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Speaker 1: You're listening to a Muma Mia podcast.

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Speaker 2: Mamma Mia acknowledges the traditional owners of the land and

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Speaker 2: waters that this podcast is recorded on. Hello, it's your host,

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Speaker 2: Claire Stevens, jumping into your ears to tell you why

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Speaker 2: this episode of But Are You Happy? Sounds a little

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Speaker 2: bit different. It's because we recorded it live at south

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Speaker 2: By Southwest, Sydney in October. I was joined by Olympic

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Speaker 2: gold medalist no Ami Fox, and I interviewed her in

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Speaker 2: front of a live audience. But I didn't want any

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Speaker 2: of you to miss out on hearing this episode, which

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Speaker 2: is why we've released it for you to listen to enjoy.

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Speaker 3: Welcome to But Are You Happy?

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Speaker 2: The podcast that asked the questions you've always wanted to

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Speaker 2: know from the people who appear to have it all.

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Speaker 2: I'm your host, Claire Stevens, and I'm joined by Olympic

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Speaker 2: gold medalist and widely adored athlete no Amy Fox. Usually

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Speaker 2: we would get straight into the show, but I wanted

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Speaker 2: to give just a little explanation of what but Are

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Speaker 2: You Happy? Is about for anybody who is coming across

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Speaker 2: it for the first time. So it's not an original

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Speaker 2: idea to say that Culturally, we're sold a little bit

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Speaker 2: of a lie about happiness, that achievement brings it, that

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Speaker 2: being really, really ridiculously good looking might bring it, that

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Speaker 2: money might bring it, That finding your life's passion is

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Speaker 2: definitely going to bring it, that being famous or being

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Speaker 2: applauded or winning a gold medal might bring it, and

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Speaker 2: that if you strive and strive and do your best

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Speaker 2: and get the thing, then you will be able to

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Speaker 2: look around, it will be completely uncomplicated and you will

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Speaker 2: feel deliriously happy. But deep down we know that humans

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Speaker 2: are far more complicated than that. I think this lie

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Speaker 2: is pedled even further now that we live in this

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Speaker 2: image based culture and we're all absorbing the shiny parts

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Speaker 2: of other people's lives. Things like birthdays and wedding days

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Speaker 2: and travel and winning gold medals are reduced to two

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Speaker 2: dimensional images of smiling faces instead of being felt as

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Speaker 2: the really complex emotional experiences that they are. The problem

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Speaker 2: is that then our expectations get really unrealistic, and we

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Speaker 2: get to certain moments in our lives and we feel

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Speaker 2: like we're not feeling what we're meant to feel. So

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Speaker 2: on this show, I ask people like no Amy about

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Speaker 2: success and failure and vulnerability and jealousy and times the

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Speaker 2: world told her she'd be happy and she wasn't, And

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Speaker 2: together we unravel the illusion that anyone's emotional reality is uncomplicated.

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Speaker 2: So with that, no Amy, I want to start by

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Speaker 2: asking you whether you grew up in a happy household.

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Speaker 1: I feel like I've never been asked that question before,

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Speaker 1: but yes, definitely. I think like any childhood, there's ups

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Speaker 1: and downs. I think, you know, it wasn't always happy, happy, happy,

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Speaker 1: and I do think I definitely felt you know, sad

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Speaker 1: or angry or frustrated a lot of the time, especially

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Speaker 1: you know, growing up straight away with a sister that

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Speaker 1: just excelled in every single department.

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Speaker 3: But overall, definitely a happy household.

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Speaker 1: I think, you know, I feel extremely lucky and grateful

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Speaker 1: to have been instilled really great values of you know,

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Speaker 1: hard work, discipline. Both my parents from the start. You know,

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Speaker 1: they didn't push kayaking onto us. I think they let

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Speaker 1: us discover all these different sports, but we also got

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Speaker 1: drilled into the lesson of getting back into the boat

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Speaker 1: or back on the horse when things didn't go well,

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Speaker 1: or finishing a term of dance even if I hated it.

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Speaker 3: So there was definitely you know a.

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Speaker 1: Lot of yeah, that sort of hard work, discipline, but

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Speaker 1: also so much enjoyment and you know, freedom growing up

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Speaker 1: in Australia.

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Speaker 3: But I was born in France and I.

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Speaker 1: Moved to Australia at the age of two for the

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Speaker 1: Sydney two thousand Olympics. My parents were both involved in that,

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Speaker 1: and I think they just loved Australia, you know, the

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Speaker 1: freedom that lifestyle brought, how big and green the places were,

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Speaker 1: the fact that we could walk to school undisturbed and safely,

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Speaker 1: and so yeah, I think there was so much happiness

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Speaker 1: and that sort of childhood, but also going back to

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Speaker 1: France every year and being with my grandparents. But yeah,

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Speaker 1: I think, you know, it was also quite hard growing

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Speaker 1: up in Australia without extended family, and that's something that

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Speaker 1: you know, I reflect on now as I'm getting older

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Speaker 1: and maybe thinking about starting a family. But yeah, definitely

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Speaker 1: so much happiness and hard work, commitment, freedom of expression

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Speaker 1: and yeah, so it was a good, very lucky childhood.

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Speaker 2: Do you feel like France and Australia are culturally different

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Speaker 2: when it comes to happiness, Like when you spend time

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Speaker 2: in France versus when you spend time in Australia, do

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Speaker 2: you feel like there's a different ethos.

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Speaker 1: Towards that emotion a little bit. I think Australia's kind

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Speaker 1: of like you're doing great mentality. And I loved school

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Speaker 1: in Australia because I felt like I was doing a

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Speaker 1: great job. In France, I did a few terms and

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Speaker 1: they'd rip out my paper because I didn't write in

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Speaker 1: the right cursive handwriting, or I did a few spelling mistakes.

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Speaker 1: So also, you know, the schools, they were indoors and

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Speaker 1: we would do school from eight am until six pm

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Speaker 1: with a two.

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Speaker 3: Hour lunch break.

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Speaker 1: And then in Australia you do nine am until three

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Speaker 1: pm and you run home and then you can play

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Speaker 1: outside or do swimming, do kayaking, do running. So I think,

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Speaker 1: you know, today, I do think that life is kind

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Speaker 1: of easier in Australia.

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Speaker 3: I think it's easy to be happier.

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Speaker 1: There's a lot more like dialogue and open dialogue around

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Speaker 1: mental health and awareness there. In France, I think there's

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Speaker 1: still that sort of you know, work hard, be the

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Speaker 1: last one to leave the office, and a bit more

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Speaker 1: of like the yeah, I don't know. I think it's

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Speaker 1: much easier to express yourself freely and not feel as

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Speaker 1: judged maybe in Australia, know the French, they like to judge.

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Speaker 3: So what was.

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Speaker 2: Your dynamic like with Jess when you were growing up,

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Speaker 2: like she's a couple of years older. Did you feel

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Speaker 2: I also have a sister Jess who It's funny your

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Speaker 2: sister Jess was topp to the state in a subject

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Speaker 2: and was ducks.

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Speaker 3: So was my sister Jess.

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Speaker 2: So I feel like I understand a part of you,

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Speaker 2: a very small part of you, not the Olympic part.

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Speaker 2: But what was that dynamic like as you're growing up

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Speaker 2: and I guess your benchmark for success is just so

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Speaker 2: bizarrely just the outlier, Like what's that like?

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Speaker 1: Yeah? I think growing up we were great companions, you know.

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Speaker 1: I think we traveled a lot with my parents that

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Speaker 1: were both involved in the sport, and my mum she

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Speaker 1: would just leave us two together by the river and

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Speaker 1: we occupy ourselves and I don't really.

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Speaker 3: Know what we did, but we always, you know, had

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Speaker 3: each other.

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Speaker 1: And I think my mum she was an only child,

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Speaker 1: and so she really wanted to make sure that we

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Speaker 1: were friends forever. And that's something that she's really been

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Speaker 1: aware of. Also my dad as well, he's in this picture.

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Speaker 1: But you know, I think being an only child, she

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Speaker 1: really wanted to make sure that we were together no

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Speaker 1: matter what. And that's something that's kind of been reinforced

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Speaker 1: as it got a little bit more competitive and with

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Speaker 1: only one spot at the Olympics. And that's also something

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Speaker 1: we're both very aware of. So our relationship is something

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Speaker 1: that is incredibly valuable to both of us, and we

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Speaker 1: both know that sport is kind of leading, but you know,

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Speaker 1: life is hopefully a very long journey that we can

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Speaker 1: share together. But growing up, I, as you know, the

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Speaker 1: younger sibling, I think I tried to, you know, steal

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Speaker 1: her clothes or things I still do now, but like,

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Speaker 1: you know, be a little bit, I don't know, try

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Speaker 1: to edge her on. And she was so and still

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Speaker 1: is like calm and just like the type of person

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Speaker 1: that when you realize you keep egging them on and

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Speaker 1: they don't give you anything, you just stop annoying them,

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Speaker 1: like come on.

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Speaker 3: I know.

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Speaker 1: Like, So we didn't fight really, like obviously there were

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Speaker 1: moments where you'd have, like, you know, a few arguments,

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Speaker 1: but I really think it was quite a chill childhood

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Speaker 1: and relationship even in high school because she's such a

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Speaker 1: chill person that eventually, I you know, like I just

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Speaker 1: gave up and started, you know, having a happy relationship

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Speaker 1: with her. And then yeah, then you know, I think

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Speaker 1: in high school she started to become really good at kayaking,

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Speaker 1: and she won the world championships and I was there,

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Speaker 1: and and then she did like HC topped the state

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Speaker 1: in what was it, PHP and then got a ninety

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Speaker 1: nine point one a task. I was like, oh god,

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Speaker 1: double world champion, senior world champion, nine nine point one

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Speaker 1: ATA great. I'm just gonna be the disappointment. There's no

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Speaker 1: I can't do better than that, you know. So I

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Speaker 1: think that period of my life, you know, when I

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Speaker 1: did the HC, I there was that like I need

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Speaker 1: to beat her in something, and I did in one

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Speaker 1: one self check, And yeah, I think there was always that,

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Speaker 1: you know, comparison, and even in sport, and then definitely

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Speaker 1: in sport, so we also nearly did the same degree,

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Speaker 1: and I'm glad there was like a difference there, but yeah,

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Speaker 1: there was a lot of comparison. And we all know

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Speaker 1: that comparison is the thief of joy, but it's also

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Speaker 1: inevitable and it's inescapable sometimes as well, so definitely hard

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Speaker 1: kind of having such a huge, you know, like benchmark,

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Speaker 1: but also being in the same industry. It's not like

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Speaker 1: I then went on to do medicine and taekwondo. You know,

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Speaker 1: I was in the same industry and also doing the

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Speaker 1: same sport. So it's yeah, an inevitable comparison. But also,

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Speaker 1: you know, Jess is so likable that I never felt

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Speaker 1: that sort of jealousy or envy, and she has always

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Speaker 1: been so supportive for my career and my goals. And

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Speaker 1: even though sometimes you're like, well, it's so degrading because

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Speaker 1: you're like, oh, good job, that's amazing, and it's nothing

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Speaker 1: compared to what you've achieved.

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Speaker 3: But I'll never forget.

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Speaker 1: We were at the New South Wales and Street of

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Speaker 1: Sports Awards and the person who spoke they said it

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Speaker 1: was for the world championship medalists and they said, you know,

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Speaker 1: you start out by being the best in your household,

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Speaker 1: you're the best in the street, and then in the

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Speaker 1: state and then in the country. And I looked to

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Speaker 1: my psychologist who was there with me, and I was.

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Speaker 3: Like, I'm still on level one.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, so you know I think, yeah, definitely growing up

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Speaker 1: with that sort of comparison was hard, but it was

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Speaker 1: also growing up with that benchmark of you know, success,

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Speaker 1: that benchmark of being able to compare myself every day

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Speaker 1: to the.

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Speaker 3: Best in the world. And while there were so many

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Speaker 3: traps and.

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Speaker 1: Demons that came with that, there was also so much

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Speaker 1: growth and good that came from that, and that helped me,

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Speaker 1: you know, get to where.

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Speaker 3: I am today.

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Speaker 2: It's something that I think you notice that I notice

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Speaker 2: it as a sibling, that the media kind of laughs about,

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Speaker 2: but I think that there can be some real pain

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Speaker 2: there when you feel.

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Speaker 1: Kind of overshadowed in your own family.

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Speaker 2: But what I find really interesting I did a deep

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Speaker 2: dive after your win, and there's all this research about

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Speaker 2: younger siblings being, like in sport, being incredibly incredibly successful.

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Speaker 2: And when you think about it, in you know, there's

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Speaker 2: the Williams sisters, there's Kate and Bronte Campbell, there's something

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Speaker 2: about that younger sibling having to wait and having to

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Speaker 2: be patient that genuinely does result in a very spectacular

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Speaker 2: type of excellence. What do you think that is, like,

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Speaker 2: what is that mindset that clearly by waiting for your turn,

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Speaker 2: it actually makes you brilliant in a completely different way,

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Speaker 2: like like what do you think that is?

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Speaker 3: I think it comes down to a lot of things.

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Speaker 1: For me, it was exactly that, you know, I've been

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Speaker 1: waiting for my moment for such a long time, and

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Speaker 1: part of me thought that I'd never get that moment,

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Speaker 1: I'd never get that opportunity.

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Speaker 3: I'd always be the.

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Speaker 1: One person in my family that wasn't an Olympian, that

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Speaker 1: never like made it. And so, you know, you get

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Speaker 1: the jokes like you said of oh my god, what's

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Speaker 1: it like being the only person that's never made it

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Speaker 1: to the Olympics in your family, and you're like, ah, great,

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Speaker 1: Like what do you think you know? Like so yeah, definitely,

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Speaker 1: you know you laugh it out. But I think it

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Speaker 1: was something I kind of came to terms with but

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Speaker 1: didn't didn't completely, you know, extinct wish the fire of

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Speaker 1: that dream of getting to the Olympics, but it was

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Speaker 1: always one spot. And when Kaye Cross came to the

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Speaker 1: Olympic program, it was finally an opportunity for me to

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Speaker 1: get a qualifying spot. And I think it was that

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Speaker 1: it was waiting for such a long time to get

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Speaker 1: that moment that when it came, I was like clinging

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Speaker 1: onto it, and I was like, I'm not going to

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Speaker 1: let this go easily. And I think, you know, in

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Speaker 1: addition to all of that, it's also the mindset of

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Speaker 1: I think, you know, not having your self worth and

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Speaker 1: your identity just tied up in the sport because otherwise

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Speaker 1: you're just completely and just constantly crushed because you have

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Speaker 1: an older sister that's always successful. So it's understanding that

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Speaker 1: there's more to life than just sport and trying to

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Speaker 1: develop yourself in different ways. And so I did two degrees,

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Speaker 1: did my undergrad then did a master's because in the

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Speaker 1: period of finishing my undergrad and my masters, I was like,

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Speaker 1: oh my god, I'm just an athlete. That's really scary,

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Speaker 1: and I don't know if I just want to be

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Speaker 1: just an athlete. And I learned that I actually am

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Speaker 1: more successful in my sport when I have that sense

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Speaker 1: of balance, you know, that sense of purpose that when

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Speaker 1: I go to work they think of me as such

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Speaker 1: a cool athlete, but then in the kayaking community, I'm

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Speaker 1: the one with the real girl, big job, you know.

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Speaker 1: So there was that sort of sense of balance and

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Speaker 1: purpose that came from that, and I think that really

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Speaker 1: fueled me. So yeah, when that opportunity came, it was

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Speaker 1: really like, finally my moment. I'm not going to let

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Speaker 1: this get away very easily. And I think in the games,

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Speaker 1: that sort of media attention and the expectations of oh,

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Speaker 1: you're going to be like your sister, You're going to win.

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Speaker 1: I think for me, I'd already done so much work

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Speaker 1: in you know, canceling out the expectations the noise, and

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Speaker 1: for me, I was so driven to like be here

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Speaker 1: and proud that I'd made it, that my goals and

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Speaker 1: like my own internal dialogue was out trumping like everything

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Speaker 1: in the media. So yeah, I think there was a

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Speaker 1: lot of mindset, mental prep that came with, you know,

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Speaker 1: kind of building that resilient mindset so to handle all

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Speaker 1: the expectations to know why I'm there, to know that

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Speaker 1: you know, I'm also I've had the hardest selection out

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Speaker 1: of pretty much any other athlete, so.

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Speaker 3: I'm worthy of being here.

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Speaker 1: I have what it takes to do well, and yeah,

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Speaker 1: I'm not going to let my moment, my turn, finally

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Speaker 1: go easily.

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Speaker 2: Do you feel like because you'd been exposed to what

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Speaker 2: success looked like in the lead up to that, like

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Speaker 2: once you qualify for the Games. Well, even before you

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Speaker 2: left Australia and you didn't know if you were going

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Speaker 2: to qualify, do you visualize, like, do you visualize that

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Speaker 2: moment of winning? Is that a thing?

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Speaker 1: Yeah, it's a thing, and it's something you don't really

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Speaker 1: talk about because you I don't know. I think I

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Speaker 1: was kind of embarrassed of telling people that I would

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Speaker 1: dream of winning the Olympics because it's such a hard

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Speaker 1: thing to do that. I really mentally prepared myself for

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Speaker 1: I guess disappointment as well, and I was okay with

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Speaker 1: the disappointment. But I had a really hard qualification race

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Speaker 1: in Prague, and in September we had to put in

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Speaker 1: a strategy in place to to really, you know, focus

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Speaker 1: on getting to the Olympics. And so for eight months,

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Speaker 1: visualization was a huge part of my strategy and I

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Speaker 1: would visualize that race, the rounds, and the finish line

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Speaker 1: of qualifying to the Olympic Games. And I feel like

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Speaker 1: I sound so wooy when I say this, but I

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Speaker 1: really feel like I manifested so much of that result,

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Speaker 1: even to the point that you know, I was thinking about,

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Speaker 1: you know, what's the worst case scenario of being up

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Speaker 1: against you know, who are the worst.

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Speaker 3: Athletes that would really destabilize me.

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Speaker 1: And then I ended up in that exact heat that

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Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, I think I'm really strong mentally.

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Speaker 3: I need to stop manifesting this.

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Speaker 1: But so when I qualified, I really like wrote down

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Speaker 1: everything to make sure that it wasn't just luck and

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Speaker 1: you know manifestation. It was also you know, hard work

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Speaker 1: paying off at the right time, this incredible focus and resiliency,

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Speaker 1: and yeah, that carried me through to Paris, that sort

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Speaker 1: of same focus. And and there's a funny story. We

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Speaker 1: have like a track suit and then we have a

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Speaker 1: podium tracksuit. And when we were the week of the

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Speaker 1: competition and just was up first. I was a week later,

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Speaker 1: and the day before her race, we were neighbors, so

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Speaker 1: I went into her room and I saw that she

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Speaker 1: had her podium track suit hanging up so she could

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Speaker 1: see it every single day. And I was like, oh,

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Speaker 1: that's such a good idea.

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Speaker 3: And then after she.

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Speaker 1: Won, I actually and when it was the day before

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Speaker 1: my race, I got my podium tracksuit out and I

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Speaker 1: tried it on and I hung it up and I

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Speaker 1: was like, you know, I just wanted to feel what

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Speaker 1: it was like wearing that. But there was a lot

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Speaker 1: of visualization about winning, mainly in Prague, and I think

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Speaker 1: that was my qualification race in June, and then for

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Speaker 1: the Olympics there wasn't I didn't visualize winning. I didn't

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Speaker 1: even visualize you know, the podium. I think I had

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Speaker 1: a completely different visualization process, and it was on the

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Speaker 1: actual process. You know. It was visualizing the crowd because

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Speaker 1: normally we compete maybe max. One thousand people are watching.

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Speaker 1: Here there was fifteen thousand people. The noise was something,

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Speaker 1: the adrenaline was something, so you know, visualizing this time,

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Speaker 1: not the heats. I didn't want to manifest being next

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Speaker 1: to some really tough people, but you know, the media

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Speaker 1: manifested Jess and I so.

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Speaker 3: And yeah.

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Speaker 1: So there was a different sort of visualization, but it

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Speaker 1: was definitely a key.

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Speaker 3: Part of the whole process.

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Speaker 2: You say a lot that, especially like leading up to

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Speaker 2: the Olympics, you were process driven.

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Speaker 3: What does that mean.

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Speaker 1: I think it's so easy to get carried away and

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Speaker 1: just think about the result. Especially in kyae cross and

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Speaker 1: ki cross, you have so many different rounds. It's not

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Speaker 1: like in sylom where you have one race and you've

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Speaker 1: got to deliver your perfect race.

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Speaker 3: In kite cross, you.

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Speaker 1: Have the time trial, then you have round one, then

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Speaker 1: you have Heat one, and then you have the quarter final,

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Speaker 1: semi five, and final. So it's so easy to kind

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Speaker 1: of get carried away and think, Okay, if I get

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Speaker 1: top two, then I'm going to be in this and

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Speaker 1: then I might be up against this person, and then

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Speaker 1: all I need to do is beat that person and

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Speaker 1: then I'm in the final. So it's really easy to

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Speaker 1: get carried away, and also to think compared to slalom,

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Speaker 1: where you know, if your level is top ten, then

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Speaker 1: you should make the final and you can hope for

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Speaker 1: a top ten finish. In kaya cross, you can be

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Speaker 1: one of the best in the world and be knocked

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Speaker 1: out in the top thirty two. That's what happened to Jess,

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Speaker 1: and I think it was a testament to the level

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Speaker 1: of the women that were competing. It was an incredibly

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Speaker 1: hard field and so I was, you know, I had

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Speaker 1: made the Olympics. I didn't want to get carried away

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Speaker 1: by the expectation of winning, or there was an inherent

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Speaker 1: fear of being eliminated first. That was definitely there, but

378
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Speaker 1: I didn't want to, you know, be consumed by that.

379
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Speaker 1: So something that really helped me throughout the whole competition

380
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Speaker 1: was just I had, like, you know, my little journal

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Speaker 1: kind of like Nicola the high jumper, and always you know,

382
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Speaker 1: just focusing on the process, what I needed to to do,

383
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Speaker 1: how I felt, really reflecting on the facts. I think

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Speaker 1: it's so easily like you can just get carried away

385
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Speaker 1: by thinking of that, you know, the self doubt, the

386
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Speaker 1: imposter syndrome, the result. But you know, reminding myself of

387
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Speaker 1: my previous results that you know, I had, what it

388
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Speaker 1: I have, what it takes to be here, and really

389
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Speaker 1: doing that positive reinforcement to stay in the moment and

390
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Speaker 1: then focus on what I need to do before getting

391
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Speaker 1: on that ramp, and then what I need.

392
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Speaker 3: To do up until the first gate.

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Speaker 1: So yeah, really staying in the moment and doing you know,

394
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Speaker 1: having little cues that kind of help you get in

395
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Speaker 1: that moment. But yeah, it's very easy to get carried

396
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Speaker 1: away and think of the result and the Olympics essentially

397
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Speaker 1: you see the one percent of the success. And it

398
00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,760
Speaker 1: was really important for me to be be prepared to

399
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Speaker 1: have a disappointment but also enjoy the whole Olympic Games experience.

400
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Speaker 1: There's so much more to the games than just that

401
00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,840
Speaker 1: end result and just the certificate you get that says

402
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Speaker 1: your place at the end of the the campaign. And

403
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Speaker 1: so because it was so hard for me to get there,

404
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Speaker 1: because I never thought I would make an Olympics, I

405
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Speaker 1: wanted my experience to be defined by more than.

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Speaker 3: Just my results.

407
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Speaker 1: So I signed up to all the activities. I you know,

408
00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:25,439
Speaker 1: did the opening ceremony, lived and breathed the magic of

409
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Speaker 1: the Olympics. When it was jess as race, I let

410
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Speaker 1: myself be carried away as a sister and as a

411
00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,399
Speaker 1: teammate and to you know, live the wins, not just

412
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Speaker 1: to step out. I didn't want to be too emotionally invested,

413
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Speaker 1: but you know, I ended up being very emotionally invested

414
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Speaker 1: and very drained and exhausted.

415
00:21:42,120 --> 00:21:45,800
Speaker 2: But your batteries recharged quickly because I can imagine, like.

416
00:21:46,600 --> 00:21:49,280
Speaker 3: You could obsess over I think.

417
00:21:49,120 --> 00:21:52,960
Speaker 2: That that idea of sticking with the facts is really

418
00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:58,760
Speaker 2: applicable to anyone because you can totally psych yourself out.

419
00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:03,919
Speaker 2: And I've listened to you talk about your sport and

420
00:22:03,960 --> 00:22:08,680
Speaker 2: the fact that in order like even in order to compete,

421
00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,280
Speaker 2: you sort of have to go over it, like it's

422
00:22:11,320 --> 00:22:13,679
Speaker 2: in Europe, and so you could psych yourself out and

423
00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:15,639
Speaker 2: be like, well, all these people have the course in

424
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Speaker 2: their backyard and I have to fly over here, Like

425
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Speaker 2: you could completely lose your mind, and clearly you don't.

426
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Speaker 3: Do you have a performance coach or a mindset coach?

427
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Speaker 1: Yeah? I had a sports psychologist that I've been working

428
00:22:33,520 --> 00:22:40,040
Speaker 1: with since I think it's been two years, and I think, yeah,

429
00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:42,320
Speaker 1: I think it's definitely easy to get psyched out. And

430
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Speaker 1: like you said about going overseas and people having a

431
00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:47,959
Speaker 1: course in their backyard. We actually had three months of

432
00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,159
Speaker 1: no water in Australia, so that was very hard. We

433
00:22:51,200 --> 00:22:54,639
Speaker 1: had a water quality issue at our only training center

434
00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:59,040
Speaker 1: at in Penrith. Green algae blue green algae not great,

435
00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,800
Speaker 1: our worst enemy, and so we after the selections in February,

436
00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:06,439
Speaker 1: we had no water for a whole month and that

437
00:23:06,560 --> 00:23:09,680
Speaker 1: was really hard because you start seeing people preparing doing

438
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:13,399
Speaker 1: training camps in Prague, where the Olympic selection was. That

439
00:23:13,440 --> 00:23:15,439
Speaker 1: would kind of give me anxiety when I'd open my

440
00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,719
Speaker 1: phone and see people doing training camps there, or training

441
00:23:18,720 --> 00:23:23,000
Speaker 1: camps with other athletes as well. Like I just had

442
00:23:23,359 --> 00:23:26,800
Speaker 1: Jess and one other under twenty three guy who was

443
00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:29,080
Speaker 1: really great to train with, but other than that, there

444
00:23:29,120 --> 00:23:31,919
Speaker 1: really wasn't a level that would help me train for

445
00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:36,119
Speaker 1: the Olympic qualification race, and so that in itself was

446
00:23:36,160 --> 00:23:39,040
Speaker 1: easy to get psycked out on. And then we went

447
00:23:39,080 --> 00:23:42,879
Speaker 1: overseas in March to do a training camp with the

448
00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,639
Speaker 1: British girls and the French girls, which was great, but

449
00:23:45,680 --> 00:23:48,600
Speaker 1: then came back and no water until we left overseas,

450
00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:52,760
Speaker 1: so there were lots of little I guess hurdles that

451
00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,800
Speaker 1: we had to go over that definitely can make it

452
00:23:55,840 --> 00:23:56,520
Speaker 1: really hard to.

453
00:23:58,720 --> 00:23:59,680
Speaker 3: Swallow I guess.

454
00:23:59,720 --> 00:24:02,359
Speaker 1: And then yeah, back in September as well, having to

455
00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:07,280
Speaker 1: give up my World championships to remain eligible to qualify

456
00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:11,600
Speaker 1: for the race in June. There was a very messy

457
00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:15,399
Speaker 1: period in September because the rules that were written there

458
00:24:15,440 --> 00:24:18,840
Speaker 1: were a lot of Yeah, it was basically a policy

459
00:24:18,840 --> 00:24:20,800
Speaker 1: that was very confusing for everyone and had a lot

460
00:24:20,800 --> 00:24:24,399
Speaker 1: of loopholes and traps, and I was a victim of

461
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:26,440
Speaker 1: those loopholes and traps, and so that was a very

462
00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,639
Speaker 1: frustrating period. But then yeah, the mindset coach and my

463
00:24:29,680 --> 00:24:32,639
Speaker 1: whole performance staff, they really helped me switch that narrative

464
00:24:32,680 --> 00:24:35,280
Speaker 1: as well, and see well you actually have an opportunity

465
00:24:35,320 --> 00:24:37,320
Speaker 1: to go to the Olympic Games, you know, so we

466
00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:38,520
Speaker 1: have to do everything we.

467
00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:40,000
Speaker 3: Can to see those opportunities.

468
00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,080
Speaker 1: So this whole, I guess past year there's been a

469
00:24:43,080 --> 00:24:45,480
Speaker 1: lot of you know, changing the narrative to see the

470
00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:50,000
Speaker 1: positive and seize the opportunities. And and you know, those hurdles,

471
00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,679
Speaker 1: they make you stronger, a lot of flatwater, you know

472
00:24:52,760 --> 00:24:55,480
Speaker 1: that that's great for our sprint and our starting sprint,

473
00:24:55,560 --> 00:24:57,399
Speaker 1: and that's something that definitely helped me.

474
00:24:57,400 --> 00:24:58,160
Speaker 3: At the Olympic Games.

475
00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:00,639
Speaker 1: I had the fastest start out of everyone, So I

476
00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,040
Speaker 1: think I was, you know, racing to do my best,

477
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:06,040
Speaker 1: and that was still my strategy at the Olympics, you know,

478
00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:09,800
Speaker 1: race at your potential. But for that race and Prague

479
00:25:09,800 --> 00:25:12,280
Speaker 1: and then afterwards for the Olympic Games, it was, you know,

480
00:25:12,520 --> 00:25:15,640
Speaker 1: race to win and race to do your best. And

481
00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,560
Speaker 1: it didn't feel irrational, like it felt very rational, you know,

482
00:25:19,600 --> 00:25:21,479
Speaker 1: to dream that big and to go for it in

483
00:25:21,480 --> 00:25:24,480
Speaker 1: that sense. So yeah, I think a lot of mindset

484
00:25:24,520 --> 00:25:27,959
Speaker 1: coaching and positive reinforcement and you know, changing the narrative

485
00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:30,919
Speaker 1: and seizing the opportunities. I really see this past journey

486
00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:36,480
Speaker 1: as like a story of overcoming the noise, the self

487
00:25:36,520 --> 00:25:40,320
Speaker 1: doubt and really seizing the opportunity and being so driven

488
00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:41,960
Speaker 1: that nothing can get in your way.

489
00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,000
Speaker 2: Yeah. I find that so fascinating because there's so many

490
00:25:46,080 --> 00:25:50,240
Speaker 2: different ways to look at a situation. And from the outside,

491
00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:55,480
Speaker 2: when you won, it seemed like the most perfect. It

492
00:25:55,520 --> 00:25:58,960
Speaker 2: seems like everything had been logically leading up to that moment.

493
00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:01,480
Speaker 2: But I can imagine there are many times throughout the

494
00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,960
Speaker 2: process where it feels like there are things completely against you.

495
00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:10,119
Speaker 2: When you think back to the race, now, what do

496
00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:13,720
Speaker 2: you you see, Like, what's the what's the moment.

497
00:26:13,520 --> 00:26:14,160
Speaker 3: In the race.

498
00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,480
Speaker 2: I'm sure everybody here has watched the race, maybe multiple times.

499
00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:22,240
Speaker 2: What's the moment in the race that is the most

500
00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:24,000
Speaker 2: vivid to you when you think about it.

501
00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:28,280
Speaker 1: I actually had to rewatch the race a few times

502
00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:31,640
Speaker 1: because it kind of all feels like a blur, even

503
00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:34,160
Speaker 1: though it was four days of racing, so it's a

504
00:26:34,200 --> 00:26:36,280
Speaker 1: lot of days of racing, a lot of races, and

505
00:26:36,359 --> 00:26:39,040
Speaker 1: yet it kind of just all feels like this one race,

506
00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:42,000
Speaker 1: and I think the moment that really sticks out to me.

507
00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:45,119
Speaker 1: I guess they're true, the one that I feel most

508
00:26:45,359 --> 00:26:47,800
Speaker 1: vividly that I you know, remembered that I was in

509
00:26:47,840 --> 00:26:52,800
Speaker 1: the moment was before the final, and I had a

510
00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:56,800
Speaker 1: moment with my coach, who he's very again process driven

511
00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:58,960
Speaker 1: and come and I think that's exactly what you need

512
00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:02,040
Speaker 1: for the Olympic Games, you know, really centers down and

513
00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:04,879
Speaker 1: focuses on our little cues, our little protocols, what we

514
00:27:04,960 --> 00:27:07,800
Speaker 1: have to do. But right before the final, he was

515
00:27:08,320 --> 00:27:11,800
Speaker 1: broke character and he was like we made it, like

516
00:27:11,880 --> 00:27:14,600
Speaker 1: go out and enjoy it, you know. And I think

517
00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,040
Speaker 1: that kind of not unsettled me, but brought me out

518
00:27:17,080 --> 00:27:21,399
Speaker 1: of that process and really made me be in the moment.

519
00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:24,800
Speaker 1: And when I walked up with my kayak, everyone was

520
00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,320
Speaker 1: getting their kayaks held by the volunteers, but I would

521
00:27:27,320 --> 00:27:28,879
Speaker 1: always carry mine and I think it kind of just

522
00:27:28,920 --> 00:27:32,080
Speaker 1: helped me, like, you know, really get ready for the race.

523
00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,800
Speaker 1: And when we were on the ramp, there was a

524
00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,879
Speaker 1: French girl with me, so she really amped up the crowd.

525
00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:39,840
Speaker 1: You know, they were so excited to have her. But

526
00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:42,600
Speaker 1: when they called my name, they also really cheered for me.

527
00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,040
Speaker 1: And I knew my friends were in the crowd and

528
00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:48,680
Speaker 1: they would always play music and they played ulavou by

529
00:27:48,720 --> 00:27:50,240
Speaker 1: Abba and you know, you're kind.

530
00:27:50,080 --> 00:27:51,480
Speaker 3: Of like vibing to that show.

531
00:27:52,560 --> 00:27:54,480
Speaker 1: But I think that's one of the moments that just

532
00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:57,439
Speaker 1: really sticks out to me because it was pure, like

533
00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:01,600
Speaker 1: I think, enjoyment, like I really felt I'm meant to

534
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:03,679
Speaker 1: be here, you know, like I made for this moment,

535
00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,280
Speaker 1: Whereas when I was watching the slalom, I really feel

536
00:28:06,280 --> 00:28:08,960
Speaker 1: like being alone in those blocks with everyone watching you,

537
00:28:09,040 --> 00:28:12,159
Speaker 1: waiting the countdown and then having that bit of stretch

538
00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:13,440
Speaker 1: of water to get into.

539
00:28:13,280 --> 00:28:15,360
Speaker 3: Your race would have really freaked me out.

540
00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,760
Speaker 1: And here I see like this kite Cross moment, and

541
00:28:18,800 --> 00:28:21,119
Speaker 1: I was so calm, so ready, so excited, and I

542
00:28:21,160 --> 00:28:23,560
Speaker 1: really do think that, you know, I realized that I've

543
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:26,080
Speaker 1: always been made for kaya cross as opposed to slalom,

544
00:28:26,120 --> 00:28:30,200
Speaker 1: and my success in slalom was kind of because of

545
00:28:30,240 --> 00:28:32,480
Speaker 1: that environment, not being able to ever make it, not

546
00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:35,120
Speaker 1: being able to put the perfect rundown, and then being

547
00:28:35,120 --> 00:28:37,040
Speaker 1: in this Kita Cross environment, I feel like I really

548
00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:40,360
Speaker 1: thrived and was able to you know, express myself and

549
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,120
Speaker 1: achieve those results. So sometimes that change of environment, you know,

550
00:28:43,200 --> 00:28:46,640
Speaker 1: really helps. But yeah, so there's that moment on the ramp,

551
00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:48,960
Speaker 1: and then there's also the last upstream, which for me

552
00:28:49,640 --> 00:28:52,880
Speaker 1: in the final kind of defines my whole Olympic campaign,

553
00:28:52,960 --> 00:28:57,960
Speaker 1: and that's being leading but not even thinking I'm gonna win,

554
00:28:58,080 --> 00:29:00,720
Speaker 1: like really just leading and focusing on the next gates.

555
00:29:01,120 --> 00:29:03,760
Speaker 1: And then in the last upstream, knowing that Kimberly Woods

556
00:29:03,800 --> 00:29:06,080
Speaker 1: from gb was behind me and that she'd go to

557
00:29:06,200 --> 00:29:10,320
Speaker 1: attack me because she's one of the strongest paddlers, and

558
00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:12,800
Speaker 1: she tries to attack and overtake me in the last

559
00:29:12,880 --> 00:29:15,880
Speaker 1: up but I do I think what my dad calls

560
00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:19,240
Speaker 1: the up of the century, you know, And I managed

561
00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,120
Speaker 1: to get in and out the sort of technique that

562
00:29:22,160 --> 00:29:25,160
Speaker 1: you practice in training that's really hard to execute in

563
00:29:25,200 --> 00:29:27,400
Speaker 1: a race, and that's really hard to execute after six

564
00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,120
Speaker 1: rounds of racing when you're really tired. And for me,

565
00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:35,080
Speaker 1: that sort of I guess really summarizes and beautifully wraps

566
00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,560
Speaker 1: up my Olympic campaign of being so focused and being

567
00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:40,400
Speaker 1: able to pull out my potential when it mattered, and

568
00:29:40,760 --> 00:29:43,360
Speaker 1: the finish line isn't something that I remember as deeply.

569
00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,000
Speaker 1: I think that was a state of shock, pure shock.

570
00:29:46,040 --> 00:29:47,520
Speaker 3: I think I nearly passed out.

571
00:29:49,960 --> 00:29:53,120
Speaker 2: After the break. I asked now Amy whether she's superstitious

572
00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:56,760
Speaker 2: and how she mentally prepares for a big competition like

573
00:29:56,840 --> 00:29:58,160
Speaker 2: the Olympic Games.

574
00:30:00,200 --> 00:30:01,440
Speaker 3: Are you superstitious?

575
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:05,080
Speaker 2: Like, is there anything like just before you started or

576
00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:11,920
Speaker 2: even during the race, is there anything that happens you're like, Oh,

577
00:30:12,040 --> 00:30:15,000
Speaker 2: if this happens, it's a sign that blah, or I

578
00:30:15,080 --> 00:30:17,440
Speaker 2: have to be wearing this thing. Like do you have

579
00:30:17,640 --> 00:30:22,720
Speaker 2: kind of something that you have a superstition around.

580
00:30:23,200 --> 00:30:24,560
Speaker 3: I'm definitely superstitious.

581
00:30:24,600 --> 00:30:27,880
Speaker 1: And bringing it back to the sports psychologists who really

582
00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:33,880
Speaker 1: tried to remove my high level of how superstitious I was,

583
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,160
Speaker 1: and to you know, I had this thing before the Games.

584
00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:37,880
Speaker 1: I was like, I can't wear my mouthguard. Every time

585
00:30:37,880 --> 00:30:40,320
Speaker 1: I wear my mouthguard, I lose the race. And he's like,

586
00:30:40,360 --> 00:30:44,480
Speaker 1: I don't think it's the mouthguard. I'm sure you'd rather

587
00:30:44,600 --> 00:30:48,160
Speaker 1: keep your teeth and wear the mouthguard. And so, you know,

588
00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:50,040
Speaker 1: there was elements like that where it kind of got

589
00:30:50,040 --> 00:30:53,280
Speaker 1: a bit too carried away. But I'm definitely superstitious, and

590
00:30:53,320 --> 00:30:56,280
Speaker 1: I take the signs. I take all the little, you know, cues,

591
00:30:57,680 --> 00:30:59,560
Speaker 1: you know, I have the im app on my phone,

592
00:30:59,800 --> 00:31:02,880
Speaker 1: the affirmations up and things like that, and I take

593
00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:06,200
Speaker 1: those cues to you know, boost me. But I definitely

594
00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:08,880
Speaker 1: do like wearing the same clothes if I have a

595
00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:11,840
Speaker 1: good run and I would always wear I was wearing

596
00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,760
Speaker 1: my long sleeve CAG and you know, I got through

597
00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:16,160
Speaker 1: the first day, I got through the second day, got

598
00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:17,720
Speaker 1: through the third day, and on the fourth day was

599
00:31:17,760 --> 00:31:20,200
Speaker 1: really hot and I was like, oh, do I wear

600
00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,160
Speaker 1: my long sleeve CAG and sweat and be uncomfortable and

601
00:31:24,200 --> 00:31:26,480
Speaker 1: be way too hot but you know it's brought me

602
00:31:26,520 --> 00:31:28,880
Speaker 1: good luck? Or do I change for a short sleeve

603
00:31:28,960 --> 00:31:31,360
Speaker 1: And you know, there was a twenty minute thought process

604
00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:34,480
Speaker 1: that went into that, and then I wore the short sleeve.

605
00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:36,640
Speaker 1: I was like, I'm still going to do well even

606
00:31:36,680 --> 00:31:39,280
Speaker 1: if I were in a short sleeve. And then there's

607
00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:41,600
Speaker 1: another level and everyone's going to think I'm absolutely crazy.

608
00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:45,920
Speaker 1: But in twenty twenty two, there was this woman who

609
00:31:45,960 --> 00:31:48,280
Speaker 1: stopped me at the World Championships and she gave me

610
00:31:48,360 --> 00:31:51,200
Speaker 1: like this little this little rock and it had this

611
00:31:51,360 --> 00:31:55,320
Speaker 1: fox drawn onto it. And I was at a really

612
00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:58,160
Speaker 1: I think frustrating point in my career and felt very

613
00:31:58,160 --> 00:32:00,400
Speaker 1: nervous for those World Championships. I really wanted to make

614
00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:02,680
Speaker 1: the final and I felt like I needed like an

615
00:32:02,680 --> 00:32:05,040
Speaker 1: extra push, and so I put the rock in my

616
00:32:05,120 --> 00:32:08,480
Speaker 1: sports rock and I made the final, and I was like, wow,

617
00:32:08,800 --> 00:32:09,080
Speaker 1: you know.

618
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:12,600
Speaker 2: This rock has super Woman is amazing.

619
00:32:12,640 --> 00:32:15,440
Speaker 1: Anyway, I care for that rock and I had it

620
00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:18,800
Speaker 1: with me in Prague and I wore it in Prague

621
00:32:18,920 --> 00:32:20,800
Speaker 1: and it had, like I said, the little Fox on it.

622
00:32:21,320 --> 00:32:24,880
Speaker 1: And that day when I qualified, my Grandpa Fox he

623
00:32:25,040 --> 00:32:27,480
Speaker 1: passed away that evening, so it was I knew he

624
00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:29,680
Speaker 1: was sick, and it kind of you know, carried me through,

625
00:32:30,400 --> 00:32:32,760
Speaker 1: but he found out just in time that I qualified.

626
00:32:32,920 --> 00:32:35,240
Speaker 1: So that was, you know, a really moving but hard

627
00:32:35,280 --> 00:32:38,240
Speaker 1: thing to process after having such a huge high and

628
00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:42,480
Speaker 1: then being hit by such a low. So when it

629
00:32:42,520 --> 00:32:45,880
Speaker 1: came to Paris and Jess told this story as well,

630
00:32:45,920 --> 00:32:49,520
Speaker 1: but there's a little memorial and you can collect these

631
00:32:49,520 --> 00:32:52,320
Speaker 1: little rocks. So because my rock of my Fox had

632
00:32:52,360 --> 00:32:55,880
Speaker 1: such a huge significance to me, I also collected one

633
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,640
Speaker 1: from the memorial for my other grandpa that had also

634
00:32:58,680 --> 00:32:59,200
Speaker 1: passed away.

635
00:32:59,520 --> 00:33:00,080
Speaker 3: So I did the.

636
00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:03,880
Speaker 1: Final with my true little rocks and my sports rat

637
00:33:03,960 --> 00:33:06,160
Speaker 1: and when I was getting ready for the quarterfinal on

638
00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:07,920
Speaker 1: the final day, I realized I didn't put them in.

639
00:33:07,920 --> 00:33:09,880
Speaker 1: So I went back running to the change room and

640
00:33:09,920 --> 00:33:11,120
Speaker 1: my coat was like, why are you running?

641
00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:12,800
Speaker 3: What did you forget? And I didn't want to yell out,

642
00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:14,680
Speaker 3: you know, my little rocks idiot.

643
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,200
Speaker 1: Yeah, so I had my little rocks, had the mouthguard

644
00:33:19,240 --> 00:33:20,960
Speaker 1: which didn't bring any bad luck, and I had a

645
00:33:20,960 --> 00:33:23,960
Speaker 1: different short sleeve. So superstitious, but also you know, working

646
00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:25,840
Speaker 1: on not being reliant on.

647
00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:26,880
Speaker 3: Like the rocks.

648
00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:29,360
Speaker 2: I think cancel out the mouthguard. I think we all

649
00:33:29,360 --> 00:33:33,680
Speaker 2: know that logically, rocks cancel out mauth. God. There's something

650
00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:38,320
Speaker 2: called gold medal syndrome, and it's the idea. It doesn't

651
00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:41,880
Speaker 2: just apply to w Olympians, but it's it's kind of

652
00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:46,280
Speaker 2: a phenomenon just in life. But it has been born

653
00:33:46,320 --> 00:33:49,160
Speaker 2: out of the idea that once you win a gold medal,

654
00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,520
Speaker 2: there can be a bit of a dip, like people

655
00:33:53,560 --> 00:33:57,160
Speaker 2: can experience depression and anxiety and a bit of a

656
00:33:57,600 --> 00:34:01,160
Speaker 2: funny feeling around loss of purpose. And it's probably the

657
00:34:01,200 --> 00:34:05,360
Speaker 2: transition from such a high high and being so driven

658
00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:09,080
Speaker 2: towards a single goal and then achieving that and then

659
00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:15,200
Speaker 2: feeling a bit empty. How has it been since the Games?

660
00:34:15,359 --> 00:34:18,400
Speaker 2: Have you had any of that kind of whiplash from

661
00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:21,160
Speaker 2: experiencing such an intense high.

662
00:34:21,759 --> 00:34:24,399
Speaker 1: Yeah, I had heard about it and I was like, oh,

663
00:34:24,399 --> 00:34:26,959
Speaker 1: that's definitely not going to affect me. Because I'm just

664
00:34:27,040 --> 00:34:30,759
Speaker 1: so happy and internally satisfied and nothing can bring me

665
00:34:30,839 --> 00:34:34,959
Speaker 1: down from achieving, you know, such a huge, huge goal

666
00:34:35,040 --> 00:34:38,799
Speaker 1: that's kind of indescribable. But I think, you know, I've

667
00:34:38,839 --> 00:34:43,200
Speaker 1: experienced it to an extent. I think it's it's for me.

668
00:34:43,279 --> 00:34:45,600
Speaker 1: It's more so been. You know, you you have the

669
00:34:45,640 --> 00:34:50,160
Speaker 1: two most intense weeks of your life. Everything's new, everything's exciting.

670
00:34:50,200 --> 00:34:52,360
Speaker 1: You have no time to process. Like I said before,

671
00:34:52,399 --> 00:34:54,999
Speaker 1: it's like every day is huge, and you know, I

672
00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:57,319
Speaker 1: wrote in my journal every single day to kind of,

673
00:34:57,359 --> 00:35:00,000
Speaker 1: you know, help on that processing side, and to also

674
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:03,319
Speaker 1: remember everything, because otherwise it's all a blur and you

675
00:35:03,399 --> 00:35:05,479
Speaker 1: forget all these incredible things that you did or things

676
00:35:05,479 --> 00:35:09,680
Speaker 1: that happened. But then when I got home on that charter,

677
00:35:09,879 --> 00:35:13,319
Speaker 1: I think think that was the first time I could

678
00:35:13,399 --> 00:35:15,719
Speaker 1: really like whoa, you know, everything hits you and you

679
00:35:15,799 --> 00:35:20,439
Speaker 1: finally have time to think about everything that you just experienced.

680
00:35:20,479 --> 00:35:23,160
Speaker 1: And something I am really grateful for was that my

681
00:35:23,719 --> 00:35:26,559
Speaker 1: partner was there, and because it's really and also my

682
00:35:26,759 --> 00:35:29,559
Speaker 1: family obviously, but it's really hard to describe how that

683
00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,279
Speaker 1: experience changes you. And so when you have people that

684
00:35:32,319 --> 00:35:35,600
Speaker 1: are there and experience it firsthand with you, especially my

685
00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:37,999
Speaker 1: family and my partner. I think it just makes it

686
00:35:38,040 --> 00:35:40,080
Speaker 1: so much easier. Otherwise you can't. You go home and

687
00:35:40,120 --> 00:35:42,319
Speaker 1: you're like it changed me, but you can't you know, describe,

688
00:35:42,319 --> 00:35:44,839
Speaker 1: and you know that they don't know what you experienced.

689
00:35:44,839 --> 00:35:49,200
Speaker 1: So that definitely helped. And then I think, yeah, it

690
00:35:49,279 --> 00:35:52,319
Speaker 1: was a lot to deal with, you know, the media,

691
00:35:52,640 --> 00:35:56,080
Speaker 1: the constant like everyone I guess wanning a piece of you.

692
00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:58,879
Speaker 1: But then also the quiet time and seeing that there

693
00:35:58,879 --> 00:36:00,640
Speaker 1: are other gold medalists that are doing this, this, this,

694
00:36:00,759 --> 00:36:03,519
Speaker 1: and oh should I be doing that or you know.

695
00:36:03,759 --> 00:36:06,200
Speaker 1: But I think for me, something that's really helped me

696
00:36:06,319 --> 00:36:09,759
Speaker 1: has been having this level of I guess, maturity and

697
00:36:09,879 --> 00:36:13,359
Speaker 1: experienerience before winning gold. I like I said, my identity

698
00:36:13,399 --> 00:36:15,759
Speaker 1: wasn't just an athlete. So this gold medal isn't like

699
00:36:15,839 --> 00:36:20,879
Speaker 1: suddenly my life is amazing. It's this huge bonus, but

700
00:36:20,919 --> 00:36:24,160
Speaker 1: it's not. I feel like I'm equipped to say not

701
00:36:24,359 --> 00:36:25,879
Speaker 1: to a lot of things, or to you know, give

702
00:36:25,919 --> 00:36:28,879
Speaker 1: a perspective on a lot of things. But yeah, I

703
00:36:28,919 --> 00:36:31,920
Speaker 1: think the biggest thing has been that's kind of given

704
00:36:31,919 --> 00:36:33,879
Speaker 1: me a lot of anxiety has been the amount of

705
00:36:34,120 --> 00:36:38,919
Speaker 1: messages I've received because it's quite overwhelming and it's amazing,

706
00:36:39,919 --> 00:36:41,759
Speaker 1: but you can't reply to all of them, and there

707
00:36:41,799 --> 00:36:43,239
Speaker 1: are a lot of people you don't reply to, and

708
00:36:43,279 --> 00:36:46,080
Speaker 1: then you know they say, oh, you know I followed

709
00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:48,120
Speaker 1: you before this, and now you've just forgotten me, or

710
00:36:48,200 --> 00:36:50,399
Speaker 1: like friends that you don't reply to, and then you

711
00:36:50,439 --> 00:36:52,039
Speaker 1: just feel like a bad friend because you never got

712
00:36:52,080 --> 00:36:54,640
Speaker 1: to message. So there's a lot of that that I

713
00:36:54,640 --> 00:37:00,279
Speaker 1: think has been causing more anxiety than before. But otherwise

714
00:37:00,319 --> 00:37:03,319
Speaker 1: I think, you know, for me, it's just the internal

715
00:37:03,959 --> 00:37:07,239
Speaker 1: satisfaction of like having achieved something I never thought i'd

716
00:37:07,239 --> 00:37:10,839
Speaker 1: achieve and having you know, proven to myself that I

717
00:37:10,879 --> 00:37:13,560
Speaker 1: have what it takes to be remarkable and to achieve

718
00:37:13,640 --> 00:37:16,399
Speaker 1: greatness and to you know, when I put my mind

719
00:37:16,439 --> 00:37:19,759
Speaker 1: to something what it's incredible I can achieve essentially, so

720
00:37:20,439 --> 00:37:23,759
Speaker 1: that kind of out trumps everything. But then you know

721
00:37:23,879 --> 00:37:26,719
Speaker 1: there's still the oh, like they're more interested in Jess

722
00:37:26,719 --> 00:37:27,919
Speaker 1: and they're interested in me, or.

723
00:37:27,919 --> 00:37:29,799
Speaker 3: I'm still the younger sister.

724
00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,159
Speaker 1: Or you'll get media that you know, bring you over

725
00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:33,999
Speaker 1: to do an interview after they finished with one gold

726
00:37:34,000 --> 00:37:35,559
Speaker 1: medalist and they're like, oh, we'll just wait for your

727
00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:37,960
Speaker 1: sister and you're like, okay, but I'm here.

728
00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:40,359
Speaker 3: Do you want me? Or should I move on?

729
00:37:40,520 --> 00:37:40,759
Speaker 1: You know?

730
00:37:40,919 --> 00:37:43,160
Speaker 3: So there's that as well, when.

731
00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:48,799
Speaker 2: The gold comes all this media attention and as you say,

732
00:37:49,120 --> 00:37:54,680
Speaker 2: social media, everyone's messaging you, commenting. There's just a whole

733
00:37:54,680 --> 00:37:59,560
Speaker 2: lot of attention, and I'm always interested in with that

734
00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:03,799
Speaker 2: your story gets covered in a whole lot of different ways.

735
00:38:04,520 --> 00:38:07,640
Speaker 2: And as you say, the fact that you know you

736
00:38:07,759 --> 00:38:11,799
Speaker 2: might still be described as Jess's sister can be incredibly infuriating,

737
00:38:11,839 --> 00:38:16,199
Speaker 2: because if you're a gold medalist in your own right,

738
00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:20,959
Speaker 2: is there anything else through the process of being in

739
00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:26,560
Speaker 2: the media and on social media that you've found has hurt?

740
00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:29,959
Speaker 2: Like I think what I find interesting is that when you're,

741
00:38:30,719 --> 00:38:34,559
Speaker 2: you know, a media golden girl from the outside, you

742
00:38:34,600 --> 00:38:37,999
Speaker 2: see that attention as purely positive and exciting and you

743
00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:39,679
Speaker 2: must be on top of the world, but it must

744
00:38:39,719 --> 00:38:43,879
Speaker 2: also be weird because it's about you. And has there

745
00:38:43,879 --> 00:38:46,600
Speaker 2: been anything that you've been a bit that you bristle

746
00:38:46,640 --> 00:38:48,039
Speaker 2: at or you're a bit uncomfortable with?

747
00:38:49,560 --> 00:38:53,559
Speaker 1: Not really, I always try to like not be controversial,

748
00:38:54,120 --> 00:38:56,560
Speaker 1: and so I think that's helped me a lot. But

749
00:38:56,600 --> 00:38:58,479
Speaker 1: then there's that element now where I'm like but I

750
00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:00,679
Speaker 1: do want to speak up about some things. But there's

751
00:39:00,759 --> 00:39:03,399
Speaker 1: my you know, the inner me that's like, oh no,

752
00:39:03,479 --> 00:39:05,399
Speaker 1: you'll go against you know, all your values and this

753
00:39:05,439 --> 00:39:08,160
Speaker 1: is this. So I think I haven't given the media

754
00:39:08,279 --> 00:39:11,680
Speaker 1: anything to like like and when I see stuff like

755
00:39:11,759 --> 00:39:13,959
Speaker 1: or be the next dress Fox or Jess Fox and

756
00:39:13,959 --> 00:39:16,559
Speaker 1: her sister or you know some one. The other day

757
00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,160
Speaker 1: I did see like a really there was a podcast

758
00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:21,160
Speaker 1: on Jess and it's like Jess Fox.

759
00:39:21,759 --> 00:39:23,519
Speaker 3: They talk and they're like, oh, and your sister she

760
00:39:23,600 --> 00:39:24,119
Speaker 3: also won.

761
00:39:24,160 --> 00:39:26,479
Speaker 1: And they never like name my name and things like that,

762
00:39:26,799 --> 00:39:29,479
Speaker 1: And for me, I do like I brush past that,

763
00:39:29,640 --> 00:39:32,719
Speaker 1: but you know, it does bite me sometimes. But I

764
00:39:32,759 --> 00:39:34,799
Speaker 1: also think, you know, because my name is quite difficult

765
00:39:34,799 --> 00:39:37,759
Speaker 1: to pronounce. Sometimes I'm like, it's just the name. They

766
00:39:37,799 --> 00:39:39,839
Speaker 1: just don't know how to Yeah.

767
00:39:40,439 --> 00:39:43,400
Speaker 2: By the way, is there a French way to say it? Yeah?

768
00:39:43,439 --> 00:39:45,520
Speaker 2: How do you say it in a pretty way.

769
00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:47,039
Speaker 1: In a nice way. The way it's meant to be

770
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:50,559
Speaker 1: said is nu And all. What I don't understand is

771
00:39:50,560 --> 00:39:52,359
Speaker 1: my dad's English. So I don't know how he never

772
00:39:52,439 --> 00:39:55,040
Speaker 1: thought that in English, you know, the name doesn't exist

773
00:39:55,120 --> 00:39:55,919
Speaker 1: or it sounds wrong.

774
00:39:55,959 --> 00:39:57,600
Speaker 3: But he also loved it.

775
00:40:00,160 --> 00:40:03,239
Speaker 2: After the break, I ask Naomi about failure, and she

776
00:40:03,359 --> 00:40:05,959
Speaker 2: gives me one of the most profound answers I've heard

777
00:40:05,959 --> 00:40:12,879
Speaker 2: from a guest about how to conceptualize failure. I'm obsessed

778
00:40:12,919 --> 00:40:17,959
Speaker 2: with the idea of failure and what we learn from it,

779
00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:22,200
Speaker 2: and how often failure teaches us a lot more than

780
00:40:22,239 --> 00:40:26,319
Speaker 2: success does. Is there a failure that sticks out to

781
00:40:26,359 --> 00:40:31,799
Speaker 2: you as something that really changed the course of your

782
00:40:31,839 --> 00:40:36,600
Speaker 2: life and actually taught you a huge lesson. I think

783
00:40:38,040 --> 00:40:41,640
Speaker 2: there's not like one race where I think it was

784
00:40:41,680 --> 00:40:46,120
Speaker 2: a huge fail But I think where I had the most,

785
00:40:47,239 --> 00:40:49,200
Speaker 2: where I struggled the most with the idea of failure

786
00:40:49,279 --> 00:40:51,360
Speaker 2: was definitely in September when.

787
00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:55,519
Speaker 1: I had to give up my World Championships, because it

788
00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:57,719
Speaker 1: was kind of it was the time and the place

789
00:40:57,719 --> 00:41:00,239
Speaker 1: where I made that campaign public that I was going

790
00:41:00,239 --> 00:41:04,559
Speaker 1: for that one of three Olympic spots and no one

791
00:41:04,560 --> 00:41:07,239
Speaker 1: else had really, you know, put that forward. I think

792
00:41:07,399 --> 00:41:09,919
Speaker 1: I was used to doing three categories, and when you

793
00:41:09,959 --> 00:41:12,319
Speaker 1: do two categories and you miss one race, you've got

794
00:41:12,319 --> 00:41:13,839
Speaker 1: the other category, and then you miss that race and

795
00:41:13,879 --> 00:41:15,559
Speaker 1: you've got the other category. So it's like, you know,

796
00:41:15,600 --> 00:41:18,439
Speaker 1: you feel safe with the armor of three categories and

797
00:41:18,479 --> 00:41:21,080
Speaker 1: three opportunities, and this was the first time I was

798
00:41:21,120 --> 00:41:23,679
Speaker 1: fully putting myself into Kia Cross, and there was this

799
00:41:23,799 --> 00:41:28,359
Speaker 1: huge fear of failure of losing my World Championships and

800
00:41:28,399 --> 00:41:30,279
Speaker 1: then missing the quota and then I would have been

801
00:41:30,359 --> 00:41:32,560
Speaker 1: left with nothing, and then the next World Championships was

802
00:41:32,600 --> 00:41:35,519
Speaker 1: two years away. So for me that the idea of

803
00:41:36,040 --> 00:41:38,679
Speaker 1: just doing that was a big fear of failure and

804
00:41:38,919 --> 00:41:41,359
Speaker 1: embarrassment as well, like, oh, how embarrassing you know she

805
00:41:41,919 --> 00:41:44,839
Speaker 1: publicly went for that quota and didn't do the world

806
00:41:44,919 --> 00:41:47,319
Speaker 1: and now she missed, whereas you know, I didn't do that,

807
00:41:47,399 --> 00:41:49,719
Speaker 1: did the world and I made it. So there was

808
00:41:49,839 --> 00:41:51,559
Speaker 1: a big battle with failure. But I think, you know,

809
00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:56,480
Speaker 1: I really worked on the mindset of like, true failure

810
00:41:56,560 --> 00:41:59,480
Speaker 1: isn't missing that quota and missing the target, it's never

811
00:41:59,879 --> 00:42:02,799
Speaker 1: taking the shot to do it. And that really helped

812
00:42:02,839 --> 00:42:06,839
Speaker 1: me really commit to that goal and not be afraid

813
00:42:06,879 --> 00:42:09,640
Speaker 1: of missing the target and not getting the quota. But

814
00:42:10,279 --> 00:42:13,120
Speaker 1: there was, yeah, definitely a deep battle with that idea

815
00:42:13,160 --> 00:42:15,200
Speaker 1: and fear of failure of you know, not making the

816
00:42:15,200 --> 00:42:18,319
Speaker 1: Olympics and missing out and it would have been so

817
00:42:18,479 --> 00:42:20,839
Speaker 1: public and I would have, you know, wasted so much

818
00:42:20,839 --> 00:42:24,559
Speaker 1: of my career and my world championships and things like that.

819
00:42:24,680 --> 00:42:28,239
Speaker 1: But yeah, I really was at peace with that, and

820
00:42:28,279 --> 00:42:31,319
Speaker 1: I knew that so much good would come from really

821
00:42:31,520 --> 00:42:35,639
Speaker 1: committing one hundred percent to that Olympic qualification. And when

822
00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:39,480
Speaker 1: it came to the night before, I was so proud

823
00:42:39,520 --> 00:42:42,200
Speaker 1: of myself, I think, for having committed so much and

824
00:42:43,279 --> 00:42:47,319
Speaker 1: being so you know, committed to that goal but not

825
00:42:47,479 --> 00:42:49,679
Speaker 1: half hearted about it, like, oh, yeah, well if I miss,

826
00:42:49,719 --> 00:42:52,520
Speaker 1: I didn't fully commit and I still have canoe and kayak,

827
00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:53,919
Speaker 1: and yeah I won't get to the Games, but not

828
00:42:53,959 --> 00:42:55,999
Speaker 1: everyone gets to the games. You know. I was so

829
00:42:56,319 --> 00:42:58,360
Speaker 1: committed to that goal and I had nothing to lose,

830
00:42:58,479 --> 00:43:00,719
Speaker 1: And yeah, I knew that so much good would come

831
00:43:00,759 --> 00:43:04,399
Speaker 1: from that process of accepting that I might miss, but

832
00:43:04,399 --> 00:43:06,239
Speaker 1: that it wouldn't be a failure because there would be

833
00:43:06,319 --> 00:43:10,239
Speaker 1: so much growth that came from having an Olympic opportunity

834
00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:12,600
Speaker 1: and doing everything to qualify for that.

835
00:43:13,000 --> 00:43:16,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, you forget from the outside about all those tiny

836
00:43:16,959 --> 00:43:21,679
Speaker 2: decisions that you actually had to sacrifice things and give

837
00:43:21,959 --> 00:43:26,000
Speaker 2: things up and be incredibly intentional in order to achieve something.

838
00:43:26,879 --> 00:43:31,399
Speaker 2: When you think about the rest of your life, what

839
00:43:31,560 --> 00:43:35,839
Speaker 2: is it that you still want in order to have

840
00:43:35,959 --> 00:43:39,279
Speaker 2: lived a happy life. Like when you think about being

841
00:43:39,279 --> 00:43:42,959
Speaker 2: an old woman and looking back at a life that

842
00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:47,999
Speaker 2: you think is meaningful and happy, what do you think that.

843
00:43:47,959 --> 00:43:49,879
Speaker 3: Life looks like? It's funny.

844
00:43:49,879 --> 00:43:52,519
Speaker 1: I actually had this thought the other day well, as

845
00:43:52,560 --> 00:43:54,560
Speaker 1: soon as we finished the games, and it was like, gosh,

846
00:43:54,600 --> 00:43:56,919
Speaker 1: these are all memories. Now it's all done, and it's

847
00:43:56,919 --> 00:44:00,120
Speaker 1: all memories, and it does make it does.

848
00:43:59,919 --> 00:44:00,319
Speaker 3: I don't know.

849
00:44:00,479 --> 00:44:02,759
Speaker 1: It's hard to visualize looking back and being like, oh, yeah,

850
00:44:02,759 --> 00:44:05,559
Speaker 1: I won gold forty years ago or something like that,

851
00:44:06,439 --> 00:44:10,559
Speaker 1: but I think, you know, I'm incredibly ambitious and driven

852
00:44:10,600 --> 00:44:11,479
Speaker 1: in different ways, and.

853
00:44:11,479 --> 00:44:12,480
Speaker 3: I've worked full time.

854
00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:15,879
Speaker 1: I've done an internship in Switzerland where I worked full time,

855
00:44:15,879 --> 00:44:17,120
Speaker 1: and that was also my first.

856
00:44:16,879 --> 00:44:19,959
Speaker 3: Glimpse of life outside of sport. That was four years ago.

857
00:44:20,120 --> 00:44:21,919
Speaker 1: But it also made me realize how much I love

858
00:44:21,959 --> 00:44:23,679
Speaker 1: the sport and how much the sport is a part

859
00:44:23,680 --> 00:44:26,160
Speaker 1: of me. And so I do hope that I'll stay

860
00:44:26,680 --> 00:44:29,799
Speaker 1: connected to the sport in some way, and I think

861
00:44:29,879 --> 00:44:31,200
Speaker 1: that's definitely inevitable.

862
00:44:31,239 --> 00:44:32,599
Speaker 3: The river has a way of, you.

863
00:44:32,560 --> 00:44:36,200
Speaker 1: Know, attaching itself to you and keeping you involved and

864
00:44:36,319 --> 00:44:40,359
Speaker 1: around it, and I think career wise, sporting wise, I

865
00:44:40,479 --> 00:44:43,759
Speaker 1: definitely won a World Championship medal and we have the

866
00:44:43,799 --> 00:44:46,160
Speaker 1: World Championships at home next year and that's definitely my

867
00:44:46,200 --> 00:44:50,759
Speaker 1: big target Olympics wise. You know, I think four years

868
00:44:50,799 --> 00:44:53,160
Speaker 1: is a long way away and I'm definitely at this

869
00:44:53,279 --> 00:44:56,560
Speaker 1: stage set on LA but I think, you know, backing

870
00:44:56,640 --> 00:44:58,839
Speaker 1: up isn't something I've thought of just yet.

871
00:44:58,919 --> 00:45:00,159
Speaker 3: I do hope that I.

872
00:45:00,120 --> 00:45:02,879
Speaker 1: Can go in slalom as well and not just in

873
00:45:02,959 --> 00:45:05,600
Speaker 1: cai cross, so that will definitely be my target. But

874
00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:08,919
Speaker 1: then outside of the sport, there's so much that you know,

875
00:45:08,959 --> 00:45:12,799
Speaker 1: I'm excited by as well, career wise, getting back into consulting,

876
00:45:12,879 --> 00:45:18,239
Speaker 1: maybe working if I'm not competing in Brisbane and always

877
00:45:18,399 --> 00:45:21,719
Speaker 1: involved in sport or the Olympic committee in some way.

878
00:45:21,759 --> 00:45:23,039
Speaker 3: That's something that really excites me.

879
00:45:23,120 --> 00:45:25,200
Speaker 1: But I've worked already at the Olympics in a different

880
00:45:25,200 --> 00:45:28,479
Speaker 1: capacity as a commentator, and I think I definitely want

881
00:45:28,520 --> 00:45:31,799
Speaker 1: to stay involved in that way because at the end

882
00:45:31,799 --> 00:45:33,399
Speaker 1: of the day, I think, you know, I realized that

883
00:45:33,439 --> 00:45:35,959
Speaker 1: the Olympics is like the only place where I get

884
00:45:35,959 --> 00:45:39,680
Speaker 1: to feel such incredible emotions. It it's like a drug essentially.

885
00:45:39,719 --> 00:45:41,279
Speaker 1: You know, you want to be involved, even if you're

886
00:45:41,279 --> 00:45:43,079
Speaker 1: not an athlete. You want to be involved in those

887
00:45:43,680 --> 00:45:46,520
Speaker 1: key moments that bring everyone together and make you feel

888
00:45:46,520 --> 00:45:49,600
Speaker 1: that sense of purpose and passion and you know, feel

889
00:45:49,600 --> 00:45:53,640
Speaker 1: alive essentially. And then you know there's also the personal life.

890
00:45:53,680 --> 00:45:56,039
Speaker 1: You know, get married or have kids or who knows.

891
00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:58,640
Speaker 1: But I think, yeah, there's so much that I still

892
00:45:59,160 --> 00:46:01,640
Speaker 1: am yet to do. I realize I'm definitely in a

893
00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:03,999
Speaker 1: space right now where I'm saying yes to so many

894
00:46:04,040 --> 00:46:06,640
Speaker 1: new things and discovering new things. And yesterday I was

895
00:46:06,640 --> 00:46:09,319
Speaker 1: in China, for example, just got back last night, so

896
00:46:09,959 --> 00:46:13,719
Speaker 1: say yes to do a little race and discover China

897
00:46:13,799 --> 00:46:16,640
Speaker 1: as well, and being open to all those new opportunities

898
00:46:16,680 --> 00:46:20,600
Speaker 1: that come through, and not being tied down to a

899
00:46:20,680 --> 00:46:24,479
Speaker 1: job just yet because previously I've always had to work

900
00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:26,999
Speaker 1: part time and work full time when in Australia, part

901
00:46:27,000 --> 00:46:30,120
Speaker 1: time overseas, full time at home, and I'd say no

902
00:46:30,319 --> 00:46:32,399
Speaker 1: to so many things that would pop up because I

903
00:46:32,439 --> 00:46:34,239
Speaker 1: couldn't move that meeting or because I had to be

904
00:46:34,239 --> 00:46:36,279
Speaker 1: in the office. And so I'm also really enjoying this

905
00:46:36,640 --> 00:46:39,200
Speaker 1: freedom that I have right now of just seeing what

906
00:46:39,239 --> 00:46:43,639
Speaker 1: comes at me and being able to be free to.

907
00:46:43,839 --> 00:46:45,120
Speaker 3: Say yes to things as well.

908
00:46:45,479 --> 00:46:51,439
Speaker 2: When you think about happiness, what are your biggest challenges

909
00:46:51,919 --> 00:46:54,920
Speaker 2: to it at the moment? Being where you are now,

910
00:46:55,239 --> 00:47:01,560
Speaker 2: you've achieved something that is just unthinkable and must be

911
00:47:01,879 --> 00:47:03,479
Speaker 2: you know, you must go to bed and be like,

912
00:47:03,520 --> 00:47:07,640
Speaker 2: I still cannot believe I did that. What day to

913
00:47:07,719 --> 00:47:11,680
Speaker 2: day challenges your happiness.

914
00:47:12,959 --> 00:47:16,039
Speaker 1: I think it's understanding that happiness is very fleeting as well,

915
00:47:16,080 --> 00:47:18,759
Speaker 1: and it's a work in progress, and it's you know,

916
00:47:18,839 --> 00:47:21,399
Speaker 1: like a little muscle that you have to work out

917
00:47:21,479 --> 00:47:24,080
Speaker 1: to ensure that it stays strong and that the baseline is,

918
00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:26,839
Speaker 1: you know, naturally pretty high. And I think I've done

919
00:47:26,879 --> 00:47:28,480
Speaker 1: a lot of work to make sure that that baseline

920
00:47:28,520 --> 00:47:30,639
Speaker 1: is naturally pretty high. And it starts with a lot

921
00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:33,799
Speaker 1: of you know, gratitude and reflection, and I think I

922
00:47:33,879 --> 00:47:37,439
Speaker 1: just see the little perks of life. And compared to

923
00:47:37,479 --> 00:47:39,959
Speaker 1: sometimes my teammates, I'm like, God, they're so moody, you know,

924
00:47:40,200 --> 00:47:42,600
Speaker 1: like enjoy it. We're here, Like you know, whether I

925
00:47:42,640 --> 00:47:45,200
Speaker 1: get my soic coffee in the morning and they've done

926
00:47:45,200 --> 00:47:47,239
Speaker 1: a really cute design, like you know, that still brings

927
00:47:47,279 --> 00:47:50,359
Speaker 1: me so much happiness as well. So it just because

928
00:47:50,359 --> 00:47:52,999
Speaker 1: I've achieved this huge goal, like my things that make

929
00:47:53,080 --> 00:47:55,839
Speaker 1: me happy. You haven't, you know, naturally gone up up

930
00:47:55,879 --> 00:47:59,200
Speaker 1: to a super high standard. I think I love I

931
00:47:59,239 --> 00:48:02,359
Speaker 1: travel so much that when I'm home, I love the

932
00:48:02,439 --> 00:48:04,519
Speaker 1: mundane and I love the routine. I love, you know,

933
00:48:04,759 --> 00:48:08,759
Speaker 1: seeing my dog, getting coffee with friends, doing a pilates

934
00:48:08,799 --> 00:48:10,439
Speaker 1: class and being able to do it the next week

935
00:48:10,520 --> 00:48:12,679
Speaker 1: on the same day. You know, that's stuff that I love.

936
00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:15,160
Speaker 1: And then when I get to travel, it's the excitement

937
00:48:15,160 --> 00:48:17,919
Speaker 1: of you know, going back overseas, traveling with my three

938
00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:20,879
Speaker 1: kayaks and hitting people in the airport. You know, it's

939
00:48:20,959 --> 00:48:24,120
Speaker 1: like there's there's joy in that. But you know, I think,

940
00:48:25,080 --> 00:48:27,319
Speaker 1: like I said, it's it's a muscle that I know

941
00:48:27,439 --> 00:48:29,640
Speaker 1: I need to exercise. And some days are really hard,

942
00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:32,400
Speaker 1: and some days you don't understand why you're You're moody

943
00:48:32,479 --> 00:48:36,719
Speaker 1: and it's not worth fighting, and it's okay. And sometimes,

944
00:48:36,719 --> 00:48:39,999
Speaker 1: you know, hormones come into play as well, and sometimes

945
00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:42,200
Speaker 1: the world just feels like it's crushing down. But it's

946
00:48:42,279 --> 00:48:45,080
Speaker 1: knowing that there's always something to look forward to. And

947
00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:47,319
Speaker 1: I do love, you know, goal setting. I've always loved

948
00:48:47,319 --> 00:48:50,200
Speaker 1: goal setting. I've always had something to look forward to,

949
00:48:50,279 --> 00:48:52,759
Speaker 1: and I think for me that's so important to always.

950
00:48:52,439 --> 00:48:53,839
Speaker 3: Have a little goal.

951
00:48:54,000 --> 00:48:57,519
Speaker 1: And now that my big goal is completed, there is

952
00:48:57,560 --> 00:48:59,680
Speaker 1: a bit of you know, like, oh, now what like

953
00:48:59,719 --> 00:49:03,000
Speaker 1: at the end of finding Nemo, you know, like, yeah,

954
00:49:03,080 --> 00:49:05,519
Speaker 1: but I've still got things I'm really looking forward to,

955
00:49:06,640 --> 00:49:09,799
Speaker 1: like you know, trail running rays and going to Christmas

956
00:49:09,839 --> 00:49:14,479
Speaker 1: in France and going skiing, so things like that, and

957
00:49:14,479 --> 00:49:17,239
Speaker 1: then knowing the World Championships at home next year. But

958
00:49:17,319 --> 00:49:20,319
Speaker 1: I know that, you know, little goals definitely helped me,

959
00:49:21,279 --> 00:49:24,519
Speaker 1: you know, keep happy, stay positive, whether it's in the gym,

960
00:49:24,520 --> 00:49:28,640
Speaker 1: whether it's at home. Yeah, I think it's really a

961
00:49:28,719 --> 00:49:31,759
Speaker 1: muscle that you have to keep on working. But knowing

962
00:49:31,799 --> 00:49:35,360
Speaker 1: that life ebbs and flows, and there are some days

963
00:49:35,359 --> 00:49:40,479
Speaker 1: that will and definitely are very challenging. But sometimes, you know,

964
00:49:40,520 --> 00:49:41,879
Speaker 1: if I just hear that one song or get a

965
00:49:41,919 --> 00:49:46,120
Speaker 1: pretty latte design, my mood can shift as well. So yeah,

966
00:49:46,319 --> 00:49:49,999
Speaker 1: also having good people around you as well. Do you

967
00:49:50,160 --> 00:49:53,200
Speaker 1: see the sports psychologist? Is that a thing that you

968
00:49:53,279 --> 00:49:55,919
Speaker 1: do ongoing when you're an athlete or do you do

969
00:49:55,959 --> 00:49:57,080
Speaker 1: it just when you're competing?

970
00:49:59,279 --> 00:50:02,959
Speaker 3: It tries to be ongoing. I've ghosted sometimes, Yeah, I

971
00:50:03,000 --> 00:50:03,919
Speaker 3: think we all.

972
00:50:06,239 --> 00:50:07,799
Speaker 1: Yeah, but I think I look back at the last

973
00:50:07,839 --> 00:50:11,640
Speaker 1: two years and compared to say a gym coach or

974
00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:14,839
Speaker 1: like a training coach, it is sometimes hard to feel

975
00:50:14,839 --> 00:50:15,839
Speaker 1: like you're making progress.

976
00:50:15,879 --> 00:50:18,040
Speaker 3: It's really hard to see that tangible progress.

977
00:50:18,080 --> 00:50:21,319
Speaker 1: You know, in the gym, I can hit a PB

978
00:50:21,479 --> 00:50:23,279
Speaker 1: in my weighted chin ups, you know, I can go

979
00:50:23,319 --> 00:50:25,279
Speaker 1: from forty to forty five, and I'm like, wow, I'm

980
00:50:25,319 --> 00:50:30,480
Speaker 1: making progress. I've got that tangible result. And then mentally,

981
00:50:30,520 --> 00:50:32,960
Speaker 1: sometimes it's really hard to see that you've made progress

982
00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:35,799
Speaker 1: because you might race on a bad day and everything

983
00:50:35,839 --> 00:50:38,680
Speaker 1: comes crashing down as well. So I think, you know,

984
00:50:38,719 --> 00:50:41,479
Speaker 1: I kind of always saw him because he's great to

985
00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:42,200
Speaker 1: have a chat to.

986
00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:44,200
Speaker 3: It helps me voice things.

987
00:50:44,239 --> 00:50:46,359
Speaker 1: But I did it also because I had to do it,

988
00:50:46,439 --> 00:50:48,999
Speaker 1: or because you know, he'd always be persistent and say

989
00:50:49,080 --> 00:50:52,680
Speaker 1: let's catch up. So and I enjoyed his company as well,

990
00:50:52,719 --> 00:50:54,559
Speaker 1: and I think that's made a big difference. It's having

991
00:50:54,560 --> 00:50:57,840
Speaker 1: that sort of relationship with a psychologist where it doesn't

992
00:50:57,839 --> 00:51:00,159
Speaker 1: feel clinical. It doesn't feel like every time you come

993
00:51:00,239 --> 00:51:02,799
Speaker 1: you have to talk about your performance strategy, but it

994
00:51:02,839 --> 00:51:04,439
Speaker 1: can be about you know, other things that might be

995
00:51:04,479 --> 00:51:08,399
Speaker 1: affecting your performance. So but now I look back and

996
00:51:08,640 --> 00:51:11,759
Speaker 1: I do think that there was such a huge improvement

997
00:51:11,879 --> 00:51:14,799
Speaker 1: in my mental skills, my capacity to deal with stress,

998
00:51:14,919 --> 00:51:18,079
Speaker 1: my capacity to you know, handle high pressure moments and

999
00:51:18,560 --> 00:51:22,039
Speaker 1: perform under pressure and perform when it mattered, and to

1000
00:51:22,080 --> 00:51:23,680
Speaker 1: know that you know, I'd done the work and I

1001
00:51:23,719 --> 00:51:27,759
Speaker 1: can deliver my best really when it counts, when everyone's watching,

1002
00:51:27,799 --> 00:51:29,680
Speaker 1: when fifteen thousand people are watching, in the whole of

1003
00:51:29,719 --> 00:51:30,600
Speaker 1: Australia is watching.

1004
00:51:30,959 --> 00:51:34,559
Speaker 2: And we always end the podcast with one question. I

1005
00:51:34,600 --> 00:51:37,640
Speaker 2: think I know the answer, but right now, are you happy?

1006
00:51:38,319 --> 00:51:41,600
Speaker 1: I'm a bit jet lagged, I'm a bit tired, but

1007
00:51:41,719 --> 00:51:44,599
Speaker 1: I'm definitely happy. I think, you know, like I said,

1008
00:51:44,640 --> 00:51:47,280
Speaker 1: there's so much more to my life and my self

1009
00:51:47,319 --> 00:51:50,799
Speaker 1: worth now than just my sport. And when you achieve

1010
00:51:50,839 --> 00:51:52,799
Speaker 1: such a huge result like this and you've got that

1011
00:51:52,839 --> 00:51:55,599
Speaker 1: good sense of balance and you've got you know, that

1012
00:51:55,680 --> 00:51:58,799
Speaker 1: perspective and you seized all the opportunities, I think you

1013
00:51:58,839 --> 00:52:01,079
Speaker 1: can only be so proud of what you've achieved. And

1014
00:52:01,160 --> 00:52:04,039
Speaker 1: I think I'm lucky to be in a position now.

1015
00:52:04,160 --> 00:52:06,799
Speaker 1: I'm meeting so many different people that you know, liked

1016
00:52:06,839 --> 00:52:09,000
Speaker 1: the sport, watch the sport. That kind of really reminds

1017
00:52:09,040 --> 00:52:11,640
Speaker 1: me of the Olympics and how they watched it and

1018
00:52:11,680 --> 00:52:15,120
Speaker 1: that brings me so much happiness as well. And I'm

1019
00:52:15,160 --> 00:52:17,359
Speaker 1: also just so happy to be back in Australia and

1020
00:52:17,399 --> 00:52:20,160
Speaker 1: to enjoy you know, the summer that's coming up, and

1021
00:52:21,000 --> 00:52:23,120
Speaker 1: to be out on the water again. So yeah, I

1022
00:52:23,160 --> 00:52:27,319
Speaker 1: think generally I'm very happy. But you know, even after

1023
00:52:27,319 --> 00:52:29,200
Speaker 1: the Olympic Games, there were moments that.

1024
00:52:29,160 --> 00:52:32,399
Speaker 3: I thought I'd be happy, but I was just exhausted.

1025
00:52:32,120 --> 00:52:36,479
Speaker 1: And I was really tired, and I think I realized, wow,

1026
00:52:36,479 --> 00:52:38,200
Speaker 1: I'm not happy, But it doesn't mean that I won't

1027
00:52:38,200 --> 00:52:41,039
Speaker 1: be happy once I've recovered, and once I've taken the

1028
00:52:41,080 --> 00:52:44,479
Speaker 1: time to reflect and to stop and to celebrate and

1029
00:52:44,520 --> 00:52:48,559
Speaker 1: to you know, process and recover. Really, so yeah, I

1030
00:52:48,600 --> 00:52:52,919
Speaker 1: think I'm very proud of what I've achieved and grateful

1031
00:52:52,959 --> 00:52:56,359
Speaker 1: for you know, the mindset. Grateful for the opportunity to

1032
00:52:56,399 --> 00:52:59,319
Speaker 1: have been on the most successful Australian Olympic team, to

1033
00:52:59,359 --> 00:53:01,160
Speaker 1: have shared it with my sister, with my mom, with

1034
00:53:01,200 --> 00:53:03,919
Speaker 1: my dad, with my partner, and with everyone back home,

1035
00:53:04,080 --> 00:53:07,680
Speaker 1: and to be able to yeah, enjoy that success but

1036
00:53:07,759 --> 00:53:11,080
Speaker 1: also have things to look forward to inside an outside

1037
00:53:11,120 --> 00:53:11,600
Speaker 1: of the sport.

1038
00:53:12,200 --> 00:53:14,839
Speaker 2: Incredible. Well, thank you so much for your time today.

1039
00:53:14,839 --> 00:53:17,719
Speaker 2: Thank you for everything you've shared. I really appreciate it,

1040
00:53:18,120 --> 00:53:20,119
Speaker 2: and I really appreciate.

1041
00:53:19,600 --> 00:53:22,399
Speaker 3: Your vulnerability and openness. It means a lot.

1042
00:53:22,560 --> 00:53:24,160
Speaker 2: So thank you so much to no.

1043
00:53:24,439 --> 00:53:32,080
Speaker 1: No Amy, no Amy Box, thank you. Thanks.

1044
00:53:32,479 --> 00:53:34,439
Speaker 2: I want to say it in the French way, but

1045
00:53:34,479 --> 00:53:41,479
Speaker 2: I can't. That's all we've got time for on this

1046
00:53:41,680 --> 00:53:44,799
Speaker 2: special episode of But Are You Happy? I like to

1047
00:53:44,919 --> 00:53:47,759
Speaker 2: joke that I over relate to a lot of my

1048
00:53:47,879 --> 00:53:51,959
Speaker 2: guests when I actually do not have a lot of

1049
00:53:52,000 --> 00:53:55,120
Speaker 2: relatability to them, in that I am not an Olympic athlete,

1050
00:53:55,239 --> 00:53:59,080
Speaker 2: for example. But when I interviewed no Amy, I was

1051
00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:03,239
Speaker 2: personally in the final weeks of finishing my first novel,

1052
00:54:03,359 --> 00:54:06,120
Speaker 2: and I cannot tell you how much I loved the

1053
00:54:06,160 --> 00:54:10,759
Speaker 2: way she spoke about process and trusting the process. I

1054
00:54:10,799 --> 00:54:13,799
Speaker 2: feel like it's a phrase you hear so much from

1055
00:54:13,919 --> 00:54:17,959
Speaker 2: successful people who have achieved something incredible, and I often

1056
00:54:18,000 --> 00:54:20,880
Speaker 2: glaze over it. I'm like, yeah, yeah, yeah, trust the process, whatever.

1057
00:54:21,319 --> 00:54:24,640
Speaker 2: But when I drilled down into what she meant and

1058
00:54:24,680 --> 00:54:28,879
Speaker 2: what that looked like to her, I had a real

1059
00:54:28,959 --> 00:54:33,039
Speaker 2: clarifying moment, and I spoke to her afterwards about the

1060
00:54:33,080 --> 00:54:37,439
Speaker 2: way she journaled throughout the Olympics, and I asked her

1061
00:54:37,520 --> 00:54:40,800
Speaker 2: questions about exactly how she did it, and she gave

1062
00:54:40,839 --> 00:54:44,359
Speaker 2: me examples of how she would hype herself up. And

1063
00:54:44,879 --> 00:54:47,400
Speaker 2: I started keeping a journal to keep me on track

1064
00:54:47,719 --> 00:54:52,519
Speaker 2: and keep myself motivated, and it was absolutely transformative. It's

1065
00:54:52,560 --> 00:54:54,959
Speaker 2: the single most embarrassing thing in the world. I hope

1066
00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:58,080
Speaker 2: no one ever sees it, but I think it's a

1067
00:54:58,160 --> 00:55:02,759
Speaker 2: practice that stops you from psyching yourself out. And in

1068
00:55:02,839 --> 00:55:06,839
Speaker 2: so many moments in life, it's mindset and not ability

1069
00:55:07,080 --> 00:55:12,160
Speaker 2: that's our greatest barrier, and that approach of really reminding

1070
00:55:12,200 --> 00:55:16,079
Speaker 2: yourself what the facts are, what your goal is, can

1071
00:55:16,160 --> 00:55:22,239
Speaker 2: be so powerful. The executive producer of But Are You Happy?

1072
00:55:22,399 --> 00:55:26,279
Speaker 2: Is Naima Brown, and the producer is Tarlie Blackman. Audio

1073
00:55:26,399 --> 00:55:29,759
Speaker 2: editing by Tom Lyon and I'm your host Claire Stevens.

1074
00:55:29,919 --> 00:55:31,359
Speaker 2: Will be back in your ears soon