1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:03,400 Speaker 1: We'd like to acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: on which this podcast was produced, the Gaddigle people of 3 00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:10,440 Speaker 1: the orination. We pay our respects to Elder's past and present. 4 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 2: It's twenty twenty four and water polo player Ellie Armett 5 00:00:16,040 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: is training hard for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:25,200 Speaker 2: The Ossie Stingers navigated a difficult Tokyo Olympics in the 7 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 2: height of COVID. After they placed fifth, Ellie needed some 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:34,600 Speaker 2: time out of the game, rested and recharged. She's ready 9 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 2: to revisit the dream of winning gold. She's training from 10 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: five each morning, racing to her teaching job, and then 11 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 2: back into training at night. Ellie is giving this her all, 12 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:54,200 Speaker 2: but one conversation with her coach changes everything and Ellie 13 00:00:54,600 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 2: is dropped from the team. She's told she's not ready. 14 00:01:00,080 --> 00:01:03,280 Speaker 2: Ellie is standing in the way of her own success. 15 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:08,960 Speaker 2: Ellie screens and cries, this is not part of the plan, 16 00:01:09,920 --> 00:01:15,840 Speaker 2: but she isn't ready to give up. I'm at Middleton 17 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: and this is head game today. Ellie Armott on developing 18 00:01:20,959 --> 00:01:24,679 Speaker 2: a high performance mindset and her tough road back to 19 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:31,559 Speaker 2: the podium. Now, Ellie, you've had a sort of love 20 00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:35,559 Speaker 2: hate relationship with the sport over the years. How did 21 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:39,919 Speaker 2: water polo come into your life? Was it something that 22 00:01:40,000 --> 00:01:42,600 Speaker 2: your mother, your father played? How did how did it 23 00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 2: come about? Yeah? 24 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:45,760 Speaker 3: I started when I was quite a little in primary 25 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,280 Speaker 3: school and I started with a modified version, the kids 26 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 3: playing like the shallow end of the pool and like 27 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:55,200 Speaker 3: a smaller ball. I was quite fortunate when I was 28 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 3: growing up in North Queensland there was a huge push 29 00:01:57,680 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 3: for development in water polo in Queensland and I just 30 00:02:03,480 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 3: gave it a go pretty much and fell in love 31 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 3: with it. 32 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,160 Speaker 4: And I played a lot of different. 33 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,679 Speaker 3: Sports right up until I left school, but yeah, water 34 00:02:10,720 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 3: polly was one of my main sports. 35 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 4: I think I was much. 36 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:16,800 Speaker 3: More a water athlete than I was a land athlete, 37 00:02:16,919 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 3: So it was just something I took to like a 38 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 3: duck to water. 39 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 2: Really And you say your water athlete. Were you brought 40 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,240 Speaker 2: up by the beach? What did your family sort of 41 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 2: unit look like? You come from a big family where 42 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 2: you always outdoors. How did that look Yeah? 43 00:02:33,000 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 4: Definitely. 44 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,440 Speaker 3: I have four older brothers, so we're quite an active family, always, 45 00:02:37,760 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 3: you know, doing some sort of sport on the weekends 46 00:02:39,840 --> 00:02:40,839 Speaker 3: or playing. 47 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:41,680 Speaker 4: With each other. In the backyard. 48 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 3: We grew up in Townsville in North Queensland, so it's 49 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:46,320 Speaker 3: on the beach, so we did a lot of surf, 50 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 3: life saving and swimming as kids. 51 00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 4: But yeah, we played up multitude of sports really, I 52 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 4: did everything. 53 00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:57,079 Speaker 2: And any of your brothers into water polo. 54 00:02:56,720 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, so a couple of them did play growing up. 55 00:02:58,800 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 3: One was quite good. He got to the junior os level, 56 00:03:01,600 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 3: but then they all went on and chose their careers 57 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:08,400 Speaker 3: over their sporting endeavors. So the one that got to 58 00:03:08,440 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 3: the Australian level, he is now a or three D surgeon, 59 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 3: so he chose that route over playing water polo. 60 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 2: Yes, I've I've learned that within within water polo there's 61 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,280 Speaker 2: there's a second career that you that you have to 62 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:24,639 Speaker 2: have right in order to obviously support yourself, support your 63 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:28,480 Speaker 2: family and and to really focus on on the water 64 00:03:28,560 --> 00:03:32,119 Speaker 2: polo from from a separate standpoint. So ultimately there's there's 65 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 2: two careers there. When what what career came first to you, 66 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: was it was it the water polo? Did you step 67 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: into the sort of the professional real of water polo 68 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 2: before you stepped into a career or did they did 69 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 2: they come hand in hand I. 70 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 3: Kind of stumbled into the professional sense of water polo first. 71 00:03:50,800 --> 00:03:53,720 Speaker 3: When I first moved to Brisbane, it definitely wasn't on 72 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:56,760 Speaker 3: my radar. I was just kind of cracking into the 73 00:03:56,880 --> 00:03:59,280 Speaker 3: q I S squad and and trying to make the 74 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:01,520 Speaker 3: national senior team. 75 00:04:01,600 --> 00:04:02,200 Speaker 4: And then this. 76 00:04:02,320 --> 00:04:05,040 Speaker 3: Chance, this opportunity came up to go play in Italy, 77 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 3: and I was eighteen and stari eyed, and of course 78 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:10,160 Speaker 3: I wanted to go live in Italy and play professional 79 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 3: water polo. But I don't think I actually knew what 80 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,800 Speaker 3: that meant until I got there, and it was one 81 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 3: of the most humbling and hardest times of my life. 82 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,080 Speaker 3: But after I came home and realized that was probably 83 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,320 Speaker 3: a silly mistake. But we don't know those things until 84 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:26,680 Speaker 3: we look back, and hindsight is a beautiful thing. 85 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:31,679 Speaker 4: I then started studying for to become a teacher. 86 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:35,040 Speaker 2: So take me back to Italy. What happened? 87 00:04:35,640 --> 00:04:35,919 Speaker 4: Did you? 88 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 2: It was an exciting time. How did that look and 89 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 2: how did your parents and your family take to that decision? 90 00:04:42,680 --> 00:04:46,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, So generally what happens when you're an import in 91 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 3: one of the European leagues is someone kind of scouts 92 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 3: you somewhere along the way and kind of gives you 93 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:53,960 Speaker 3: a call or your coach a call and says, hey, 94 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:57,919 Speaker 3: we'd love to have her on our team. In this case, 95 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 3: there was an Australian girl already in this team. She 96 00:05:00,320 --> 00:05:02,120 Speaker 3: didn't want to stay anymore. She wanted to come home, 97 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 3: so she kind of rang me and was like, do 98 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 3: you want to take my place? We played similar positions again. 99 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:09,520 Speaker 4: We had. 100 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:13,400 Speaker 3: It was Italy and I wanted to go, and my 101 00:05:13,520 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 3: dad used to live in Italy, so he had some 102 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,960 Speaker 3: family friends there that if things went south, they were 103 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,600 Speaker 3: kind of okay with me going to them. And it 104 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 3: wasn't like I was in a foreign country with absolutely 105 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,599 Speaker 3: nobody around. But it was a very hard time because 106 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 3: I did spend a lot of time on the phone 107 00:05:29,080 --> 00:05:31,360 Speaker 3: to my mom crying because it was so hard. 108 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:32,160 Speaker 4: And I was eighteen. 109 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:33,960 Speaker 2: I had no idea, you're homesick. 110 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:37,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, And I had no idea what I was doing, 111 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 3: and the coach was the typical European screaming at me 112 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 3: in Italian, and you know, it just there was just 113 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 3: like a multiputitude of things happening, and yeah, it was 114 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 3: a really very steep learning curve for me. 115 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:52,200 Speaker 2: So the psychological aspect is there, especially being an next 116 00:05:52,200 --> 00:05:54,320 Speaker 2: book player, like you said, so you know a lot 117 00:05:54,320 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 2: of pressure on you to perform. Everyone looking to you, 118 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,520 Speaker 2: what's the physical sideline because you're constantly in the water, 119 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:06,480 Speaker 2: You're constantly how often are you training? What does that 120 00:06:06,600 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 2: physical side to water polo look like? 121 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I went to Italy a few times to 122 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 3: play in a few different teams, and in the kind 123 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:17,120 Speaker 3: of later teams that I was in, they were a 124 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,560 Speaker 3: bit more in the top one two of the league. 125 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:21,760 Speaker 4: So they were training. 126 00:06:22,400 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 3: I think we ended up training about ten eleven times 127 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:30,120 Speaker 3: a week, so you do you know, three gym, three 128 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 3: swim and then all skills at night and games on 129 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 3: Saturday every Saturday. So it is a quite Yeah, it's 130 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 3: a physical toll on your body, and you only get 131 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 3: one kind of day off to rest. But then again 132 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:44,840 Speaker 3: you're in a different country, so you kind of want 133 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 3: to go explore things and see different things. But yeah, 134 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 3: the Italians and actually a lot of the European teams 135 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 3: are very physical players and very aggressive and passionate and 136 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 3: it just comes out and they're playing. So in the 137 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 3: games you kind of getting kicked and hit and scratched 138 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 3: and things, as well as trying to prove that you're 139 00:07:05,920 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 3: one of the best players in your team and you know, 140 00:07:08,160 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 3: hold the team together. 141 00:07:09,160 --> 00:07:10,920 Speaker 4: So it's a lot of yeah, moving parts. 142 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:14,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's really interesting because I suppose you know, you're 143 00:07:14,640 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 2: like a rabbit in the headlights as well. Like you said, 144 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,240 Speaker 2: you're young, you're not and you mentioned naives. Sometimes it's 145 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 2: best to go into situations like that with a naive 146 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:24,760 Speaker 2: mindset because you know, you deal with the situation at hand. 147 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,200 Speaker 2: You deal with you know, with everything once it's presented 148 00:07:27,240 --> 00:07:31,880 Speaker 2: to you. How did you find the pressure of being 149 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 2: the export player and then all of a sudden, you know, 150 00:07:34,840 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 2: realizing that everything's ramping up, from the pressure on you 151 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 2: to the training to you know, living life away from 152 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,640 Speaker 2: Australia being homesick. How how did you deal with it? 153 00:07:47,680 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 2: How do you manage that? 154 00:07:48,840 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 3: I guess as the seasons went on and I got 155 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,520 Speaker 3: a bit more experienced at it, you just kind of 156 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 3: learned that you can only do what you can only do, 157 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 3: so instead of kind of putting all this pressure on 158 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:03,360 Speaker 3: yourself to be the amazing player, They've picked you for 159 00:08:03,400 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 3: a reason, So you're going to go there and play 160 00:08:05,360 --> 00:08:08,480 Speaker 3: your game and and try and incorporate their tactics for sure, 161 00:08:08,520 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 3: but yeah, you can only do what you can I do. 162 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 3: So it's just kind of relinquishing that major pressure and 163 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:15,880 Speaker 3: then also leading into it as a challenge. 164 00:08:16,400 --> 00:08:20,280 Speaker 2: That's amazing because you know, to function at such a level, 165 00:08:20,640 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 2: you sort of need that sense of confidence to realize that, 166 00:08:23,160 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 2: you know that without teaching into arrogance. I suppose of 167 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:31,840 Speaker 2: realizing that, you know, coh, you know, I'm flying through 168 00:08:31,840 --> 00:08:34,400 Speaker 2: the ranks here, I'm being you know, I'm playing for 169 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:38,559 Speaker 2: all the top clubs in Europe, and then all of 170 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 2: a sudden you get a call from the Stiggers in Australia. 171 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:45,959 Speaker 2: When do you remember that phone call? And do you remember, 172 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:50,680 Speaker 2: you know, being being called up by the national team. 173 00:08:50,800 --> 00:08:51,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely. 174 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:55,760 Speaker 3: I remember kind of doing a tournament and the head 175 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 3: coach was there. 176 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 4: At this time. 177 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 3: I was still living in Townsville and he was like 178 00:08:59,679 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 3: if are you going to move to Brisbane next year? 179 00:09:01,600 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 3: And I was like, well, I don't know, and he 180 00:09:03,520 --> 00:09:06,199 Speaker 3: was like I think you should and I was like okay, 181 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:08,600 Speaker 3: and then you know, kind of told me to move. 182 00:09:08,640 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 3: And once I moved, I was kind of accepted into 183 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 3: this QIS program. And then eventually I think in like 184 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 3: twenty thirteen was my very first game, and I. 185 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:19,120 Speaker 4: Was so nervous. 186 00:09:19,160 --> 00:09:21,000 Speaker 3: I got on for maybe a minute and I was 187 00:09:21,040 --> 00:09:25,000 Speaker 3: just shaking the entire time. But I don't really remember 188 00:09:25,080 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 3: the call that he gave me or the email that 189 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:30,440 Speaker 3: I saw my name, but yeah, it just it was 190 00:09:30,480 --> 00:09:32,120 Speaker 3: just I was just happy to be there, to be honest, 191 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:33,480 Speaker 3: I was just happy to sit on the bench and 192 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:35,480 Speaker 3: watch everyone else because I was too scared to get 193 00:09:35,480 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 3: in the water. 194 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 4: But once you kind of get over that initial shocks, 195 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:39,160 Speaker 4: it's a lot of fun. 196 00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:56,360 Speaker 2: And then Tokyo comes up. That was quite an unsettling 197 00:09:56,559 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 2: sort of time in the world. Talk me through when 198 00:09:59,800 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 2: you first got called up to Tokyo to represent your 199 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:04,559 Speaker 2: country for the Olympics. 200 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, so obviously the lead up was just so tumultuous 201 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,679 Speaker 3: and unsure, and you know, I kind of still remember 202 00:10:12,920 --> 00:10:15,480 Speaker 3: flying home to Townsville to be with my parents with 203 00:10:15,559 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 3: their quarantine and getting the message to say that the 204 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 3: Olympics were canceled, And it still gives me chills this 205 00:10:21,480 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 3: day that we were like but I just, yeah, I 206 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 3: lost it. We were about to go over to Europe 207 00:10:27,520 --> 00:10:31,920 Speaker 3: to play a tournament, and we were leaving Australia as 208 00:10:31,920 --> 00:10:33,720 Speaker 3: we got on the plane and we were flying to Dubai, 209 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,439 Speaker 3: there was messages flying, you know, backwards and forwards about 210 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,560 Speaker 3: there's someone in Italy that's super spreading COVID throughout Italy. 211 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:43,360 Speaker 3: So we land in Dubai and they say to us, hey, 212 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:45,840 Speaker 3: we can't go to Italy anymore because this look seems 213 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 3: like a health rest to us. We're just going to 214 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 3: chill for a second and maybe divert straight to Hungary, 215 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 3: which is our second stop, and then we sit around 216 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:56,360 Speaker 3: for a few hours and whatnot, and yeah, our bags 217 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,360 Speaker 3: off the plane and we go get a hotel and 218 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 3: check into a hotel. How the next morning we get 219 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,719 Speaker 3: up and our coaches are like, yeah, so Hungry is 220 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 3: off the plan as well because there's COVID there and 221 00:11:07,440 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 3: it's just not it. 222 00:11:08,240 --> 00:11:10,120 Speaker 4: So we're going to turn around and go back to Australia. 223 00:11:11,480 --> 00:11:12,640 Speaker 4: So we went back to Australia. 224 00:11:12,760 --> 00:11:16,600 Speaker 3: We went back to our training environments, and I think 225 00:11:16,600 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 3: we went to camera for a little bit and back home. 226 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:21,280 Speaker 3: And then I vividly remember what she like sitting on 227 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 3: the couch watching the news and they're going to close 228 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:25,720 Speaker 3: the borders to Queensland, and I just called my manager 229 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:27,120 Speaker 3: and I said, should I be going home? 230 00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 4: And she was like, yeah, get out. 231 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:32,800 Speaker 3: So I left the next day, packed a bag enough 232 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:33,600 Speaker 3: for like two weeks. 233 00:11:33,600 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 4: Like I thought it was good, you know, everyone thought 234 00:11:34,920 --> 00:11:38,760 Speaker 4: it was two weeks. And then when. 235 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:40,240 Speaker 3: I got home, I was at the airport waiting for 236 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,640 Speaker 3: my mom to pick me up, and the message came 237 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 3: through that it was postponed, and I was just bloodgates 238 00:11:46,960 --> 00:11:50,880 Speaker 3: and yeah, it's just still emotional today actually. But then 239 00:11:51,800 --> 00:11:53,760 Speaker 3: we kind of just locked in and we just had 240 00:11:53,800 --> 00:11:56,160 Speaker 3: to train in case there was a call one day 241 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 3: that we're back on. 242 00:11:57,120 --> 00:11:59,440 Speaker 4: So we just did what everyone else did. 243 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,000 Speaker 2: I suppose there was a little glimmer of hope that 244 00:12:02,040 --> 00:12:06,000 Speaker 2: things would come about. And when they did come about, 245 00:12:06,520 --> 00:12:09,560 Speaker 2: can you remember that moment And was it from pure 246 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 2: sort of you know, just that same routine to all 247 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 2: of a sudden having that spark ignited, or was it 248 00:12:17,080 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 2: just a case of oh, this is this is happening 249 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 2: now and not really believing it. 250 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,319 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was a tough one because there was still obviously, 251 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,520 Speaker 3: you know, the Japanese people didn't want the Olympics to 252 00:12:27,559 --> 00:12:30,000 Speaker 3: go ahead, and there was still protests and things happening. 253 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,840 Speaker 3: So we still weren't sure. Even though the IOC were like, yes, 254 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:36,240 Speaker 3: the Olympics are going ahead, we weren't sure until we 255 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:38,520 Speaker 3: got on the plane that it was actually happening. And 256 00:12:38,559 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 3: there was just so much protocol and things that we 257 00:12:40,679 --> 00:12:43,400 Speaker 3: had to do, like go in stage in cans for 258 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 3: two weeks just to be able to get on a 259 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,360 Speaker 3: plane to go to Tokyo and things like that. But yeah, 260 00:12:48,400 --> 00:12:50,960 Speaker 3: I think once we were like certain that it was 261 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,320 Speaker 3: on and well, at least for us, it was going 262 00:12:53,400 --> 00:12:54,840 Speaker 3: to happen, we were just going to train like it 263 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:56,360 Speaker 3: was going to happen, and we're. 264 00:12:56,240 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 4: Going to deal with it when we got there. 265 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,520 Speaker 3: But yeah, I still remember the moment my coach called 266 00:13:01,520 --> 00:13:03,640 Speaker 3: me up and said I was on the final thirteen 267 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:07,720 Speaker 3: on the way to Tokyo. It was I think I 268 00:13:07,840 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 3: was on my brother's deck and kind of overlooking towns 269 00:13:11,040 --> 00:13:12,920 Speaker 3: where my mum was behind me, and I said, don't 270 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,200 Speaker 3: come out here until I tell you to come out here. 271 00:13:15,800 --> 00:13:17,800 Speaker 3: And the minute I had hung up the phone call, 272 00:13:17,880 --> 00:13:20,120 Speaker 3: she was like by my side. So I was like, oh, 273 00:13:20,120 --> 00:13:22,760 Speaker 3: I'm good, yeah, actually, and she's just kind of like, 274 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,120 Speaker 3: what's going on? And I was like, oh, I mean, 275 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:27,280 Speaker 3: and then she was just crying, So I think that 276 00:13:27,400 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 3: kept me really calm, so I didn't cry, but I 277 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:32,880 Speaker 3: was like such an amazing feeling to hearing those words. 278 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:36,720 Speaker 2: I bet it was, And it obviously reignites the whole 279 00:13:37,400 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 2: reason for you doing what you were doing during lockdown, 280 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:45,600 Speaker 2: and you know, continuing to be an elite athlete, which 281 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:48,599 Speaker 2: is what was required of you, even you know, the 282 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:52,439 Speaker 2: discipline to do that during lockdown is another level by itself. 283 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:58,080 Speaker 2: What was it like landing in Tokyo. 284 00:13:58,200 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 3: To be honest, we were so sheltered, so like we 285 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 3: got off the plane, we were like corraled, we were tested, 286 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,720 Speaker 3: and we were put onto a bus and like masks 287 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 3: and everything, and then we got bus straight into the village. 288 00:14:12,240 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 3: You know, once we're in the village, you're not allowed 289 00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 3: to leave unless you're going to a training or game. 290 00:14:17,160 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 3: So we didn't interact with any of the public at all. 291 00:14:19,800 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 3: The only public we saw were like kind of lining 292 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,840 Speaker 3: the streets as we'd go to training, but they seemed 293 00:14:25,920 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 3: like happy and excited to see the Olympic buses going past. 294 00:14:29,680 --> 00:14:33,960 Speaker 3: So yeah, again we didn't see any kind of unrest 295 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:37,120 Speaker 3: by the Japanese public, but we didn't interact with anyone. 296 00:14:37,160 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 3: We just were in the village or at our training 297 00:14:39,600 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 3: venue and that was it or game venue. 298 00:14:42,240 --> 00:14:44,120 Speaker 2: And what was it like training together for the for 299 00:14:44,160 --> 00:14:46,880 Speaker 2: the first time after such a long time of being 300 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 2: you know, by yourself, you know, having the team back together. 301 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:51,840 Speaker 2: Was that was there a moment there or was it 302 00:14:51,920 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 2: just like, listen, we've got a drop to do. We've 303 00:14:54,120 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 2: been out of the you know, out of it for 304 00:14:56,520 --> 00:14:59,440 Speaker 2: a while. We just need to get get in and 305 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:01,920 Speaker 2: utilize time to crack on. And what was that like 306 00:15:02,360 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 2: coming together? 307 00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, it was different because we didn't play any international 308 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:10,760 Speaker 3: games leading up to Tokyo, so the first one was 309 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 3: a bit a bit of a shock to the system. 310 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 3: But yeah, once you're in that Olympic village, it's so exciting. 311 00:15:16,560 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 3: There's so much kind of happening still that you get 312 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,320 Speaker 3: a few days to find your feet and then it's 313 00:15:21,360 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 3: just game mode. 314 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,160 Speaker 4: So like your game on, let's go. We're here to 315 00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 4: do a job and we're not kind of stop until 316 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 4: we have done it. 317 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 2: And do you feel like that Tokyo was you know, 318 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 2: obviously you couldn't prepare as you wished as a team, 319 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,480 Speaker 2: and you know that interaction, you know, face to face interaction, 320 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:43,840 Speaker 2: the energy, the you know, the the that team sort 321 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:47,120 Speaker 2: of ethos that that you can't experience during lockdown or 322 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:52,200 Speaker 2: when you're isolated. Did that come back straight away or 323 00:15:52,480 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 2: did you find that you were working on that while 324 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 2: you were actually competing. 325 00:15:57,720 --> 00:15:59,880 Speaker 3: It definitely we had to work on that every day 326 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:04,200 Speaker 3: while we're competing, and yeah, you just lose those kind 327 00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 3: of little nuances and the little touches that you have 328 00:16:06,680 --> 00:16:08,480 Speaker 3: with each other that you learn from playing with each 329 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,760 Speaker 3: other over a long period of time. So we had 330 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 3: to try and get that back quite quickly. We still 331 00:16:14,360 --> 00:16:16,720 Speaker 3: had lots of team meetings throughout where we were kind 332 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,320 Speaker 3: of like what's missing, what's the where are the gaps 333 00:16:19,400 --> 00:16:21,920 Speaker 3: type of thing. But yeah, it's something you have to 334 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 3: work on all the time, no matter if things are 335 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 3: going well, if things are going bad. 336 00:16:25,080 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 2: So do you think it affected your overall performance of 337 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:29,800 Speaker 2: the Tokyo Olympics. 338 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,080 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's really hard to say because everyone kind of 339 00:16:33,120 --> 00:16:35,560 Speaker 3: had a similar prep Some of the teams played games, 340 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 3: some didn't, So yeah, it's really hard to comment whether that. 341 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 3: I mean, playing prep games might have helped us, and 342 00:16:43,840 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 3: it usually does help in the lead up to things, 343 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 3: but again, yeah, who's to say. 344 00:16:48,360 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, where did you come in the Tokyo Olympics. We 345 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 2: got fifth, and was there a sense of excitement about 346 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 2: that or was there a sense of success considering the 347 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:01,800 Speaker 2: situation or was there a sense of disappointment where you 348 00:17:01,840 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 2: believed you could have done better. 349 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:05,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we got bronze of the World CHAMPCE in 350 00:17:05,720 --> 00:17:08,800 Speaker 3: twenty nineteen, so the year before the Olympics were meant 351 00:17:08,800 --> 00:17:11,120 Speaker 3: to be so we were a top four projected team, 352 00:17:11,280 --> 00:17:14,640 Speaker 3: so we're expecting to get top four and we lost 353 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 3: our quarter final by one. So that was a big 354 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 3: kind of heartbreak moment for us, because it's a hard 355 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:24,720 Speaker 3: thing playing a team sport. Once you lose your carter, 356 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 3: you're out of middle contention. There's no coming back. 357 00:17:28,000 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 4: But after that moment, we kind of slapped down. 358 00:17:30,000 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 3: And we're like, well, we're going to finish it the 359 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 3: best result we possibly can. So we just kind of 360 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:36,800 Speaker 3: went out all guns blazing and got the best we 361 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:37,480 Speaker 3: could from then on. 362 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 2: And were you happy with your performance after after Tokyo 363 00:17:41,359 --> 00:17:45,160 Speaker 2: because you fell out of love with the sport shortly 364 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 2: after Tokyo. Was it due to the team? Was it 365 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 2: due to your personal performance? What happened there? Why did 366 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:58,560 Speaker 2: you fall out of love with something that was been 367 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 2: ingrained in you for such a such a long time. 368 00:18:02,280 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 4: Yeah, So I think I did. 369 00:18:04,640 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 3: For my first Olympics, and for being kind of the 370 00:18:07,400 --> 00:18:11,040 Speaker 3: inexperienced national player that I was, I think I did 371 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:15,919 Speaker 3: quite well in my position. I just it was just 372 00:18:15,960 --> 00:18:19,399 Speaker 3: a huge kind of two years. And then I was 373 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:21,679 Speaker 3: living out of a storage unit at the time in 374 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 3: Sydney because of COVID. I was back and forth from everywhere, 375 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,760 Speaker 3: so I had no way to live, and just the 376 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:28,879 Speaker 3: thought of having to find somewhere to live in a 377 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,080 Speaker 3: job and all those things, I was just like, that's 378 00:18:32,200 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 3: too hard. I'm just going to go overseas and play 379 00:18:34,119 --> 00:18:37,200 Speaker 3: another contract in Italy for the team i'd played for. 380 00:18:37,880 --> 00:18:40,080 Speaker 3: So when I was seas and played and I just 381 00:18:40,200 --> 00:18:42,399 Speaker 3: don't think. And I don't know if you've heard of this, 382 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,800 Speaker 3: but there's this huge like thing that happens after the 383 00:18:44,800 --> 00:18:48,000 Speaker 3: Olympics is called the post Olympic depression, and it hits 384 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:52,160 Speaker 3: almost everybody. Yeah, so you're just going up this huge 385 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 3: high and then you just drop. And I obviously wasn't 386 00:18:55,840 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 3: prepared for that, and I ran overseas away from my 387 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:02,480 Speaker 3: problems and just away from my support system and in 388 00:19:02,520 --> 00:19:05,199 Speaker 3: a situation that I thought, again was a lot different 389 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 3: to what I was expecting and things like that. So 390 00:19:08,280 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 3: it kind of hit me quite hard over there, and 391 00:19:11,040 --> 00:19:14,000 Speaker 3: I just kind of almost fell apart and I needed 392 00:19:14,040 --> 00:19:16,119 Speaker 3: to step away from water polo to see if it 393 00:19:16,320 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 3: was water polo that was causing these feelings and emotions 394 00:19:19,880 --> 00:19:23,160 Speaker 3: or if it was something else, and I just needed Yeah, 395 00:19:23,160 --> 00:19:25,280 Speaker 3: So I just needed some time away from the sport, 396 00:19:25,359 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 3: so I didn't leave, you know, with a tainted feeling 397 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:29,880 Speaker 3: and towards it. 398 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 4: So that's what I did. 399 00:19:31,480 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 3: I just took a step back and you know, took 400 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:36,480 Speaker 3: stock of my life and saw kind of see where 401 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 3: I was at. 402 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,800 Speaker 2: And how did the coaches and the national team take 403 00:19:39,840 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 2: to that. 404 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:44,479 Speaker 3: The national team players coaches definitely were It was kind 405 00:19:44,520 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 3: of a weird time for Australian water polo went through 406 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:49,480 Speaker 3: quite a lot of coaches in about a you know, 407 00:19:49,560 --> 00:19:53,119 Speaker 3: eight year period of seven year period, so we were 408 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:55,680 Speaker 3: kind of in the midst of changing coaches at the time, 409 00:19:56,359 --> 00:19:58,920 Speaker 3: and when the new coach came on board, I just, yeah, 410 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:01,520 Speaker 3: I just kind of gave them a call and said, look, 411 00:20:01,520 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 3: I just need a break. 412 00:20:02,640 --> 00:20:05,159 Speaker 4: I'm sorry. I can't. I can't go to World Champs. 413 00:20:05,200 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 3: And he was quite accepting of that and understood, you know, 414 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:13,560 Speaker 3: where people first, and he was taking care of, you know, 415 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 3: the person first. And then he just said, you know, 416 00:20:16,359 --> 00:20:18,880 Speaker 3: we'll circle back after World Champs and see how you're going. 417 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 2: What was your mindset? Was your mindset I'm never going 418 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 2: to revisit the sport again, or was your mindset, I'm 419 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 2: going to go away, work on myself and come back. Yeah. 420 00:20:27,520 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 3: So I worked really closely with my sych at the time, 421 00:20:30,080 --> 00:20:32,679 Speaker 3: and he was kind of the one that suggested that 422 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 3: I take that step back, because when you're in it, 423 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 3: it's really hard to see what. 424 00:20:38,760 --> 00:20:39,640 Speaker 4: Else is outside. 425 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 3: And so I took the step back from water polo, 426 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:45,360 Speaker 3: and then I kind of came home from my international season, 427 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:49,159 Speaker 3: got a job at the school that I'm working at 428 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 3: right now, and just kind of enjoyed life without sport. 429 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:56,520 Speaker 2: Got you? So you just did cut it all out? 430 00:20:56,560 --> 00:21:00,000 Speaker 2: You went back to teaching. What changed your mind? 431 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 3: Well, I kind of played There's like a Queensland kind 432 00:21:03,119 --> 00:21:05,440 Speaker 3: of tournament that happens at the end of every year, 433 00:21:05,520 --> 00:21:10,440 Speaker 3: and I played that with my friends in a one 434 00:21:10,440 --> 00:21:13,160 Speaker 3: of the random teams, Like I wasn't planning on taking 435 00:21:13,200 --> 00:21:15,080 Speaker 3: it seriously, and I was just going to play to 436 00:21:15,080 --> 00:21:18,959 Speaker 3: have fun with my friends, and obviously playing games is 437 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 3: really what generally ignites the love of the game in everyone, 438 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:27,280 Speaker 3: and just doing that and then I kind of did 439 00:21:27,320 --> 00:21:29,120 Speaker 3: my toe back in and then went back to training 440 00:21:29,400 --> 00:21:31,639 Speaker 3: a few times a week and just and just built 441 00:21:31,640 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 3: it back up and kind of thought, well, if I'm 442 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 3: going to do this, it's three more years or two 443 00:21:37,280 --> 00:21:41,600 Speaker 3: more years, and if not now, then when, and you know, 444 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:42,159 Speaker 3: why not me? 445 00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:42,880 Speaker 4: Type of thing. 446 00:21:42,960 --> 00:21:47,400 Speaker 3: And I remember one vivid conversation. I was working at 447 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 3: a different school as a casual teacher and there was 448 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,199 Speaker 3: an excess traine athlete that he was a roller in 449 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:56,679 Speaker 3: Sydney and he was the reserve and he was talking 450 00:21:56,680 --> 00:21:59,200 Speaker 3: to me and he was like, you'd be so stupid 451 00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:02,160 Speaker 3: not to try again for Paris. Like if you can't 452 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:03,840 Speaker 3: do it now, then you know you got the rest 453 00:22:03,840 --> 00:22:06,680 Speaker 3: of your life to work. And I'd heard people say 454 00:22:06,720 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 3: that to me like so many times. I had people 455 00:22:09,359 --> 00:22:10,680 Speaker 3: say you can work for the rest of your life 456 00:22:10,760 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 3: so many times, but it was just kind of the 457 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:14,960 Speaker 3: way he said it and who he was in that 458 00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:17,640 Speaker 3: exact moment that I was kind of like I'm being 459 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:19,840 Speaker 3: stupid here, like I need to give this another go 460 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:22,120 Speaker 3: and I need to change the narrative on water Polo. 461 00:22:22,200 --> 00:22:23,400 Speaker 4: I can't leave like this. 462 00:22:24,200 --> 00:22:27,639 Speaker 3: I can't leave thinking it was that bad and I 463 00:22:27,720 --> 00:22:30,280 Speaker 3: was that down on the dump. So I just had 464 00:22:30,320 --> 00:22:32,520 Speaker 3: to give it another go. And if I didn't make it, 465 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:33,159 Speaker 3: I didn't make it. 466 00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:34,600 Speaker 4: But at least I gave it a go. And I 467 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 4: might have lasted one month, I might have lasted all 468 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 4: the way to Paris. But yeah, that was kind of 469 00:22:38,760 --> 00:22:39,720 Speaker 4: the turning point for me. 470 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 2: Okay, so you're working a full time job at the 471 00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:55,439 Speaker 2: school and then you're obviously training on I say, on 472 00:22:55,480 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 2: the side, how does that schedule work for you? You're 473 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,399 Speaker 2: getting up super early and John in the pool. How 474 00:23:01,440 --> 00:23:03,800 Speaker 2: did that look all the way up to to obviously 475 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:07,199 Speaker 2: you going into your training camps to prepare for their 476 00:23:07,240 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 2: paras Olympics. 477 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, so it wasn't all the time, but like for 478 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:15,480 Speaker 3: a huge like two to three months, I was up early. 479 00:23:15,560 --> 00:23:17,320 Speaker 3: I was in the gym or in the pool or both, 480 00:23:17,560 --> 00:23:20,480 Speaker 3: and then I was like showering at school, eating breakfast 481 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:22,720 Speaker 3: at my desk while I marked the role for home room, 482 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:26,000 Speaker 3: and then went to class all day, taught all day, 483 00:23:26,440 --> 00:23:29,080 Speaker 3: would come home quickly change or do anything that I 484 00:23:29,119 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 3: needed to do before the nighttime practice, and then go 485 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:36,800 Speaker 3: to training until eight thirty at night, come home, cook dinner, prep, 486 00:23:36,880 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 3: do everything for the next day, and then just get 487 00:23:38,840 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 3: up and do it all again the next day. 488 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 2: And that takes some dedication and discipline, So you'd fallen 489 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:48,439 Speaker 2: back in love with the sport because obviously you have 490 00:23:48,560 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 2: to be to be that dedicated and committed and discipline 491 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:55,719 Speaker 2: towards it. How does the call up feel for obviously 492 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:58,000 Speaker 2: you've had the call up before for your first Olympics 493 00:23:58,040 --> 00:24:00,920 Speaker 2: back in Tokyo. How did it differ from the cool 494 00:24:01,040 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 2: up for Paris? 495 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:08,320 Speaker 3: Honestly, the Paris one was a lot harder because there's 496 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 3: a lot more emotions, there's a lot more at stake, 497 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:14,280 Speaker 3: and I like, I'm not sure if you know, but 498 00:24:14,320 --> 00:24:17,040 Speaker 3: I got dropped from the team about six months out, 499 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 3: so I was still in the squad, but I got 500 00:24:20,680 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 3: dennounced from the World Champs. 501 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 4: That yeah, I was a reserve for the World Champs. 502 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:25,880 Speaker 4: That happened in January. 503 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:27,840 Speaker 2: Why and how it was just. 504 00:24:27,880 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 3: Kind of a moment of me getting in my own 505 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:35,360 Speaker 3: way and it was kind of a weird situation. So 506 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:39,080 Speaker 3: our coach at the Paris Olympics was our assistant coach 507 00:24:39,520 --> 00:24:42,240 Speaker 3: in Tokyo, and she'd been the assistant coach all the 508 00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:46,000 Speaker 3: way up in the Paris cycle, and then about a 509 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 3: year out from Paris, we had a huge review of 510 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:53,120 Speaker 3: our program and our current coach and that coach got 511 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 3: fired and so we were coach less for quite a 512 00:24:57,960 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 3: long time, and then she was appointed as coach in 513 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:03,760 Speaker 3: December sins like six months is ish out and had 514 00:25:03,800 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 3: a quick turnaround to have a training camp and prepare 515 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:08,919 Speaker 3: and get a team selected for a World champ that 516 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:13,760 Speaker 3: was like in February or something, and so she only 517 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:16,160 Speaker 3: really saw us training and stuff for about a week, 518 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:17,120 Speaker 3: but she obviously. 519 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:20,880 Speaker 4: Knew who we were being the assistant coach, and. 520 00:25:21,080 --> 00:25:24,280 Speaker 3: She after I got the announcement that I didn't make it, 521 00:25:24,400 --> 00:25:26,680 Speaker 3: I had to sit down meeting with her and she 522 00:25:27,320 --> 00:25:30,119 Speaker 3: was just like, we've spoken about this before, and it 523 00:25:30,240 --> 00:25:32,280 Speaker 3: was something that she and the old coach had come 524 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,560 Speaker 3: to me with before Tokyo and said. 525 00:25:34,320 --> 00:25:36,520 Speaker 4: You know you're in your head, you're in your own way. 526 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,440 Speaker 3: You're the one stopping you here from being this athlete 527 00:25:39,440 --> 00:25:42,440 Speaker 3: that we know who you are, and you have the 528 00:25:42,480 --> 00:25:46,040 Speaker 3: potential and capabilities of being So she's like, I think 529 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:49,040 Speaker 3: you need the time right now to get that fixed 530 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:52,960 Speaker 3: so you can go to Paris. Otherwise, if we prolong this. 531 00:25:53,160 --> 00:25:54,159 Speaker 4: You're not going to Paris. 532 00:25:54,240 --> 00:25:58,680 Speaker 3: Essentially like paraphrasing, but it just was, Yeah, a conversation 533 00:25:58,760 --> 00:25:59,840 Speaker 3: and a huge wake up call. 534 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:05,440 Speaker 4: I had become too comfortable. I was just going and going. 535 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:06,800 Speaker 2: In the motions complacent. 536 00:26:07,000 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was complacent. I was just turning up. I 537 00:26:09,840 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 3: wasn't training, you know, maybe to my full potential. And 538 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 3: this was a huge wake up call. And you know, 539 00:26:15,560 --> 00:26:18,439 Speaker 3: there was moments where I was like, well, you know, 540 00:26:18,480 --> 00:26:21,280 Speaker 3: I tried to see how this will be it I'm out. 541 00:26:21,480 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 4: And then there were other moments where I was like, no, I'm. 542 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,560 Speaker 3: So close, and I'm I'm going to prove to her 543 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:30,800 Speaker 3: that this I'm not complacent, like I'm doing everything. And 544 00:26:30,840 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 3: so that was another moment where I got all the 545 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 3: kind of assistant and support stuff that I couldn't in a. 546 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:37,560 Speaker 4: Room, and I was like, how am I getting to Paris? 547 00:26:37,600 --> 00:26:38,360 Speaker 4: How are we getting there? 548 00:26:38,720 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 3: Let's go, let's organize, because again I wasn't in the 549 00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,440 Speaker 3: the traveling squad, so I had to stay home and trains, 550 00:26:44,440 --> 00:26:45,760 Speaker 3: which I mean I had to stay home and work. 551 00:26:45,840 --> 00:26:46,800 Speaker 4: So again I'm. 552 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:48,879 Speaker 3: Working full time when I didn't plan to be, and 553 00:26:49,760 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 3: and things like that. So yeah, it was getting the 554 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 3: final call I think was even more emotional than the 555 00:26:57,160 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 3: first one because I was just I purposely was myself 556 00:27:01,400 --> 00:27:03,919 Speaker 3: in my apartment, just just sitting in the fields for 557 00:27:03,960 --> 00:27:04,520 Speaker 3: a long time. 558 00:27:04,640 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 4: Yeah. 559 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,000 Speaker 2: Wow. And this is where the head game comes in 560 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:11,879 Speaker 2: because you know you've been dropped, and you go one 561 00:27:11,960 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 2: or two ways, but you either have that sort of 562 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,440 Speaker 2: fuck you attitude where you go, well, listen, I've done 563 00:27:16,440 --> 00:27:19,160 Speaker 2: everything I can for you lot, or you go, actually, 564 00:27:19,760 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 2: you know the reason why this happened. You know, am 565 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:25,000 Speaker 2: I being complacent? Am I getting a bit too big 566 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:27,919 Speaker 2: for my boots? Am I getting over confident? And you know, 567 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,280 Speaker 2: do I think that the team can't function without me? 568 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 2: And then that reality check comes in? And you know, luckily, 569 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 2: and you know, knowing your your potential and your capabilities, 570 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 2: you went down the road of right, listen, let's get 571 00:27:42,560 --> 00:27:45,320 Speaker 2: back in that team. And that takes a certain mindset 572 00:27:45,320 --> 00:27:48,080 Speaker 2: to do that. And so you were just full steam ahead, 573 00:27:48,080 --> 00:27:50,080 Speaker 2: wanting to prove to yourself, wanting to prove to the 574 00:27:50,119 --> 00:27:52,320 Speaker 2: coaches that you've got what it takes. When did you 575 00:27:52,359 --> 00:27:54,720 Speaker 2: get when did you get invited back? And how did 576 00:27:54,720 --> 00:27:55,160 Speaker 2: you feel? 577 00:27:55,320 --> 00:27:57,399 Speaker 3: Yeah, so we just got a message kind of saying, 578 00:27:57,440 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 3: you know, this is the schedule we're going to I 579 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:01,920 Speaker 3: think we're doing the locks in Canberra again. So we 580 00:28:02,000 --> 00:28:04,800 Speaker 3: did like months since in Canberra doing training at the Ies. 581 00:28:06,560 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 3: But yeah, so when I got back into that, I 582 00:28:08,840 --> 00:28:09,879 Speaker 3: was really nervous. 583 00:28:10,040 --> 00:28:12,120 Speaker 4: I was scared. 584 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, I was like, I have to prove myself every 585 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:18,920 Speaker 3: minute of every day here. There's no sleeping at all, 586 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,360 Speaker 3: like not physically sleeping. Of course I slapped. 587 00:28:21,080 --> 00:28:23,760 Speaker 2: Back, Yeah, I know, yeah, there's no sleeping exactly. 588 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,240 Speaker 3: But yeah, so I was just kind of nervous, and 589 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,040 Speaker 3: I just channeled that nervous energy into doing the best 590 00:28:30,080 --> 00:28:32,639 Speaker 3: I could every day and trying to prove that I 591 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,080 Speaker 3: was everything that she was saying that I wasn't and 592 00:28:35,720 --> 00:28:38,960 Speaker 3: you know, fizz being physically fit and being a team player, 593 00:28:39,040 --> 00:28:40,120 Speaker 3: being mentally fit. 594 00:28:39,960 --> 00:28:42,120 Speaker 4: And things like that. So yeah, I just kind of 595 00:28:42,120 --> 00:28:43,040 Speaker 4: threw myself into it. 596 00:28:43,120 --> 00:28:50,800 Speaker 2: Wow. And then Paris. What differed from landing in Tokyo 597 00:28:50,880 --> 00:28:54,800 Speaker 2: to landing in Paris? Obviously, apart from all of the 598 00:28:56,480 --> 00:29:00,400 Speaker 2: pandemic sort of lockdown stuff. But what differed in pressure 599 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:03,640 Speaker 2: in you know, you were you were expected to perform 600 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:06,600 Speaker 2: a lot better than you did in Tokyo, right. 601 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:10,560 Speaker 4: Kind of the opposite. We did a lot of a 602 00:29:10,640 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 4: European tours before, so we. 603 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 3: Were in the end, I think we're in Europe, including 604 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:16,760 Speaker 3: the three weeks at the Olympics, maybe like seven weeks. 605 00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:20,360 Speaker 3: So we did a lot of prep beforehand, a lot 606 00:29:20,400 --> 00:29:24,680 Speaker 3: of common trainings with other countries and things like that. 607 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,840 Speaker 4: And the week before we went into the village we were. 608 00:29:26,720 --> 00:29:28,680 Speaker 3: In the French Institute of Sport with the pat with 609 00:29:28,720 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 3: the French team playing them. 610 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,440 Speaker 4: But ranking wise, we didn't ranked very high. 611 00:29:34,480 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 3: We maybe got a fourth at the one of the 612 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:39,320 Speaker 3: World Champs and maybe a fifth or sixth and another one, 613 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,360 Speaker 3: so we were in top six for sure, but there 614 00:29:42,520 --> 00:29:45,200 Speaker 3: was we have to keep reminding ourselves that. I think 615 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:47,920 Speaker 3: what kind of failed us in the Tokyo cycle was 616 00:29:47,920 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 3: that we thought we were a gold medal chance without 617 00:29:49,920 --> 00:29:53,880 Speaker 3: actually producing any gold medal performances. Whereas this time we 618 00:29:54,360 --> 00:29:56,720 Speaker 3: literally broke our whole program down and we built it 619 00:29:56,760 --> 00:29:59,640 Speaker 3: back up, so we worked on it every single day, 620 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,560 Speaker 3: and I think psych was a huge part of that. 621 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:06,240 Speaker 4: So landing in in. 622 00:30:06,120 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 3: Paris or going into the Olympic village was so exciting 623 00:30:09,360 --> 00:30:12,320 Speaker 3: because we were just so excited to see what we 624 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,120 Speaker 3: could do. Because we had a few pre tournaments where 625 00:30:15,120 --> 00:30:18,680 Speaker 3: we were winning games that you know, theoretically we shouldn't. 626 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,800 Speaker 4: Have been winning, or previously we wouldn't have won. 627 00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 3: But but yeah, leading into into Paris, it was just 628 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:26,200 Speaker 3: kind of like, well, we can one. 629 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,400 Speaker 2: On us as well, So there's almost the pressure was off, 630 00:30:29,440 --> 00:30:31,680 Speaker 2: but it was on. You know, you knew you could perform. 631 00:30:31,800 --> 00:30:34,560 Speaker 2: But and I suppose when the pressures off as such, 632 00:30:34,640 --> 00:30:38,040 Speaker 2: you know, and the spotlight's not on you, you sort 633 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,880 Speaker 2: of have you go in with a more relaxed attitude, 634 00:30:40,920 --> 00:30:42,920 Speaker 2: don't you in a more relaxed feel, even though you 635 00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:46,760 Speaker 2: know that behind the scenes, you know, there's expectations and 636 00:30:46,800 --> 00:30:54,040 Speaker 2: there's pressures. You come out of the Powers Olympics with silver. 637 00:30:54,480 --> 00:30:58,640 Speaker 2: Did you ever imagine that you could possibly win this? 638 00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 3: To be honest, we had a really hard pool, and 639 00:31:03,600 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 3: so we were just literally taking a game by game, 640 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:08,480 Speaker 3: and like I said, we hadn't really had that much 641 00:31:09,400 --> 00:31:11,800 Speaker 3: many performances where we were winning all the tournaments and 642 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,840 Speaker 3: things like that. So we literally took a game by game, 643 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:17,360 Speaker 3: and when we topped our pool was kind of a 644 00:31:17,440 --> 00:31:19,560 Speaker 3: minute that we were like, well, hang on a second, 645 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,479 Speaker 3: Like anything can happen at the Olympics here, so you know, 646 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:25,480 Speaker 3: why can't we win a gold medal? So you know, 647 00:31:25,560 --> 00:31:27,840 Speaker 3: from the kind of quarterfinals on weds when we were 648 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,200 Speaker 3: in the metal stage, it was very much on our radar, 649 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,640 Speaker 3: but we just had to keep to our processes and 650 00:31:33,720 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 3: keep to a game by game and just you know, 651 00:31:36,120 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 3: we could have gotten knocked out in the semi and 652 00:31:37,880 --> 00:31:40,080 Speaker 3: then knocked out in the bronxe, so it could go 653 00:31:40,200 --> 00:31:44,080 Speaker 3: one of you know, three or four different ways. So yeah, 654 00:31:44,120 --> 00:31:46,080 Speaker 3: we literally just couldn't get ahead of ourselves. We just 655 00:31:46,080 --> 00:31:48,280 Speaker 3: had to take it game by game, and then once 656 00:31:48,320 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 3: we were in the gold medal match, it was just 657 00:31:49,680 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 3: kind of. 658 00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:50,720 Speaker 4: A pinch me moment. 659 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:55,280 Speaker 3: Like our programs a whole year ago was in ruins 660 00:31:55,320 --> 00:31:57,440 Speaker 3: and we were in a review and we lost our coach, 661 00:31:57,520 --> 00:32:00,640 Speaker 3: and you know, there was so much going on background 662 00:32:01,520 --> 00:32:03,200 Speaker 3: to now being in a gold medal and big game, 663 00:32:03,280 --> 00:32:05,360 Speaker 3: like that's unheard of, and so we were just kind 664 00:32:05,360 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 3: of like, we are here, why don't we you know, 665 00:32:09,200 --> 00:32:12,040 Speaker 3: finish strong, and why not us. This team is this 666 00:32:12,200 --> 00:32:14,680 Speaker 3: Spanish team. Yet it's a it's a unit. It's a 667 00:32:14,720 --> 00:32:16,800 Speaker 3: strong team that's played together for so many years, but 668 00:32:17,840 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 3: so with other teams that we knocked off. 669 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:24,640 Speaker 2: So yeah, that's amazing. And you and you unfortunately you know, 670 00:32:24,800 --> 00:32:27,080 Speaker 2: you don't come out on top, but you come out 671 00:32:27,120 --> 00:32:30,600 Speaker 2: on top with a with a silver medal in the Olympics, 672 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:33,880 Speaker 2: which is absolutely phenomenal. And you talk about a moment 673 00:32:34,520 --> 00:32:38,000 Speaker 2: after receiving your medal where you where you had a 674 00:32:38,080 --> 00:32:41,480 Speaker 2: hug with with with your family. Why was that so 675 00:32:41,520 --> 00:32:45,200 Speaker 2: important and what you know, what did it feel like? 676 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:47,520 Speaker 4: Yeah, it was just incredible. 677 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,680 Speaker 3: It's a weird thing losing a game but getting a 678 00:32:50,920 --> 00:32:54,000 Speaker 3: getting a silver medal because the bronze people in the 679 00:32:54,040 --> 00:32:56,720 Speaker 3: call room are so excited, the gold medal team so excited, 680 00:32:56,760 --> 00:32:59,520 Speaker 3: and you're just kind of like in this weird middle feeling. 681 00:33:00,560 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 3: But once it kind of like we had our moment 682 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:04,600 Speaker 3: and we got the medals and we were excited that 683 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:05,560 Speaker 3: we got a civil medal. 684 00:33:06,560 --> 00:33:06,760 Speaker 4: Yeah. 685 00:33:06,760 --> 00:33:09,160 Speaker 3: I found them in the crowd and just giving them 686 00:33:09,200 --> 00:33:12,320 Speaker 3: the hug. Like obviously having four brothers, you don't show 687 00:33:12,360 --> 00:33:14,520 Speaker 3: a lot of emotion and they'd never really hug me 688 00:33:14,760 --> 00:33:19,040 Speaker 3: or you know, say nice things to me. So having 689 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:22,880 Speaker 3: this like big hug and you know, moment with my 690 00:33:22,880 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 3: brothers was just incredible, especially them and my parents. It's 691 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,360 Speaker 3: as much their metal as it is mine, because they've 692 00:33:30,400 --> 00:33:32,920 Speaker 3: sacrificed just as much. And they were always on the 693 00:33:32,960 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 3: other end of the phone when I was, you know, 694 00:33:35,560 --> 00:33:40,400 Speaker 3: sixteen thousand kilometers away crying and you know, going when 695 00:33:40,440 --> 00:33:42,760 Speaker 3: I was you know, in my depths of the pits 696 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:43,080 Speaker 3: of hell. 697 00:33:43,320 --> 00:33:47,040 Speaker 4: So they have been on every part of the journey 698 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:47,360 Speaker 4: with me. 699 00:33:47,520 --> 00:33:49,840 Speaker 3: So I'm really glad that I give them something tangible 700 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:53,240 Speaker 3: and physical that they could touch and see that you know, this, 701 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:54,240 Speaker 3: this wasn't wasted. 702 00:33:54,720 --> 00:33:58,160 Speaker 2: I can see you're getting emotional right now about that. 703 00:33:58,480 --> 00:34:01,640 Speaker 2: I can only imagine what you were like when you 704 00:34:01,800 --> 00:34:04,280 Speaker 2: actually had that hug. And it's such a powerful moment. 705 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,480 Speaker 2: And you mentioned, you know, it's so so aware of 706 00:34:07,520 --> 00:34:10,640 Speaker 2: you to mention a sacrifice that you know other people 707 00:34:10,719 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 2: make to get to where you want to be and 708 00:34:13,640 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 2: where you where you you know, you could deliver that 709 00:34:16,280 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 2: silver medal and it's it's given me goosebumps thinking about it. 710 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:26,320 Speaker 2: But how important is it to not give up on yourself? 711 00:34:26,440 --> 00:34:27,840 Speaker 2: Ellie massively. 712 00:34:28,040 --> 00:34:31,160 Speaker 3: It's it's something that I think everyone battles with every day, 713 00:34:31,280 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 3: is just this imposter syndrome, especially as Australians where you know, 714 00:34:34,840 --> 00:34:36,800 Speaker 3: have this tall puppy syndrome and whatnot. 715 00:34:36,800 --> 00:34:40,000 Speaker 4: But it's something you have to work on all the time. 716 00:34:40,120 --> 00:34:43,440 Speaker 3: And I think along the way I lost it a 717 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:45,640 Speaker 3: few times and I was so grateful to the people 718 00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:47,520 Speaker 3: who pulled me back and reminded me and gave me 719 00:34:47,560 --> 00:34:50,319 Speaker 3: another chance. You have to back yourself and you have 720 00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,880 Speaker 3: to put the effort in and put the work in. 721 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:55,359 Speaker 4: Things aren't just going to come easily. So I think 722 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,400 Speaker 4: your self belief and self love is crucial. 723 00:34:58,440 --> 00:35:03,799 Speaker 2: It's huge ask question what is next for yourself. I 724 00:35:03,840 --> 00:35:07,080 Speaker 2: love it that you're in your school doing this interview 725 00:35:07,160 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 2: with myself because you're you're still working away as a teacher. 726 00:35:12,000 --> 00:35:14,200 Speaker 2: But what's next for you when it comes to water 727 00:35:14,280 --> 00:35:15,360 Speaker 2: polo and your career That. 728 00:35:17,280 --> 00:35:19,840 Speaker 4: I really don't know. I am at the minute. 729 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:22,560 Speaker 3: I'm kind of taking a break from the national team 730 00:35:22,600 --> 00:35:26,000 Speaker 3: again and I'm back training once a week with the 731 00:35:26,120 --> 00:35:30,360 Speaker 3: QAS squad, but I'm just kind of enjoying doing my 732 00:35:30,400 --> 00:35:32,680 Speaker 3: own kind of training in a gym or running or 733 00:35:32,800 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 3: plarties and and I think I just need to kind 734 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:37,719 Speaker 3: of throw myself into my job for a bit and 735 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,280 Speaker 3: see if that's something that I want to pursue, because it's. 736 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,080 Speaker 4: Had such a backseat my entire career. 737 00:35:43,400 --> 00:35:45,359 Speaker 3: So yeah, I'm just kind of figuring it out at 738 00:35:45,360 --> 00:35:47,399 Speaker 3: this point in time, and I'm not really sure where 739 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:48,440 Speaker 3: it holds to my life. 740 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:52,680 Speaker 2: Well, listen, that's magnificent. Thank you ever so much for 741 00:35:52,719 --> 00:35:56,000 Speaker 2: coming on head Game. I hope I didn't make you 742 00:35:56,040 --> 00:36:01,640 Speaker 2: cry too much. No frilling your glasses up there. It's 743 00:36:01,680 --> 00:36:03,759 Speaker 2: amazing what you're doing with the children. Keep it up 744 00:36:04,280 --> 00:36:06,400 Speaker 2: and listen. Thank you for coming on. 745 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:08,840 Speaker 4: Thank you so much for having me. It's a pleasure. 746 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:12,920 Speaker 2: Thank you so much for joining me on Headgame. If 747 00:36:12,920 --> 00:36:15,960 Speaker 2: you enjoyed this episode, make sure you're subscribed so you 748 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:18,960 Speaker 2: don't miss any of our incredible stories, and leave me 749 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:23,560 Speaker 2: a review wherever you're listening. I'm Att Middleton. Catch you 750 00:36:23,640 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 2: again next time.