00:47.801 --> 0:00:52.281
<v Speaker 1>watched every game. Thank you for coming in. I'm so

0:00:52.321 --> 0:00:54.240
<v Speaker 1>excited to talk to you. And we just saw the

0:00:54.281 --> 0:00:56.281
<v Speaker 1>silver medal, which I just want to say, you need

0:00:56.321 --> 0:01:01.441
<v Speaker 1>a crane to lift. It's remarkable. But congratulations. How are

0:01:01.441 --> 0:01:01.921
<v Speaker 1>you feeling.

0:01:02.121 --> 0:01:05.840
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for having me. I'm really excited. I'm good. Good, Yeah,

0:01:05.881 --> 0:01:09.921
<v Speaker 2>I'm feeling pretty good today today. Yeah it is. I

0:01:09.961 --> 0:01:13.601
<v Speaker 2>will say it's definitely a rollercoaster. They're really high highs

0:01:13.640 --> 0:01:17.161
<v Speaker 2>and low lows I think coming out of the Olympics.

0:01:18.761 --> 0:01:21.840
<v Speaker 2>So yeah, it's just taking it day by day for me, really.

0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:25.000
<v Speaker 1>Give us a little bit of an idea of the

0:01:25.121 --> 0:01:28.841
<v Speaker 1>lead up to the Olympics and what you had to

0:01:28.881 --> 0:01:31.200
<v Speaker 1>go through to get that silver medal.

0:01:31.920 --> 0:01:34.761
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I guess like something that always comes up for

0:01:34.881 --> 0:01:38.481
<v Speaker 2>me is people chatting and saying how amazing the Olympics was.

0:01:38.521 --> 0:01:41.121
<v Speaker 2>And my response is kind of like, you see two

0:01:41.161 --> 0:01:44.961
<v Speaker 2>weeks whereas I've trained for eight years to get to

0:01:45.000 --> 0:01:47.761
<v Speaker 2>that point, Like I missed out on Tokyo, so deciding

0:01:47.801 --> 0:01:51.761
<v Speaker 2>to go again was tough. And this year particularly, we

0:01:52.321 --> 0:01:55.201
<v Speaker 2>as a team, as a big squad lived together for

0:01:55.241 --> 0:01:59.241
<v Speaker 2>eight months before the Olympics, and that was grueling, Like,

0:01:59.321 --> 0:02:00.321
<v Speaker 2>it was really tough.

0:02:00.641 --> 0:02:04.081
<v Speaker 1>The that inb.

0:02:03.161 --> 0:02:05.401
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, we were in Canberra for a fair beer, but

0:02:05.521 --> 0:02:07.961
<v Speaker 2>we kind of moved around Sydney, Brisbane. We were in

0:02:08.001 --> 0:02:12.881
<v Speaker 2>America for a bit too. Yeah, And that's like, I'm

0:02:12.961 --> 0:02:15.761
<v Speaker 2>lucky that I'm in such an amazing team and squad

0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:19.921
<v Speaker 2>that really love and support each other. But you know

0:02:20.001 --> 0:02:21.520
<v Speaker 2>that at the end of the day, there are only

0:02:21.561 --> 0:02:24.120
<v Speaker 2>thirteen spots and you're all trying really hard to get there.

0:02:25.361 --> 0:02:27.481
<v Speaker 1>So what happened with Tokyo? Did you have an injury?

0:02:28.161 --> 0:02:34.281
<v Speaker 2>No? So Tokyo was difficult. The kind of short of

0:02:34.321 --> 0:02:38.481
<v Speaker 2>the long is in that cycle, I was in every

0:02:38.520 --> 0:02:41.441
<v Speaker 2>team in the first two years of the four year cycle,

0:02:41.520 --> 0:02:46.001
<v Speaker 2>and then the coaches switched and the new coach didn't

0:02:46.081 --> 0:02:49.240
<v Speaker 2>particularly like me, so he dropped me a few years out,

0:02:50.001 --> 0:02:54.481
<v Speaker 2>and then when COVID happened, he reintegrated me into the squad,

0:02:55.921 --> 0:02:59.241
<v Speaker 2>and then I was one of the final few that

0:02:59.281 --> 0:03:01.281
<v Speaker 2>were de selected before Tokyo.

0:03:01.561 --> 0:03:05.921
<v Speaker 1>I can't even comprehend what that must be like. But

0:03:06.001 --> 0:03:08.481
<v Speaker 1>how do you move on from that and then get

0:03:08.520 --> 0:03:09.240
<v Speaker 1>back in the pool.

0:03:09.561 --> 0:03:14.121
<v Speaker 2>It was so tough. I the reasoning behind why I

0:03:14.201 --> 0:03:17.241
<v Speaker 2>was dropped as well for me, like is it felt

0:03:17.721 --> 0:03:22.561
<v Speaker 2>like it was nepotism in my opinion, and so it

0:03:22.601 --> 0:03:26.201
<v Speaker 2>was political. It may have been more of my skill,

0:03:26.921 --> 0:03:32.721
<v Speaker 2>but the general consensus from me and the people around

0:03:32.761 --> 0:03:37.321
<v Speaker 2>me was that it just wasn't okay. And so I

0:03:37.401 --> 0:03:42.321
<v Speaker 2>took a couple of weeks off and I slowly started

0:03:42.321 --> 0:03:44.361
<v Speaker 2>getting back into things, but I just didn't feel right.

0:03:45.001 --> 0:03:48.001
<v Speaker 2>And I actually had a really close mentor at the

0:03:48.041 --> 0:03:51.601
<v Speaker 2>time that pulled me aside and said, look, what's going

0:03:51.641 --> 0:03:54.481
<v Speaker 2>on like that, I know how difficult that is. She'd

0:03:54.521 --> 0:03:57.681
<v Speaker 2>been through it, and I was like, yeah, I just

0:03:57.681 --> 0:03:59.921
<v Speaker 2>don't know if I want to go on with this,

0:04:00.121 --> 0:04:02.081
<v Speaker 2>Like what if I do this again for four years

0:04:02.121 --> 0:04:04.721
<v Speaker 2>and put myself through everything that I did and I

0:04:04.761 --> 0:04:08.601
<v Speaker 2>get this same outcome. And it was kind of a

0:04:08.601 --> 0:04:11.281
<v Speaker 2>decision that I really had to put a lot of

0:04:11.361 --> 0:04:13.801
<v Speaker 2>thought into. But at the end of the day, I

0:04:13.841 --> 0:04:17.481
<v Speaker 2>had such amazing people around me, like such amazing coaches

0:04:17.481 --> 0:04:20.801
<v Speaker 2>that took me under their wing while I was really struggling,

0:04:21.401 --> 0:04:23.281
<v Speaker 2>and they're the ones that kept me through it. Like

0:04:23.320 --> 0:04:25.640
<v Speaker 2>I'm really lucky because I don't think I would have

0:04:25.681 --> 0:04:26.640
<v Speaker 2>continued without them.

0:04:27.001 --> 0:04:31.601
<v Speaker 1>It's an interesting thing how one or two people can

0:04:32.161 --> 0:04:37.200
<v Speaker 1>make or break a career in sport. Did you during

0:04:37.241 --> 0:04:41.881
<v Speaker 1>that time see a sports psychologist to help you navigate

0:04:41.921 --> 0:04:45.681
<v Speaker 1>your emotions to get in the right headspace move forward.

0:04:46.001 --> 0:04:50.001
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, definitely. I have a few sights, like we have

0:04:50.041 --> 0:04:53.601
<v Speaker 2>our team site and then where I train is the

0:04:53.721 --> 0:04:56.760
<v Speaker 2>Queensland Academy of Sports. I have a psychologist there. But

0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:00.520
<v Speaker 2>I also, when I was about twenty one, just realized

0:05:00.561 --> 0:05:03.841
<v Speaker 2>that I had more going on mentally than what sport

0:05:04.081 --> 0:05:07.761
<v Speaker 2>was presenting. Like I had a few like family related things,

0:05:08.721 --> 0:05:11.681
<v Speaker 2>and so I actually started seeing a family psychologist just

0:05:11.721 --> 0:05:15.001
<v Speaker 2>on my own, and that's who really helped me through

0:05:15.041 --> 0:05:18.840
<v Speaker 2>that time, because sometimes I find with sports sykes they're

0:05:18.880 --> 0:05:23.640
<v Speaker 2>really outcome oriented and the new solution, whereas with my

0:05:23.801 --> 0:05:29.121
<v Speaker 2>family psych she is like very nurturing. She's like, I'm

0:05:29.121 --> 0:05:32.081
<v Speaker 2>so sorry that you're going through this. That must be

0:05:32.121 --> 0:05:34.241
<v Speaker 2>really tough, and she'll just let me sit with it,

0:05:34.921 --> 0:05:37.241
<v Speaker 2>which is I think what I needed, Like, I didn't

0:05:37.241 --> 0:05:40.161
<v Speaker 2>really want someone to kind of come and keep me

0:05:40.241 --> 0:05:42.640
<v Speaker 2>up the bum and say, you know you've got this,

0:05:42.841 --> 0:05:46.441
<v Speaker 2>you can keep going. I needed someone to say, that's

0:05:46.561 --> 0:05:48.081
<v Speaker 2>really tough and I'm so sorry.

0:05:48.921 --> 0:05:51.001
<v Speaker 1>I think we do all need to hear it. Yeah,

0:05:51.041 --> 0:05:51.601
<v Speaker 1>wouldn't we.

0:05:53.281 --> 0:05:57.080
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it just kind of wasn't at the time. This

0:05:57.241 --> 0:05:59.521
<v Speaker 2>was what four years ago now. At the time, it

0:05:59.601 --> 0:06:02.280
<v Speaker 2>just wasn't really what the sykes in sport were doing.

0:06:03.041 --> 0:06:06.521
<v Speaker 2>They were trying to be like, these are your goals,

0:06:06.561 --> 0:06:09.161
<v Speaker 2>these what we need to hit to get there, and

0:06:09.401 --> 0:06:12.241
<v Speaker 2>that wasn't working for me. Now it's different. We have

0:06:12.281 --> 0:06:16.041
<v Speaker 2>different psychs around our team and they're phenomenal, truly phenomenal,

0:06:17.561 --> 0:06:17.881
<v Speaker 2>But I.

0:06:17.801 --> 0:06:22.721
<v Speaker 1>Think psychs are a very personal thing and you're not

0:06:22.761 --> 0:06:28.121
<v Speaker 1>going to fit with all of them. Anyway, you know

0:06:28.401 --> 0:06:30.241
<v Speaker 1>a lot of people go through quite a few before

0:06:30.241 --> 0:06:34.440
<v Speaker 1>they find the right one. And do you think it's

0:06:34.521 --> 0:06:38.561
<v Speaker 1>necessary to have a sporting psychologist as well as a

0:06:38.601 --> 0:06:42.041
<v Speaker 1>family psychologist or could have you melded the two and

0:06:42.081 --> 0:06:43.641
<v Speaker 1>just seen the family psychologist.

0:06:43.961 --> 0:06:47.361
<v Speaker 2>I think there are moments even my family psych says

0:06:47.401 --> 0:06:49.561
<v Speaker 2>that she's like, I have no sporting background, I don't

0:06:49.641 --> 0:06:54.001
<v Speaker 2>understand what you're going through. So she's really emotionally supportive

0:06:54.041 --> 0:06:57.561
<v Speaker 2>and kind of keeps me grounded in that sense. But

0:06:57.641 --> 0:07:00.280
<v Speaker 2>I do think a sports psych has been very important,

0:07:00.361 --> 0:07:05.361
<v Speaker 2>especially this year for me, because they travel with us well,

0:07:05.961 --> 0:07:08.520
<v Speaker 2>so that on the ground they see everything that happens,

0:07:08.961 --> 0:07:14.241
<v Speaker 2>and they relay things like between like what the athletes

0:07:14.241 --> 0:07:17.041
<v Speaker 2>are saying. If it's like a general consensus from the athletes,

0:07:17.521 --> 0:07:20.681
<v Speaker 2>they can then be like talking to the powers that

0:07:20.761 --> 0:07:23.481
<v Speaker 2>be about what we may need and that kind of stuff.

0:07:23.561 --> 0:07:28.281
<v Speaker 2>So I think they are pretty important, yeah, because they're

0:07:28.281 --> 0:07:30.961
<v Speaker 2>just always around. They just they see everything go through.

0:07:32.281 --> 0:07:34.840
<v Speaker 1>When you, guys, when you made the team, and obviously

0:07:34.881 --> 0:07:39.681
<v Speaker 1>everyone wants to go in and win gold, did you

0:07:39.841 --> 0:07:44.600
<v Speaker 1>think you'd be in the top four in all honesty? Yeah,

0:07:45.161 --> 0:07:48.361
<v Speaker 1>considering where a strain water polo had come from.

0:07:50.041 --> 0:07:54.081
<v Speaker 2>I think I hoped, like I really hoped, but we

0:07:54.121 --> 0:07:57.921
<v Speaker 2>went in as sixth seed, and I was definitely aware

0:07:57.961 --> 0:08:02.361
<v Speaker 2>of that. We went on a tour to America in

0:08:02.401 --> 0:08:06.921
<v Speaker 2>April of this year and we got logged like seventeen

0:08:06.961 --> 0:08:11.441
<v Speaker 2>to nine in those games, and that was really it

0:08:11.481 --> 0:08:13.921
<v Speaker 2>was a bit demoralizing, to be honest. We've just done

0:08:13.921 --> 0:08:17.001
<v Speaker 2>all this hard work in Australia on our fitness and

0:08:17.041 --> 0:08:21.641
<v Speaker 2>our mental mindsets, and then we went over there and

0:08:21.641 --> 0:08:26.081
<v Speaker 2>we got flogged. And so there were definitely moments when

0:08:26.081 --> 0:08:27.921
<v Speaker 2>we were away that we were all kind of like,

0:08:28.001 --> 0:08:30.721
<v Speaker 2>oh God, I don't know. But that's where our sports

0:08:30.721 --> 0:08:33.921
<v Speaker 2>site came in. And our coach is phenomenal with that

0:08:33.961 --> 0:08:36.961
<v Speaker 2>as well. She really welcomes our sports siche and all

0:08:37.041 --> 0:08:40.081
<v Speaker 2>the feedback that she gives. And we were game by game,

0:08:40.121 --> 0:08:43.081
<v Speaker 2>minute by minute, like we never looked ahead. Even when

0:08:43.081 --> 0:08:46.321
<v Speaker 2>we were in the pre tournament to the Olympics, we

0:08:46.321 --> 0:08:48.521
<v Speaker 2>weren't thinking about the Olympics. We were just like, okay,

0:08:48.801 --> 0:08:52.001
<v Speaker 2>game one, what are we doing game two? And then

0:08:52.041 --> 0:08:53.441
<v Speaker 2>we just rolled through it like that.

0:08:54.001 --> 0:08:57.081
<v Speaker 1>So was that from Beck or Beck in the Sykes

0:08:57.361 --> 0:08:59.401
<v Speaker 1>or the team made that decision?

0:08:59.921 --> 0:09:03.321
<v Speaker 2>I think it's like a combination because Beck was really

0:09:03.801 --> 0:09:06.241
<v Speaker 2>open to hearing what we need needed as players, and

0:09:06.601 --> 0:09:09.361
<v Speaker 2>we've only had male coaches before, so that was never

0:09:09.521 --> 0:09:10.481
<v Speaker 2>Really she.

0:09:10.641 --> 0:09:14.881
<v Speaker 1>Was wonderful to watch on TV. How calm she was.

0:09:15.121 --> 0:09:22.121
<v Speaker 1>It was palatable and it's interesting. I was speaking to

0:09:23.281 --> 0:09:26.361
<v Speaker 1>a very good friend who you would know her daughter

0:09:26.521 --> 0:09:29.961
<v Speaker 1>was reffing a couple of weekends ago and was abused

0:09:30.001 --> 0:09:34.201
<v Speaker 1>by D three coach very badly. But what was interesting

0:09:34.561 --> 0:09:41.641
<v Speaker 1>was the kids were starting to muck up as well.

0:09:41.801 --> 0:09:45.241
<v Speaker 1>And I think if you've got this high stressed, I

0:09:45.281 --> 0:09:46.961
<v Speaker 1>think the players feed off.

0:09:48.321 --> 0:09:51.561
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, one hundred percent. They were. Every game at the

0:09:51.601 --> 0:09:55.441
<v Speaker 2>Olympics was stressful because it's the Olympics and anything can

0:09:55.481 --> 0:10:00.921
<v Speaker 2>happen and everyone knows that, and especially in the first game,

0:10:00.921 --> 0:10:03.641
<v Speaker 2>because it was my first Olympics. We played China and

0:10:03.681 --> 0:10:07.241
<v Speaker 2>we'd beaten them eighteen three or something like a month earlier,

0:10:07.881 --> 0:10:09.801
<v Speaker 2>but still going into the game, I was like so

0:10:09.881 --> 0:10:13.161
<v Speaker 2>nervous I was. I couldn't really breathe properly. I was crying.

0:10:13.281 --> 0:10:15.361
<v Speaker 2>I was like, oh my god, yeah, because I was like,

0:10:15.401 --> 0:10:18.321
<v Speaker 2>this is everything I've dreamed of. My parents are sitting

0:10:18.361 --> 0:10:22.281
<v Speaker 2>behind me, I'm singing the national anthem, and it all

0:10:22.321 --> 0:10:25.041
<v Speaker 2>feels so different, and then you get in the water

0:10:25.121 --> 0:10:27.481
<v Speaker 2>and I was still really frazzled, but I'd look at

0:10:27.521 --> 0:10:30.041
<v Speaker 2>the bench and Beck would just give me a thumbs

0:10:30.081 --> 0:10:34.041
<v Speaker 2>up like no, like so unfazed by the whole thing.

0:10:34.761 --> 0:10:37.681
<v Speaker 1>And because she's already done two Olympics herself.

0:10:37.601 --> 0:10:40.201
<v Speaker 2>Probably and been an assisting coach, well, she's just she's

0:10:40.361 --> 0:10:44.121
<v Speaker 2>she gets it. And it was really important in those

0:10:44.121 --> 0:10:48.441
<v Speaker 2>moments because of all of our team, only two had

0:10:48.441 --> 0:10:51.241
<v Speaker 2>ever played an Olympics in front of the crowd, and

0:10:51.321 --> 0:10:55.881
<v Speaker 2>so everyone was a little bit overwhelmed and frazzled, and

0:10:56.801 --> 0:11:00.081
<v Speaker 2>Beck was so calm the entire Olympics.

0:11:00.201 --> 0:11:03.281
<v Speaker 1>It never waved, so each game you felt the same

0:11:03.321 --> 0:11:04.081
<v Speaker 1>hopping in the water.

0:11:04.681 --> 0:11:07.561
<v Speaker 2>No, I think the first game was the worst by far,

0:11:08.001 --> 0:11:11.361
<v Speaker 2>because also our team had had an outbreak of COVID

0:11:11.721 --> 0:11:14.401
<v Speaker 2>right before, and I was one of the athletes that

0:11:14.481 --> 0:11:16.801
<v Speaker 2>had it, so I was just nervous about how I'd

0:11:16.881 --> 0:11:21.361
<v Speaker 2>feel as well, like there were so many things at play,

0:11:22.241 --> 0:11:27.401
<v Speaker 2>and so that was my worst game for sure, And

0:11:27.441 --> 0:11:31.121
<v Speaker 2>then it gradually I kind of eased into it. I

0:11:31.121 --> 0:11:35.521
<v Speaker 2>would say, there a moment so that I was more

0:11:35.561 --> 0:11:38.321
<v Speaker 2>stressed than others, like the Hungry Game. That was our

0:11:38.401 --> 0:11:42.161
<v Speaker 2>last round game, and if we didn't win or draw,

0:11:42.561 --> 0:11:44.801
<v Speaker 2>we would have come third in our pool and the

0:11:44.841 --> 0:11:47.961
<v Speaker 2>crossover would have been completely different. Absolutely, So I think

0:11:47.961 --> 0:11:51.201
<v Speaker 2>it was the first game, the Hungry Game, and then

0:11:51.241 --> 0:11:54.321
<v Speaker 2>the quarterfinal. Other than that, I was like, Jesus, take

0:11:54.321 --> 0:11:56.561
<v Speaker 2>the wheel, like we've done it. We're in the top four,

0:11:57.321 --> 0:12:01.481
<v Speaker 2>and then it's like we just have to play now.

0:12:01.521 --> 0:12:04.561
<v Speaker 1>Did everyone on the team have the top of nerves

0:12:04.601 --> 0:12:04.921
<v Speaker 1>you did?

0:12:05.961 --> 0:12:08.801
<v Speaker 2>No, Some people were, Some people were way more calm,

0:12:09.001 --> 0:12:11.761
<v Speaker 2>some people don't feel nerves like. Everyone has their own

0:12:11.881 --> 0:12:16.481
<v Speaker 2>kind of things in way of coping, which we love

0:12:16.641 --> 0:12:20.521
<v Speaker 2>as well, because for me, before a game, I'm very

0:12:21.561 --> 0:12:23.841
<v Speaker 2>I'm far away from the group with them in the

0:12:23.881 --> 0:12:26.721
<v Speaker 2>same area, but I'll be on my own facing a wall.

0:12:27.041 --> 0:12:30.681
<v Speaker 2>Because some people need the high energy to like stuck

0:12:30.761 --> 0:12:35.721
<v Speaker 2>themselves up, whereas I need absolute calm. Like if I

0:12:35.761 --> 0:12:37.881
<v Speaker 2>feed off that energy too early, then by the time

0:12:37.881 --> 0:12:40.041
<v Speaker 2>a game comes around, I feel so depleted.

0:12:40.401 --> 0:12:44.041
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, okay, energy is so powerful. Oh yeah, So I

0:12:44.081 --> 0:12:48.721
<v Speaker 1>believe Jonathan Brown from The Lions. They used to have

0:12:48.721 --> 0:12:51.921
<v Speaker 1>to stop him listening to ACDC deca before a game.

0:12:51.961 --> 0:12:56.001
<v Speaker 1>Because he'd come out firing so badly he'd go out swinging.

0:12:56.481 --> 0:12:59.681
<v Speaker 1>So you know, it definitely does impact you prior to

0:12:59.721 --> 0:13:02.481
<v Speaker 1>a game, your routine without a doubt.

0:13:02.721 --> 0:13:04.761
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, one hundred percent. And we're not just there when

0:13:04.761 --> 0:13:07.601
<v Speaker 2>the game starts. In the game's an hour. We get

0:13:07.641 --> 0:13:10.761
<v Speaker 2>there like an hour and a half before to make

0:13:10.801 --> 0:13:13.361
<v Speaker 2>sure we're they're in time and can get ourselves sorted,

0:13:13.441 --> 0:13:16.401
<v Speaker 2>do our land warm up in pool, warm up our lineup,

0:13:16.561 --> 0:13:18.801
<v Speaker 2>and then we get in the pool. So it's just

0:13:18.841 --> 0:13:22.001
<v Speaker 2>such a long period of time that you're mentally and

0:13:22.041 --> 0:13:23.041
<v Speaker 2>physically preparing.

0:13:23.441 --> 0:13:25.161
<v Speaker 1>You must be exhausted after a game.

0:13:25.521 --> 0:13:29.881
<v Speaker 2>It is like something else, especially the Olympics, because it

0:13:29.921 --> 0:13:32.801
<v Speaker 2>was so emotional after a game. I'd sit and stare

0:13:32.801 --> 0:13:35.321
<v Speaker 2>at a wall. I was like, what what just happened?

0:13:35.801 --> 0:13:38.961
<v Speaker 1>Like, So, how did you look after yourself with your

0:13:39.001 --> 0:13:43.121
<v Speaker 1>recovery after each game? I'm assuming really good diet. You're

0:13:43.121 --> 0:13:45.641
<v Speaker 1>careful who you spend time with. You know you'd go

0:13:45.721 --> 0:13:48.881
<v Speaker 1>to your people. Did you spend time with family?

0:13:49.521 --> 0:13:53.441
<v Speaker 2>We limited that very limited. We were able to see

0:13:53.481 --> 0:13:56.481
<v Speaker 2>them directly after a game. If we were quick at

0:13:56.521 --> 0:13:58.601
<v Speaker 2>getting changed and can make the bus, we'd see them

0:13:58.601 --> 0:14:01.721
<v Speaker 2>for maybe ten minutes. Other than that, I think we

0:14:01.721 --> 0:14:06.081
<v Speaker 2>were allowed to go and see them twice within the

0:14:06.121 --> 0:14:10.721
<v Speaker 2>whole three weeks that we were at the Olympics, And honestly,

0:14:10.761 --> 0:14:12.801
<v Speaker 2>I did go and see them, but it made me

0:14:12.841 --> 0:14:15.521
<v Speaker 2>feel worse. I had to go back, like I had

0:14:15.561 --> 0:14:17.401
<v Speaker 2>to cut it short and go back to the village

0:14:17.481 --> 0:14:20.201
<v Speaker 2>because it made me feel so anxious being away from

0:14:20.241 --> 0:14:25.161
<v Speaker 2>my teammates. And they were asking questions and they were

0:14:25.201 --> 0:14:27.041
<v Speaker 2>just it was like how are you? But I was like,

0:14:27.081 --> 0:14:28.921
<v Speaker 2>I can't get into that, Like I can't get into

0:14:28.921 --> 0:14:31.841
<v Speaker 2>how I am because It'll just open a can of worms.

0:14:31.841 --> 0:14:33.841
<v Speaker 2>And I've got to stay focused, Like I've got to

0:14:33.841 --> 0:14:35.041
<v Speaker 2>stay in the zone.

0:14:35.241 --> 0:14:38.521
<v Speaker 1>You got to shuttle the other stuff out with that later, yeah,

0:14:38.561 --> 0:14:40.561
<v Speaker 1>and just stay focused. Is that pretty much how its

0:14:40.601 --> 0:14:41.041
<v Speaker 1>one hundred?

0:14:41.641 --> 0:14:44.041
<v Speaker 2>Yeah? Yeah? And there was a lot of outside stuff,

0:14:44.121 --> 0:14:48.441
<v Speaker 2>especially when the COVID outbreak happened. There were messages and

0:14:48.601 --> 0:14:53.401
<v Speaker 2>media and everything asking about it and like even Instagram,

0:14:53.441 --> 0:14:56.281
<v Speaker 2>like it just blew up for all of us because

0:14:57.201 --> 0:15:01.401
<v Speaker 2>we were successful as like every game, like we were winning,

0:15:01.641 --> 0:15:04.441
<v Speaker 2>and so people were gravitating towards our team and you

0:15:04.561 --> 0:15:07.361
<v Speaker 2>really had to block it out to stay sent.

0:15:07.321 --> 0:15:08.801
<v Speaker 1>To a message saying we're so proud, are you?

0:15:08.881 --> 0:15:10.401
<v Speaker 2>Oh? No, I love it because I saw it weeks

0:15:10.441 --> 0:15:13.201
<v Speaker 2>after and like it makes me cry, Like it was

0:15:13.281 --> 0:15:15.081
<v Speaker 2>so lovely and it was the best feeling.

0:15:15.081 --> 0:15:16.761
<v Speaker 1>But in the moment too much.

0:15:16.841 --> 0:15:18.521
<v Speaker 2>I knew that if I looked at them, I would

0:15:18.521 --> 0:15:20.641
<v Speaker 2>get emotional and I can't expend that energy.

0:15:20.841 --> 0:15:24.321
<v Speaker 1>Wow, there's so much to think about. Yeah, so you've

0:15:24.321 --> 0:15:27.241
<v Speaker 1>come back, and did you fall in a heap? Did

0:15:27.281 --> 0:15:30.561
<v Speaker 1>you get sick, did you have a meltdown? Did you

0:15:30.601 --> 0:15:32.161
<v Speaker 1>feel flat depressed?

0:15:32.601 --> 0:15:36.881
<v Speaker 2>Yes, So we went out partying, obviously the night that

0:15:36.921 --> 0:15:39.961
<v Speaker 2>we won the medal, and then the other the following

0:15:40.041 --> 0:15:42.281
<v Speaker 2>night we had the closing ceremony, and then I went

0:15:42.321 --> 0:15:45.081
<v Speaker 2>on holidays with my family the next morning to Italy,

0:15:45.881 --> 0:15:48.281
<v Speaker 2>and as soon as I got to the airport it

0:15:48.361 --> 0:15:50.841
<v Speaker 2>was maybe ten am, and I saw them. I just

0:15:50.881 --> 0:15:53.561
<v Speaker 2>started bawling my eyes out because I was like, I

0:15:53.601 --> 0:15:58.201
<v Speaker 2>am so drained, I'm so tired. And we knew that

0:15:58.201 --> 0:16:00.401
<v Speaker 2>that was going to come at some point, Like we'd

0:16:00.401 --> 0:16:03.481
<v Speaker 2>all been told that the post Olympic blues are truly

0:16:03.521 --> 0:16:05.961
<v Speaker 2>a thing. So when that happened, I was like, Oh,

0:16:06.081 --> 0:16:09.721
<v Speaker 2>this is it, this must be them. But the worst

0:16:09.721 --> 0:16:12.841
<v Speaker 2>of It came when I arrived back in Australia after

0:16:12.881 --> 0:16:16.681
<v Speaker 2>being on holidays for a month in Europe, and i'd

0:16:16.721 --> 0:16:19.521
<v Speaker 2>come home. I'd spent a couple of weeks at home

0:16:19.601 --> 0:16:22.041
<v Speaker 2>and it was still really busy because people wanted to

0:16:22.081 --> 0:16:25.081
<v Speaker 2>see me and see the metal and events. So it

0:16:25.161 --> 0:16:27.561
<v Speaker 2>was around two weeks after I got home and everything

0:16:27.641 --> 0:16:29.721
<v Speaker 2>started to settle and I was alone with my thoughts

0:16:29.721 --> 0:16:34.881
<v Speaker 2>for a bit that I was, yeah, really down and

0:16:35.121 --> 0:16:38.481
<v Speaker 2>flat and sad. I'd be crying for reasons that I

0:16:38.521 --> 0:16:41.721
<v Speaker 2>couldn't articulate why. It would just hit me like a wave.

0:16:42.761 --> 0:16:46.881
<v Speaker 2>And I've spoken to my psych about it and she

0:16:46.961 --> 0:16:49.321
<v Speaker 2>was like, it's kind you're in kind of a form

0:16:49.361 --> 0:16:53.921
<v Speaker 2>of PTSD, because it's nothing like you went in there

0:16:53.921 --> 0:16:56.881
<v Speaker 2>and you were going to potentially die, but you went

0:16:56.921 --> 0:17:00.521
<v Speaker 2>into an Olympic gold medal game and you lost, and

0:17:00.561 --> 0:17:04.481
<v Speaker 2>it's so hard to even get there, and I won't

0:17:04.521 --> 0:17:06.680
<v Speaker 2>know if I'll ever make another Olympics or in another

0:17:07.161 --> 0:17:11.001
<v Speaker 2>gold medal game for that matter. So sitting with it

0:17:11.921 --> 0:17:15.840
<v Speaker 2>and realizing that you were so close to your dream,

0:17:15.880 --> 0:17:19.640
<v Speaker 2>you're halfway through the last hoop and you got pulled back,

0:17:20.400 --> 0:17:23.241
<v Speaker 2>and it's hard to grapple with.

0:17:23.600 --> 0:17:27.801
<v Speaker 1>So that really upsets you that you didn't win gold,

0:17:29.080 --> 0:17:32.880
<v Speaker 1>and everyone feels the same way. So it's like a

0:17:32.921 --> 0:17:34.200
<v Speaker 1>scab that'll be there forever.

0:17:34.521 --> 0:17:40.160
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, basically, and even seeing my medal, like it takes

0:17:40.201 --> 0:17:44.720
<v Speaker 2>me like a minute to look at it as well,

0:17:45.521 --> 0:17:47.880
<v Speaker 2>because that's a reminder, you know, that I didn't get

0:17:48.080 --> 0:17:53.600
<v Speaker 2>gold and I was so close. And everyone says, like

0:17:53.721 --> 0:17:57.961
<v Speaker 2>people that have been through it, that with time, it

0:17:57.961 --> 0:18:04.481
<v Speaker 2>does heal and you become more aware and accustomed to

0:18:04.521 --> 0:18:08.241
<v Speaker 2>those emotions and they slowly dissipate. But for now, it's

0:18:08.281 --> 0:18:10.960
<v Speaker 2>only been like three and a half months since the

0:18:10.961 --> 0:18:15.920
<v Speaker 2>gold medal game, and you know, sometimes even people say,

0:18:16.880 --> 0:18:19.200
<v Speaker 2>they say, oh, Alice's gold medal, and I'm like, no,

0:18:19.281 --> 0:18:22.480
<v Speaker 2>it's silver, Like I have to remind people that it

0:18:22.521 --> 0:18:25.400
<v Speaker 2>isn't gold. And that's also kind of like a reminder

0:18:25.481 --> 0:18:28.561
<v Speaker 2>assault in the wound too, you know, it's just a

0:18:28.721 --> 0:18:31.440
<v Speaker 2>really you're in the call room. You get ten minutes

0:18:31.481 --> 0:18:34.521
<v Speaker 2>after the gold medal game to get changed. You don't

0:18:34.561 --> 0:18:37.761
<v Speaker 2>need get to see a family, You get changed into

0:18:37.761 --> 0:18:40.281
<v Speaker 2>your podium outfit, and then you're waiting in a call

0:18:40.400 --> 0:18:44.521
<v Speaker 2>room in between the gold medal winning team and the

0:18:44.521 --> 0:18:47.321
<v Speaker 2>bronze medal winning team and they've both won, but we

0:18:47.481 --> 0:18:50.721
<v Speaker 2>just lost to get a silver medal, and people don't

0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:51.440
<v Speaker 2>understand that.

0:18:51.521 --> 0:18:56.401
<v Speaker 1>It's interesting you say that mel Bexist is a good

0:18:56.400 --> 0:19:01.281
<v Speaker 1>friend of mine and I remember her always saying that

0:19:01.880 --> 0:19:04.920
<v Speaker 1>she'd prefer a bronze over silver because they finished on

0:19:04.921 --> 0:19:07.521
<v Speaker 1>a high they won that game. Yeah, it doesn't make

0:19:07.761 --> 0:19:10.720
<v Speaker 1>I mean, I get it, but I don't get it. Yeah,

0:19:10.761 --> 0:19:13.120
<v Speaker 1>if that makes sense. I do get the idea of winning,

0:19:13.120 --> 0:19:16.961
<v Speaker 1>because we all like to win. But it's an interesting concept.

0:19:17.201 --> 0:19:20.561
<v Speaker 1>But you're right, like you were between two winners yet

0:19:20.600 --> 0:19:21.400
<v Speaker 1>you still got silver.

0:19:21.761 --> 0:19:25.880
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it is so weird. And I'd never thought about

0:19:25.880 --> 0:19:30.080
<v Speaker 2>it or heard about it before I had you, No, never,

0:19:30.160 --> 0:19:32.080
<v Speaker 2>No one had ever told me about what it's like

0:19:32.120 --> 0:19:34.240
<v Speaker 2>to get a silver medal. You only hear about the

0:19:34.241 --> 0:19:38.001
<v Speaker 2>gold or the bronze. No Australian women's team has ever

0:19:38.080 --> 0:19:38.441
<v Speaker 2>done it.

0:19:38.561 --> 0:19:40.041
<v Speaker 1>That. We've done gold and we've done bronze.

0:19:40.080 --> 0:19:45.561
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, so it was a really strange situation. You got

0:19:45.561 --> 0:19:47.641
<v Speaker 2>ten minutes to put a smile on your face after

0:19:47.640 --> 0:19:50.201
<v Speaker 2>you've just lost the biggest game of your life, because

0:19:50.241 --> 0:19:52.041
<v Speaker 2>you're going to go on the podium, You're going to

0:19:52.041 --> 0:19:55.400
<v Speaker 2>get your medal and those protos are forever, you know,

0:19:55.441 --> 0:19:57.321
<v Speaker 2>and your families and the crowd of crying because they're

0:19:57.360 --> 0:19:58.241
<v Speaker 2>so proud of you.

0:19:59.160 --> 0:20:01.120
<v Speaker 1>But did you feel flat in that moment?

0:20:01.241 --> 0:20:01.441
<v Speaker 2>Yep?

0:20:01.801 --> 0:20:03.561
<v Speaker 1>Did everybody feel flat in that moment?

0:20:03.840 --> 0:20:06.041
<v Speaker 2>I can't speak for everyone, but I know the girls

0:20:06.041 --> 0:20:06.641
<v Speaker 2>around me did.

0:20:07.400 --> 0:20:12.561
<v Speaker 1>Wow. Yeah, so you really felt like you'd let yourselves down.

0:20:12.801 --> 0:20:16.001
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I was really disappointed. I was gutted. I wasn't proud.

0:20:17.120 --> 0:20:20.960
<v Speaker 2>I was crying in the on call room with Tilly

0:20:21.041 --> 0:20:23.841
<v Speaker 2>Cans because I was like, I don't I don't want

0:20:23.840 --> 0:20:27.920
<v Speaker 2>to do this. Like that was huge for me. That game.

0:20:28.201 --> 0:20:31.240
<v Speaker 2>I you know, it's just emotionally, even thinking about it,

0:20:31.281 --> 0:20:32.840
<v Speaker 2>it is devastating.

0:20:33.921 --> 0:20:37.321
<v Speaker 1>That's so interesting. And yet I looked at you girls

0:20:37.321 --> 0:20:41.601
<v Speaker 1>on the podium and felt such pride in you all.

0:20:41.600 --> 0:20:43.321
<v Speaker 1>And I know quite a few of you that played,

0:20:43.360 --> 0:20:48.080
<v Speaker 1>And I mean, yeah, it sucked that you didn't win

0:20:48.201 --> 0:20:51.680
<v Speaker 1>that game, but I thought of the journey that you've

0:20:51.761 --> 0:20:54.681
<v Speaker 1>all been through to get to that point, and most

0:20:54.681 --> 0:20:57.761
<v Speaker 1>people never even get the chance. Yeah, and I just

0:20:57.761 --> 0:21:01.801
<v Speaker 1>thought how amazing you girls are. It's not funny look

0:21:01.840 --> 0:21:04.401
<v Speaker 1>at things. I suppose differently, but you're the athlete. You're

0:21:04.400 --> 0:21:06.481
<v Speaker 1>the one that was in there, and I do get it.

0:21:06.761 --> 0:21:10.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's perspective. And you know, well, I do go

0:21:10.400 --> 0:21:13.960
<v Speaker 2>and talk at schools and I at functions and whatever,

0:21:14.041 --> 0:21:16.920
<v Speaker 2>and I do talk about this, and I think it

0:21:16.961 --> 0:21:20.880
<v Speaker 2>makes people feel uncomfortable because they just want you to

0:21:20.921 --> 0:21:24.521
<v Speaker 2>be proud of yourself. So they're like, yeah, you lost,

0:21:24.561 --> 0:21:27.680
<v Speaker 2>but oh my god, that's silver. That is incredible, Like

0:21:27.721 --> 0:21:31.001
<v Speaker 2>we are so proud of you. And I'm like, it's amazing,

0:21:31.080 --> 0:21:32.881
<v Speaker 2>Like I want people to feel that, like it's just

0:21:33.600 --> 0:21:36.281
<v Speaker 2>we have like an Australian silver metal, Like it's not

0:21:36.360 --> 0:21:40.041
<v Speaker 2>just mine. I'm representing the country. So you're allowed to

0:21:40.080 --> 0:21:43.161
<v Speaker 2>feel that. But also I'm allowed to feel.

0:21:43.241 --> 0:21:45.441
<v Speaker 1>Oh without a debt, got it. And I think when

0:21:45.441 --> 0:21:48.521
<v Speaker 1>you speak with honesty and from the heart, it does

0:21:48.640 --> 0:21:51.281
<v Speaker 1>make people feel uncomforted. It really does.

0:21:51.441 --> 0:21:53.321
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, oh god yah. And like if someone said that

0:21:53.360 --> 0:21:55.920
<v Speaker 2>to me, I like, if I hadn't seen it, psych

0:21:56.241 --> 0:21:59.521
<v Speaker 2>like for my whole life, I wouldn't notice. Say I'm

0:21:59.561 --> 0:22:02.360
<v Speaker 2>so sorry that you feel that way. I'm here for

0:22:02.400 --> 0:22:06.120
<v Speaker 2>you if you need anything. People say, oh, you know,

0:22:06.441 --> 0:22:09.360
<v Speaker 2>like don't worry about it, like you'll be fine, like

0:22:09.400 --> 0:22:12.761
<v Speaker 2>you're in time. It all you'll understand the gravity of

0:22:12.761 --> 0:22:15.281
<v Speaker 2>what you've done. And I'm like, but even if I don't,

0:22:15.281 --> 0:22:19.321
<v Speaker 2>that's okay. No, it's your journey exactly, Like yeah, so

0:22:19.441 --> 0:22:23.401
<v Speaker 2>it's just funny because yeah it's people see it as

0:22:24.080 --> 0:22:26.001
<v Speaker 2>winning a silver medal, but right now I'm in the

0:22:26.041 --> 0:22:28.561
<v Speaker 2>space I I've lost to get a silver.

0:22:28.321 --> 0:22:32.160
<v Speaker 1>Medal, you lost to gold. Yeah. You have been a

0:22:32.160 --> 0:22:35.721
<v Speaker 1>big advocate around mental health and being very honest with

0:22:35.761 --> 0:22:40.721
<v Speaker 1>mental health in sport. What triggered you to be such

0:22:40.721 --> 0:22:41.881
<v Speaker 1>a strong advocate for it?

0:22:42.521 --> 0:22:45.920
<v Speaker 2>I think going through what I have, I've had so

0:22:46.001 --> 0:22:49.321
<v Speaker 2>many setbacks, like so many. When I got dropped from Tokyo,

0:22:49.481 --> 0:22:52.921
<v Speaker 2>that was one thing, but since then, like health and

0:22:53.600 --> 0:22:56.001
<v Speaker 2>all those types of things have pushed me back to

0:22:56.840 --> 0:23:00.961
<v Speaker 2>And I just felt like when I was growing up,

0:23:01.201 --> 0:23:04.601
<v Speaker 2>there wasn't someone talking about it, so I never had

0:23:04.600 --> 0:23:07.321
<v Speaker 2>someone to to. I felt like it was just me

0:23:07.441 --> 0:23:11.280
<v Speaker 2>experiencing it alone. You know. It was always kind of

0:23:11.321 --> 0:23:13.201
<v Speaker 2>like if you got dropped, it was like we'll get

0:23:13.201 --> 0:23:16.721
<v Speaker 2>back up and train harder. But for me, it's like, no,

0:23:16.801 --> 0:23:19.600
<v Speaker 2>you get drop sit with it. That's really sad. You

0:23:19.681 --> 0:23:23.400
<v Speaker 2>had a goal, mourn it, grieve it, just take a

0:23:23.441 --> 0:23:27.281
<v Speaker 2>minute then you can get back into things. But I

0:23:27.441 --> 0:23:29.480
<v Speaker 2>just had no one to look to when I was younger.

0:23:29.521 --> 0:23:32.281
<v Speaker 2>So now I feel that I can be that person

0:23:32.360 --> 0:23:36.600
<v Speaker 2>for young girls, particularly because we go through it. Women

0:23:36.840 --> 0:23:41.161
<v Speaker 2>go through it way more than men. They don't even

0:23:41.441 --> 0:23:45.281
<v Speaker 2>come close. Like for me. Whenever I see young girls,

0:23:45.321 --> 0:23:48.640
<v Speaker 2>I say, I'm so impressed by you, you know, just

0:23:48.681 --> 0:23:51.680
<v Speaker 2>getting up and doing something today because it's tough, and

0:23:51.721 --> 0:23:53.880
<v Speaker 2>you're so brave because you don't know what a girl's

0:23:53.921 --> 0:23:55.841
<v Speaker 2>gone through. They may have just gotten their period this

0:23:55.880 --> 0:23:58.360
<v Speaker 2>morning and having and they've been demetriosis and they're having

0:23:58.400 --> 0:24:00.321
<v Speaker 2>the worst pain of the whole life. But they're at school,

0:24:00.360 --> 0:24:02.521
<v Speaker 2>they're sitting there, they're getting their work done.

0:24:02.721 --> 0:24:05.680
<v Speaker 1>That's brave, that's so brave. Or they've been led to

0:24:05.721 --> 0:24:08.961
<v Speaker 1>believe that that's normal, yes, and it's anything but exactly.

0:24:09.521 --> 0:24:14.521
<v Speaker 1>So you also are a big advocate for talking about

0:24:15.201 --> 0:24:19.920
<v Speaker 1>normal women's cycles in sports, so periods, period pain, windo,

0:24:20.321 --> 0:24:24.041
<v Speaker 1>that sort of thing. Why did you feel it was

0:24:24.080 --> 0:24:30.600
<v Speaker 1>important to discuss that because it does make people feel uncomfortable.

0:24:30.921 --> 0:24:33.721
<v Speaker 2>Yeah. I think that's one of the reasons why I started,

0:24:33.801 --> 0:24:37.401
<v Speaker 2>because it was so taboo and I'm like, well, one

0:24:37.400 --> 0:24:40.680
<v Speaker 2>of the biggest statistics in women's sport is that girls

0:24:40.721 --> 0:24:44.481
<v Speaker 2>stop playing sport from around for the time they start

0:24:44.521 --> 0:24:48.920
<v Speaker 2>their period onwards because they feel uncomfortable, they don't know

0:24:48.961 --> 0:24:52.561
<v Speaker 2>how to handle it, and they lose interest because, especially

0:24:52.600 --> 0:24:58.921
<v Speaker 2>in water polo, you're in togs yep, like body hair periods, tampons,

0:24:58.961 --> 0:25:02.600
<v Speaker 2>like so many things, acne and all that stuff comes

0:25:02.681 --> 0:25:06.881
<v Speaker 2>into it. And so instead of having someone that kind

0:25:06.880 --> 0:25:09.561
<v Speaker 2>of has been through it and can guide you, we

0:25:09.640 --> 0:25:12.200
<v Speaker 2>had no one had that, so they just stopped. And

0:25:12.241 --> 0:25:15.600
<v Speaker 2>that's just so disappointing to me, so sad, you know, Yeah,

0:25:15.721 --> 0:25:18.321
<v Speaker 2>it's just we're just I feel like we've just failed

0:25:18.880 --> 0:25:23.961
<v Speaker 2>young girls thus far. So that's one of the reasons

0:25:23.961 --> 0:25:25.400
<v Speaker 2>that I really.

0:25:25.281 --> 0:25:25.801
<v Speaker 1>Think about them.

0:25:25.961 --> 0:25:29.520
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I really do want people to like listen and

0:25:29.721 --> 0:25:33.001
<v Speaker 2>hear what girls have to say, because it's powerful.

0:25:32.880 --> 0:25:38.360
<v Speaker 1>I do find well. I have felt that playing water

0:25:38.441 --> 0:25:40.961
<v Speaker 1>pollo was one of those sports that I loved because

0:25:41.400 --> 0:25:45.360
<v Speaker 1>it did encourage women to be strong, to be tall,

0:25:46.001 --> 0:25:48.880
<v Speaker 1>to be proud of their bodies. You know, you do

0:25:48.961 --> 0:25:50.920
<v Speaker 1>have to wear togs walking around the pool, and I

0:25:50.961 --> 0:25:52.801
<v Speaker 1>can't tell you the pride I used to feel in

0:25:52.880 --> 0:25:56.921
<v Speaker 1>the young girls just owning their bodies or at the Olympics,

0:25:57.120 --> 0:26:00.041
<v Speaker 1>you know the center forwards that are always bigger women,

0:26:01.801 --> 0:26:03.680
<v Speaker 1>they just own it. Or what's the name of that

0:26:03.880 --> 0:26:10.161
<v Speaker 1>amazing American football Alona. Oh my god, totally in love

0:26:10.201 --> 0:26:15.360
<v Speaker 1>with her. She's just owned it and good on her.

0:26:15.840 --> 0:26:18.481
<v Speaker 1>She's so strong, and I think we've got to turn

0:26:18.521 --> 0:26:22.561
<v Speaker 1>it around, the dialogue around. And you know, strong women

0:26:22.600 --> 0:26:26.400
<v Speaker 1>are empowered women. You know, women with muscles and that

0:26:26.481 --> 0:26:30.281
<v Speaker 1>are fit and healthy, they're amazing. I mean, look at

0:26:30.360 --> 0:26:32.880
<v Speaker 1>Julia Robinson. I interviewed her for the podcast. She's in

0:26:32.921 --> 0:26:39.241
<v Speaker 1>the Jilarus Plays rugby league. She got totally trolled on

0:26:39.281 --> 0:26:42.200
<v Speaker 1>the Broncos page because they put a photo up of

0:26:42.241 --> 0:26:45.680
<v Speaker 1>her and she's very muscular, works very hard at her body.

0:26:45.840 --> 0:26:52.521
<v Speaker 1>She is remarkable, looks remarkable. They had to take down

0:26:52.801 --> 0:26:58.201
<v Speaker 1>and stop any comments because the vitriol and the comments

0:26:58.241 --> 0:27:04.200
<v Speaker 1>were so foul about her. I was ashamed. I was

0:27:05.160 --> 0:27:10.521
<v Speaker 1>so embarrassed that people could be so cruel. Yeah, so cruel.

0:27:10.640 --> 0:27:15.001
<v Speaker 1>It's it's disgusting it has on someone.

0:27:14.041 --> 0:27:18.480
<v Speaker 2>Like oh yeah, oh one hundred, Like I'm in a

0:27:18.561 --> 0:27:20.961
<v Speaker 2>team of women, you know, like it's empowering every day

0:27:20.961 --> 0:27:25.640
<v Speaker 2>to be around them. But we are human before we

0:27:25.681 --> 0:27:29.041
<v Speaker 2>are athletes. Absolutely, and that's also what I talk to

0:27:29.640 --> 0:27:35.360
<v Speaker 2>whenever I'm at an event. We people forget. I've had

0:27:35.521 --> 0:27:41.521
<v Speaker 2>some disgusting comments on my Instagram posts. Oh absolutely, like

0:27:41.761 --> 0:27:46.521
<v Speaker 2>it's always sexualized or Cellulight City or all that kind

0:27:46.561 --> 0:27:49.201
<v Speaker 2>of stuff. But like for me, and there are moments,

0:27:49.241 --> 0:27:52.321
<v Speaker 2>like it's normal as a human to have moments where

0:27:52.321 --> 0:27:54.721
<v Speaker 2>you feel self conscious. I feel self conscious all the time,

0:27:55.400 --> 0:27:57.801
<v Speaker 2>you know, but it's the way that I work through

0:27:57.840 --> 0:27:59.960
<v Speaker 2>it and my teammate's lifting me up that makes me

0:28:00.281 --> 0:28:03.400
<v Speaker 2>keep going. But some people don't have that. They don't

0:28:03.640 --> 0:28:07.401
<v Speaker 2>and that's so sad that that could be something that

0:28:07.801 --> 0:28:11.201
<v Speaker 2>you know, makes will deters someone from you know, playing

0:28:11.241 --> 0:28:14.840
<v Speaker 2>their sport or putting up photos of themselves when they

0:28:14.880 --> 0:28:20.361
<v Speaker 2>look a certain way that isn't stereotypical, and it's vicious.

0:28:20.120 --> 0:28:23.080
<v Speaker 1>And it causes people to commit suicide. It impacts on

0:28:23.241 --> 0:28:26.640
<v Speaker 1>mental health. Words actually do have consequences.

0:28:26.840 --> 0:28:30.840
<v Speaker 2>One of the girls when We're Away uploaded a video

0:28:30.961 --> 0:28:33.360
<v Speaker 2>that was really funny of the way that we have

0:28:33.481 --> 0:28:36.521
<v Speaker 2>to stretch our dogs out before we start playing because

0:28:36.521 --> 0:28:41.521
<v Speaker 2>they're like suction to you. But their comments were insane.

0:28:42.321 --> 0:28:46.601
<v Speaker 2>It was thousands of comments from people. There were I

0:28:46.601 --> 0:28:53.240
<v Speaker 2>think like sixty million views on this Instagram and you know,

0:28:53.321 --> 0:28:55.841
<v Speaker 2>most of it was being like, hah so funny. Didn't

0:28:55.841 --> 0:28:59.961
<v Speaker 2>realize then the other half was look at those muscular women,

0:29:00.041 --> 0:29:03.441
<v Speaker 2>how disgusting. Look at their arms and it's these fit

0:29:03.521 --> 0:29:08.241
<v Speaker 2>Olympic athletes. It's like, you couldn't be more peak than us, absolutely,

0:29:08.361 --> 0:29:14.321
<v Speaker 2>And I'm like, just shut up, like we are like beautiful, phenomenal,

0:29:14.561 --> 0:29:17.081
<v Speaker 2>successful women and you don't like that.

0:29:17.401 --> 0:29:20.041
<v Speaker 1>And we're at the Olympics and you're in your aarmn't

0:29:20.081 --> 0:29:23.441
<v Speaker 1>you exactly? What was the best moment of the Olympics

0:29:23.481 --> 0:29:23.681
<v Speaker 1>for you?

0:29:23.961 --> 0:29:27.720
<v Speaker 2>The best moment was I know I was saying that

0:29:27.761 --> 0:29:31.641
<v Speaker 2>the first game was the hardest, but walking out and

0:29:31.721 --> 0:29:35.721
<v Speaker 2>seeing my family sitting in their floral yellow shirts with

0:29:35.721 --> 0:29:38.641
<v Speaker 2>Williams on the back, love it. That's what made me

0:29:38.681 --> 0:29:42.841
<v Speaker 2>cry because, like I said, people see the two weeks

0:29:42.921 --> 0:29:45.440
<v Speaker 2>the Olympics. My parents have seen me since I was

0:29:45.721 --> 0:29:48.681
<v Speaker 2>born try and do this kind of stuff, and they

0:29:48.721 --> 0:29:50.921
<v Speaker 2>always believed in me. You know, like when I think

0:29:50.961 --> 0:29:53.281
<v Speaker 2>about who I was representing when I was up there,

0:29:53.441 --> 0:29:57.081
<v Speaker 2>obviously myself and my country, but it's those people that

0:29:57.121 --> 0:29:59.001
<v Speaker 2>were in the stands as my family and my best

0:29:59.001 --> 0:30:02.161
<v Speaker 2>friends because they've gotten me through the darkest of times,

0:30:02.481 --> 0:30:05.200
<v Speaker 2>Like you can't do it without a really solid support now.

0:30:05.441 --> 0:30:08.081
<v Speaker 1>Because honestly, they would feel like it's just as much

0:30:08.161 --> 0:30:09.561
<v Speaker 1>their medal as it's yours.

0:30:09.961 --> 0:30:12.921
<v Speaker 2>Oh my dad, oh his next level. Like we were

0:30:12.921 --> 0:30:15.720
<v Speaker 2>at an event the other night and someone came up

0:30:15.761 --> 0:30:18.121
<v Speaker 2>to him because he's holding my medal and he said, oh,

0:30:18.161 --> 0:30:21.761
<v Speaker 2>my gosh, congratulations is silver medal. That's incredible and Dad,

0:30:21.801 --> 0:30:24.440
<v Speaker 2>I'm standing right next to him, and Dad says, yeah,

0:30:24.481 --> 0:30:27.001
<v Speaker 2>thanks mate, Like it was such a journey to get there,

0:30:27.041 --> 0:30:30.961
<v Speaker 2>and I was like, hey, I'm Alice Williams. It's my medals.

0:30:31.041 --> 0:30:33.720
<v Speaker 2>My dad like it was like it was his, Like

0:30:33.721 --> 0:30:35.641
<v Speaker 2>it was like he but like I didn't care like

0:30:35.681 --> 0:30:38.601
<v Speaker 2>it because it is partly you know, it's so many

0:30:39.041 --> 0:30:41.960
<v Speaker 2>people's partly. Like there was another moment that I just

0:30:42.001 --> 0:30:44.961
<v Speaker 2>thought of that was one of the most specialists in

0:30:45.001 --> 0:30:47.881
<v Speaker 2>the Hungry game and that was a really, like I said,

0:30:48.321 --> 0:30:52.321
<v Speaker 2>tough game. We had to win or draw. And it

0:30:52.401 --> 0:30:54.720
<v Speaker 2>was in the fourth quarter. I think it was my

0:30:54.841 --> 0:30:58.081
<v Speaker 2>fourth goal that I'd scored in the game. And there's

0:30:58.121 --> 0:31:00.521
<v Speaker 2>a photo of me claiming it to my parents because

0:31:00.521 --> 0:31:02.520
<v Speaker 2>they were directly in front of me after I scored,

0:31:03.321 --> 0:31:07.561
<v Speaker 2>and that moment for me, it was like absolutely euphoric.

0:31:08.081 --> 0:31:09.001
<v Speaker 1>It was so good.

0:31:09.401 --> 0:31:11.401
<v Speaker 2>It was like, when I think about it, I get

0:31:11.401 --> 0:31:16.121
<v Speaker 2>goosebumps because everything I've ever wanted in one moment, scoring

0:31:16.121 --> 0:31:18.121
<v Speaker 2>a goal of the Olympic Games to get us up

0:31:18.161 --> 0:31:21.601
<v Speaker 2>by a point or something. My family was right there

0:31:21.641 --> 0:31:25.561
<v Speaker 2>on their feet, literally screaming. You know, you just don't

0:31:25.561 --> 0:31:27.561
<v Speaker 2>find that a normal life.

0:31:27.801 --> 0:31:29.361
<v Speaker 1>No, you don't. It's so special.

0:31:29.481 --> 0:31:29.801
<v Speaker 2>It is.

0:31:30.361 --> 0:31:33.081
<v Speaker 1>What Now, how's day to day life were you?

0:31:33.561 --> 0:31:38.801
<v Speaker 2>It's different, Definitely, it's less stressful. I'm slowly getting back

0:31:38.841 --> 0:31:41.161
<v Speaker 2>into things like I'm back at water polo training.

0:31:41.521 --> 0:31:44.121
<v Speaker 1>Do you think your corterisole levels were like through the roof?

0:31:44.321 --> 0:31:48.441
<v Speaker 2>Yeah? I think my sych said it becomes like a baseline,

0:31:49.001 --> 0:31:52.601
<v Speaker 2>like a really really high quartersole level baseline that you

0:31:52.761 --> 0:31:55.761
<v Speaker 2>maintain and you have to really actively try to switch

0:31:55.801 --> 0:31:57.841
<v Speaker 2>it off when you're at the games because otherwise you

0:31:57.841 --> 0:32:01.240
<v Speaker 2>can't sleep and stuff, and it just accumulates. So I

0:32:01.281 --> 0:32:05.881
<v Speaker 2>think the come down was my final flight mode switching

0:32:05.921 --> 0:32:09.441
<v Speaker 2>off and being like, oh, you're actually safe, You're okay,

0:32:10.201 --> 0:32:12.881
<v Speaker 2>We're in our normal environment, you're at home. You can

0:32:12.961 --> 0:32:14.361
<v Speaker 2>feely feels.

0:32:14.401 --> 0:32:16.841
<v Speaker 1>You think you'll go for the next Olympics.

0:32:17.041 --> 0:32:19.200
<v Speaker 2>I'm going to take it year by year. That's my

0:32:19.681 --> 0:32:22.801
<v Speaker 2>aim and my goal. It depends on if I'm feeling

0:32:22.841 --> 0:32:26.081
<v Speaker 2>happy and healthy, because if something you know, there's always

0:32:26.121 --> 0:32:28.001
<v Speaker 2>lulls in sport, but if it's something that you know,

0:32:28.201 --> 0:32:29.841
<v Speaker 2>pushes me into a place that I don't want to

0:32:29.841 --> 0:32:32.041
<v Speaker 2>be for an extended period of time, then I know

0:32:32.081 --> 0:32:34.801
<v Speaker 2>it's time for me to retire. It's also kind of

0:32:34.841 --> 0:32:37.681
<v Speaker 2>hard to come back because it's scary for me as well,

0:32:37.721 --> 0:32:41.041
<v Speaker 2>now that we're not the underdog, you know, people and

0:32:41.081 --> 0:32:44.081
<v Speaker 2>like people expect things from me now too, because I

0:32:44.121 --> 0:32:45.601
<v Speaker 2>had a good Olympic campaign and.

0:32:45.761 --> 0:32:47.361
<v Speaker 1>An amazing omquit campaign.

0:32:47.561 --> 0:32:49.281
<v Speaker 2>So it's like can I do that again? You know,

0:32:49.401 --> 0:32:52.321
<v Speaker 2>like will I be able to reach that potential that

0:32:52.361 --> 0:32:55.240
<v Speaker 2>I had and I did? Or am I kind of

0:32:55.281 --> 0:32:58.241
<v Speaker 2>like have I peaked? You know? So it also it's

0:32:58.281 --> 0:32:59.401
<v Speaker 2>like something you think about.

0:32:59.521 --> 0:33:02.881
<v Speaker 1>So because you just got named as one of the

0:33:02.881 --> 0:33:06.521
<v Speaker 1>people in for the water Pollo Player of the Year,

0:33:06.761 --> 0:33:12.240
<v Speaker 1>yeah worldwide, Yeah, congratulations, thank you you did? Have you

0:33:12.521 --> 0:33:13.201
<v Speaker 1>had a blinder?

0:33:13.361 --> 0:33:14.681
<v Speaker 2>Thank you you truly did.

0:33:14.801 --> 0:33:17.881
<v Speaker 1>You saved all of that up for that campaign. I

0:33:18.001 --> 0:33:18.481
<v Speaker 1>love it.

0:33:19.161 --> 0:33:21.801
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think I just you never think about it

0:33:21.841 --> 0:33:24.801
<v Speaker 2>in the game, like you never afterwards we review it

0:33:24.841 --> 0:33:27.240
<v Speaker 2>and you know, think about it, and you know, I

0:33:27.321 --> 0:33:30.361
<v Speaker 2>kind of I thought, you know, Gabby palm Our goalkeeper

0:33:30.481 --> 0:33:34.481
<v Speaker 2>was phenomenal as well, so and I don't even feel

0:33:34.481 --> 0:33:36.041
<v Speaker 2>it now. I don't even feel like I'm like, yeah,

0:33:36.041 --> 0:33:37.601
<v Speaker 2>I'm one of the best players in the world. I

0:33:37.641 --> 0:33:40.921
<v Speaker 2>think maybe when I retire, I'll look back on it

0:33:40.921 --> 0:33:43.161
<v Speaker 2>and be like, wow, that was cool. But yeah, these

0:33:43.161 --> 0:33:46.121
<v Speaker 2>accolades and stuff, it just isn't really like something that

0:33:46.201 --> 0:33:47.161
<v Speaker 2>I think too much about.

0:33:47.761 --> 0:33:49.961
<v Speaker 1>I just want to say thank you so much. Your

0:33:51.081 --> 0:33:56.520
<v Speaker 1>positivity and honesty is really refreshing. And you haven't glossed

0:33:56.521 --> 0:34:00.761
<v Speaker 1>over anything. And from someone who has you know, a

0:34:00.841 --> 0:34:04.721
<v Speaker 1>daughter that's played a lot of high end sport, I

0:34:04.881 --> 0:34:08.681
<v Speaker 1>know that there are some huge highs and some massive lows,

0:34:09.401 --> 0:34:11.681
<v Speaker 1>and I think it's really refreshing that you're talking about

0:34:11.721 --> 0:34:14.881
<v Speaker 1>it and the sport's under going to improve because of

0:34:14.921 --> 0:34:17.161
<v Speaker 1>your honesty, and I think it's a wonderful thing. Thank

0:34:17.161 --> 0:34:18.721
<v Speaker 1>you so much for coming on the podcast.

0:34:18.881 --> 0:34:21.441
<v Speaker 2>Thank you for having me and giving them media space

0:34:21.481 --> 0:34:23.201
<v Speaker 2>to be vulnerable. I really appreciate it.