1 00:00:05,559 --> 00:00:08,200 Speaker 1: Brie Walker always knew she wanted to be an Olympian, 2 00:00:08,600 --> 00:00:10,639 Speaker 1: but it was just a matter of which sport would 3 00:00:10,680 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 1: help her to achieve that dream. From horse riding to 4 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:16,759 Speaker 1: track and field, it was eventually Bob slay where she 5 00:00:16,840 --> 00:00:20,040 Speaker 1: found her calling and picked up the famous nickname Bob 6 00:00:20,079 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 1: Sled Brie. Paying her own way to get into the sport, 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:26,319 Speaker 1: Brie set her eyes on the twenty twenty two Winter 8 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: Olympic Games, where she achieved Australia's best Olympic bob sleigh finish, 9 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:33,800 Speaker 1: but that was only the beginning, going on to win 10 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,519 Speaker 1: Australia's first ever World Cup gold bital last year and 11 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 1: even more to date. Welcome back to the Female Athlete 12 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 1: Project and thanks for pressing play. I'm Sophie the producer 13 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,480 Speaker 1: here at TEFAP and this week we welcome Bob Sled 14 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,559 Speaker 1: Brie to the podcast. In this chat, Brie shares her 15 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: path to achieving her lifelong Olympic dream, no matter the 16 00:00:53,800 --> 00:00:56,720 Speaker 1: hurdles faced along the way, and how she's prepping for 17 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:00,520 Speaker 1: the upcoming twenty twenty six Milano Cortina Olympic Games. 18 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:04,040 Speaker 2: We hope you enjoy this episode. Bob Slaybury, Welcome to 19 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 2: the Female Athlete Project. Thank you for having me. I'm 20 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,040 Speaker 2: so excited with buzzing. I usually use people's full name, 21 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:13,400 Speaker 2: but I feel like that's how I know you. Yeah, 22 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:14,800 Speaker 2: I mean, look, it's allow. 23 00:01:15,319 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 3: A lot of people in Australia know me now, so 24 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 3: you know, we love a nickname, and so I just 25 00:01:19,560 --> 00:01:20,039 Speaker 3: roll with it. 26 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so good, it's so good. You are currently 27 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:24,920 Speaker 2: in Sydney. We're doing this in person, which is great. 28 00:01:25,000 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 2: But you kind of live a pretty crazy life and 29 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:30,920 Speaker 2: travel and train and do a whole range of different things. Yeah. 30 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,400 Speaker 3: No, I don't really have a home. That's the hardest 31 00:01:33,440 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 3: question for me to ask answer. So yeah, I'm here, 32 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 3: there and everywhere. But I am so happy to be 33 00:01:40,600 --> 00:01:43,479 Speaker 3: back in Australia. Spent a long time being away from home, 34 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:44,640 Speaker 3: so I am happy. 35 00:01:44,319 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 2: To be even in Sydney. 36 00:01:46,200 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 3: You know, I love it everywhere. Anytime I can get 37 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,240 Speaker 3: back to Australia, I'd love it. 38 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 2: And so take us back to you as a kid. 39 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 2: Where were you growing up and what were you like 40 00:01:56,920 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 2: as a little kid. 41 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, I grew up in the Ara Valley in Melbourne, Victoria, 42 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 3: and yeah I was a very active kid. You could 43 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,720 Speaker 3: say on the borderline of being hyperactive. I was a 44 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:11,720 Speaker 3: cereal yapper. 45 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:12,560 Speaker 2: I'm sure. 46 00:02:13,360 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 3: I'm sure it was always on my reports that, you know, 47 00:02:16,480 --> 00:02:20,240 Speaker 3: Bri if she just applied herself and talked less, she 48 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:25,160 Speaker 3: would do much better. Yeah, playing a lot of sports. 49 00:02:25,200 --> 00:02:29,359 Speaker 3: I love to play sports with the boys, and I 50 00:02:30,040 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 3: just yeah, I really was just a bit of a 51 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,400 Speaker 3: sport nut. And I don't really know where it came from. 52 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 3: Probably came from Dad because my siblings aren't you know 53 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:44,119 Speaker 3: that sporty. So but I just found my love for it. 54 00:02:44,240 --> 00:02:46,480 Speaker 3: Anything that I could get out and do and be active, 55 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,400 Speaker 3: I did, you know. And so yeah, that was pretty 56 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:50,280 Speaker 3: much me as a kid. 57 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,280 Speaker 2: And I think we're a similar age. And you had, 58 00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:55,799 Speaker 2: from what I understand, you had your own Kathy Freeman moment. 59 00:02:56,160 --> 00:02:58,800 Speaker 2: What was that like for you watching Kathy as a 60 00:02:58,800 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 2: little kid. 61 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 3: Yeah, so I it was a four hundred meter runner then, 62 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,600 Speaker 3: and so watching her and the impact that she had 63 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 3: on Australia was what I just admired so much. And 64 00:03:10,160 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 3: I feel like that was probably the first moment that 65 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 3: watching sport where I was truly touched by a performance. 66 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 3: And so for me, I didn't obviously realize that other 67 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 3: people felt the same, But for me, I was just like, 68 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:26,920 Speaker 3: what an amazing moment, what achievement to do it on 69 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:30,119 Speaker 3: your home soil, And yeah. 70 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:30,239 Speaker 2: It was. 71 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:32,920 Speaker 3: It was truly one of the moments that I was like, 72 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 3: it would be pretty cool to go and be an 73 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:36,240 Speaker 3: Australian Olympian. 74 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, and so did you think you were going to 75 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 2: try and do that in track? Yeah? 76 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, that was kind of where I guess the fire 77 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:47,520 Speaker 3: was lit and it was like, yeah. 78 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 2: I think I could do this in track. I don't 79 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: think it was. 80 00:03:51,160 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 3: Until I saw Sally Pearson win a medal in Beijing 81 00:03:57,000 --> 00:04:00,320 Speaker 3: that I was like, I am going to do this 82 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 3: because I saw the emotion that she and the excitement 83 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 3: that she had from that. 84 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:09,119 Speaker 2: Experience so contagious. 85 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think for me what that moment was 86 00:04:13,120 --> 00:04:16,240 Speaker 3: like I want to feel like that, It's what she 87 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,440 Speaker 3: is feeling and experiencing right now. That's what I want 88 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:24,280 Speaker 3: to feel. Kathy's moment was how amazing that moment was 89 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:28,239 Speaker 3: for our nation. Sally's moment was what an amazing moment 90 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:28,640 Speaker 3: for her? 91 00:04:28,960 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 2: And that's what I want. Yeah, cool, I like that. 92 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 2: So you were what about eight watching Kathy like grade four, okay, 93 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:38,960 Speaker 2: and then watching Sally how old are we talking? 94 00:04:39,440 --> 00:04:44,160 Speaker 3: I'm and that was two thousand and eight, right, so 95 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:49,679 Speaker 3: sixteen ish teenagers two thousand and eight, yeah, yeah, yeah, 96 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:51,760 Speaker 3: so I was probably year nine, year ten. 97 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, okay. So you're like, okay, I'm running, I'm seeing Sally. 98 00:04:56,440 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 2: I want to try to go to the Olympics, and 99 00:04:57,920 --> 00:04:59,679 Speaker 2: what happens from their post Beijing. 100 00:05:00,200 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 3: I stick Sally's picture on the back of my training 101 00:05:02,560 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 3: diary and I just go for it. So I actually 102 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 3: had my first experience of going overseas. 103 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 2: In about year nine, and I was. 104 00:05:13,880 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 3: Accepted to or asked invited to come to a school 105 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 3: Australia event where they just take a bunch of kids 106 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 3: who did really well at you know, your regional school event, 107 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:29,680 Speaker 3: and they took us over to Canada. Ironically, it was 108 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 3: the first place I went overseas, and I just competed 109 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,120 Speaker 3: over there, and we lived in colleges over there, we 110 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 3: went to the track meets there, and you know, in 111 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:42,280 Speaker 3: the grand scheme of things of what I've gone and done, 112 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,039 Speaker 3: it was very very low level and it was just 113 00:05:45,440 --> 00:05:47,520 Speaker 3: pretty much an intro of what it's like to be 114 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 3: a traveling international athlete. 115 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 2: But I loved it, and really. 116 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 3: I was like, I think I want to do this, 117 00:05:53,240 --> 00:05:56,160 Speaker 3: Like I want to not just be an athlete in Australia, 118 00:05:56,200 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 3: I want to be an athlete internationally. And so that 119 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:03,640 Speaker 3: kind of was like, yep, this is another like tick 120 00:06:03,680 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 3: in my boxes of what I think I want to 121 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 3: go off and do. 122 00:06:07,440 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: And was that kind of what planted the seed for 123 00:06:09,560 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 2: wanting to go over to college. Yeah, it actually was. 124 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:16,480 Speaker 3: Yeah, So I saw that I would hear it in 125 00:06:16,520 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 3: the narratives of athletes of other athletes that they went 126 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 3: over to college and then they were successful to go 127 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,320 Speaker 3: on to become pro athletes, and then they were competing 128 00:06:25,320 --> 00:06:28,000 Speaker 3: on the world stage at World champs and Olympic Games. 129 00:06:28,240 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 2: So I think that's what I need to go do. Yeah. 130 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 3: So, yeah, that after I finished high school and I 131 00:06:33,880 --> 00:06:38,839 Speaker 3: started at college university here, I started just looking into 132 00:06:38,880 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 3: going to colleges over in the US. 133 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:44,159 Speaker 2: How did you come to make a decision? There's so 134 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:47,920 Speaker 2: many and the process seems quite daunting for an Aussie 135 00:06:47,960 --> 00:06:49,599 Speaker 2: going over there, Like it's kind of I feel like 136 00:06:49,600 --> 00:06:53,440 Speaker 2: Americans almost like live and breathe it. Yeah. Well, I mean. 137 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,520 Speaker 3: There's actually a story to that. So I was looking 138 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,720 Speaker 3: into it for quite some time. I was looking at 139 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:02,359 Speaker 3: the best colleges who had the best four hundred meter hurdles, 140 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:04,840 Speaker 3: because I actually did transfer over to four hundred meter 141 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 3: hurdles at that time. 142 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 2: Sorry, can we just pause? That has to be the 143 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,960 Speaker 2: worst event, like elastic acid, Like, how the hell do 144 00:07:12,000 --> 00:07:13,960 Speaker 2: you keep getting over the hurdles in that home straight? 145 00:07:14,160 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, honestly, I actually liked it so much better than 146 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 3: four hundred meters because it was more it was distracting, 147 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 3: like at each total, like every time you got over 148 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 3: one hurdle, that was like, Okay, that's one hurdle, and 149 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 3: you focused on the next, and then you focused on 150 00:07:28,840 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 3: the next. And I guess that's kind of how like 151 00:07:30,640 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 3: I go through life, Like I have one hurdle that 152 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 3: I need to get over, and so I'm focusing on that, 153 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 3: and I just go to the next one, and then 154 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,200 Speaker 3: I go to the next one. And that's yeah, you know, 155 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 3: it's a good little analogy for life really that okay, 156 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 3: But yeah, So I was looking at the different colleges 157 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 3: that they that had good four hundred meter hurdleers, and 158 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 3: but I still I was just kind of emailing the 159 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 3: colleges not hearing anything back from them. And then there 160 00:07:57,440 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 3: was one off season in our winter in the depths 161 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:05,000 Speaker 3: of like freezing cold Melbourne that I had to go train, 162 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:07,680 Speaker 3: and my coach at the time and a bunch of 163 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 3: athletes had gone over to Europe to compete on the 164 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,000 Speaker 3: circuit over there, so I was all on my own 165 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:16,320 Speaker 3: and I was like, if I don't go to training today, 166 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:19,200 Speaker 3: my coach isn't gonna know, right, And I was like, 167 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 3: I don't need to go. It's rainy, it's cold, I'm 168 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,480 Speaker 3: by myself. I don't it's an awful session. I don't 169 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 3: need to go, but you know, the guilt's got to me. 170 00:08:28,680 --> 00:08:31,360 Speaker 3: And I was, you know, I dragged myself off the couch, 171 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,120 Speaker 3: grabbed my bag, drag all the way out to Doncaster 172 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:38,320 Speaker 3: and started this session. And I think I was doing 173 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:42,320 Speaker 3: like three hundred down to two hundred and back and 174 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 3: you dropped twenty meters each time and then you had 175 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:47,839 Speaker 3: to go back up. It was horrendous, Like it's an 176 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:51,000 Speaker 3: awful session, and then you add the rain to that, 177 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 3: and then you add that it's by yourself. 178 00:08:53,000 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 2: It's not fun. 179 00:08:55,160 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 3: Anyways, I sooked all the way through the warm up 180 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 3: by myself, and I got to the start line and 181 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 3: started doing the session and there was this guy that 182 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:06,800 Speaker 3: was just doing laps around the track and I could 183 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 3: see that he was kind of paying attention to me, 184 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 3: but I really didn't care because I was in so 185 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 3: much pain. You're not feeling it, no, And so eventually 186 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 3: I get to the end of my session, I just 187 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 3: life flat out on the track and I was like, 188 00:09:19,360 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 3: that was awful, but I'm so glad I have gone 189 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 3: and done it. 190 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:23,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, and this guy. 191 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 3: Comes over to me and he goes, that looked like 192 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 3: a rough one and I was like, yep, and you're 193 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 3: the last person I want to talk to you right now. 194 00:09:30,040 --> 00:09:30,959 Speaker 2: And he goes and. 195 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:32,720 Speaker 3: He sticks out his hand and he goes, I'm Nathan 196 00:09:32,800 --> 00:09:35,880 Speaker 3: Carr and I've actually heard of this guy before. 197 00:09:35,960 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 2: He was a. 198 00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:39,280 Speaker 3: Legend at don Cast and he had gone over to 199 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:43,319 Speaker 3: the States to compete as an athlete there. And I'm like, oh, yeah, 200 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:48,120 Speaker 3: I actually know you, and he goes, yeah. I actually 201 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 3: am like, I've been over to college myself. I'm back 202 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 3: on the break right now, but I'm actually transitioning to 203 00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:56,800 Speaker 3: become an athlete. 204 00:09:56,840 --> 00:09:57,280 Speaker 2: Recruiter. 205 00:09:57,320 --> 00:09:59,839 Speaker 3: Have you ever thought about going to college in the state? 206 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 2: Yes? And I said, well. 207 00:10:02,120 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 3: Actually I have, and he goes, well, here's my number 208 00:10:07,400 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 3: and gave me like either put in my phone or 209 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 3: gave me a card I can't recall. And he goes, 210 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:14,960 Speaker 3: send me your athlete resume and I'll give it to 211 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,840 Speaker 3: my coach and we'll see what he says. Okay, And 212 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:20,320 Speaker 3: I went home and I was so excited and I 213 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:22,559 Speaker 3: told Dad and He's like, Bree, that was a pickup line. 214 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,080 Speaker 2: And I'm like, no, it wasn't. He's not even a recruiter. 215 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 2: I was like, that wasn't a pickup line. 216 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 3: I'm going to send him my resume, send him off 217 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 3: my resume, and I think about two or three weeks later, 218 00:10:34,600 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 3: I got an email, very short email from the head 219 00:10:37,480 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 3: coach at the University of Arkansas and Little Rock saying, Hi, Brie, 220 00:10:41,080 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 3: we would like to offer you a full ride as 221 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:47,800 Speaker 3: a four hundred meter hurdler to like, yeah, to the 222 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 3: University of Arkansas and Little Rock and you would start 223 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 3: in January this year. And were you just like that's amazing, yeah, yeah, 224 00:10:55,960 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 3: And I mean like that's the for me. That's the 225 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,960 Speaker 3: power of putting what you want out there. And I 226 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,520 Speaker 3: really I just put it out there. I was searching 227 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:07,480 Speaker 3: for it and all of a sudden, the opportunity came 228 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:09,840 Speaker 3: and I walked through the door, and yeah, it was 229 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 3: a really great experience and I wouldn't take it back 230 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:15,240 Speaker 3: for anything in the world, but it kind of was 231 00:11:15,400 --> 00:11:16,440 Speaker 3: the beginning of the end. 232 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:18,680 Speaker 2: For my track and field career. Yeah, can you touch 233 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:19,720 Speaker 2: on that part of the story. 234 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 3: Yeah, sure, Like I went over there, and you know, 235 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,440 Speaker 3: I was super excited to be able to improve because 236 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:30,440 Speaker 3: I'm like, oh, college, you know, athletes the USA, the 237 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,840 Speaker 3: best track and field nation, and I'm no, I'm going 238 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:36,319 Speaker 3: to be better by being surrounded by these athletes. 239 00:11:36,800 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 2: But a lot of the athletes. 240 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,800 Speaker 3: Do go over like do can you know, go to 241 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 3: college and be part of the sporting programs just to 242 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 3: get a degree. And so there was a lot of 243 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:51,839 Speaker 3: athletes like that. But also in the system, you know, 244 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:55,200 Speaker 3: if they want to find you know, they have a 245 00:11:55,320 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 3: roster of athletes, and if they have a weaker event, 246 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 3: they often will move an athlete or train a certain 247 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,439 Speaker 3: athlete to become to fill a spot in their roster. 248 00:12:05,440 --> 00:12:08,400 Speaker 3: And because I'm quite versatile as an athlete, I could 249 00:12:08,400 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 3: be like a two hundred meter run out, four hundred 250 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,760 Speaker 3: meter runner, eight hundred meter run up, got ya and 251 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 3: so eight hundred was kind of the place that we 252 00:12:15,679 --> 00:12:18,840 Speaker 3: needed to fill, okay, And I did see over time 253 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,160 Speaker 3: that he was my coach, was trying to train me 254 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 3: to become an eight hundred meter runner. But also he 255 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 3: threw me in the gym and if you see me now, 256 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 3: like I'm a little ball of muscle, like you know, 257 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 3: I look at weights and I put on muscle, and 258 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:35,520 Speaker 3: so he was training me over these longer distances. And 259 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:38,360 Speaker 3: then also I was lifting quite heavy and it just 260 00:12:38,440 --> 00:12:40,480 Speaker 3: was the wrong training for me as a four hundred 261 00:12:40,480 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 3: meter hurdler. Okay, So I did get quite slow, and 262 00:12:45,080 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 3: I was like, my purpose of coming over here was 263 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,240 Speaker 3: to be, you know, faster, and I'm doing the exact opposite. 264 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:52,640 Speaker 2: So I'm out of here, got ya? 265 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 3: And so pretty much after a year, I packed my 266 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:59,080 Speaker 3: bags and went back to Australia and I kind of 267 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:03,439 Speaker 3: was in between coaches for quite some time. And I 268 00:13:04,120 --> 00:13:06,560 Speaker 3: think because I had built so much muscle and I 269 00:13:06,720 --> 00:13:09,520 Speaker 3: was a lot heavier, I was suffering a few injuries 270 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:12,120 Speaker 3: and it kind of just got to the point where 271 00:13:12,160 --> 00:13:13,680 Speaker 3: I'm like, am I going to be able to. 272 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:15,920 Speaker 2: Compete for Australia in track and field? 273 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 3: And after watching the Rio Olympics, and I actually I 274 00:13:20,000 --> 00:13:23,160 Speaker 3: watched Kim Brennan and her and she went on to 275 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:27,120 Speaker 3: win gold there, and hearing her story about how she 276 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:29,960 Speaker 3: was actually a four hundred meter hurdler and then she 277 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,480 Speaker 3: got injured and then kind of and got into rowing 278 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:33,520 Speaker 3: as like a recovery. 279 00:13:33,600 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't think I knew that about her, that 280 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 2: she was a four hundred meter hurd a lot. 281 00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:39,079 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, even like four hundred four hundred meter 282 00:13:39,160 --> 00:13:42,160 Speaker 3: hurd a lot. And then yeah, got injured like and 283 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 3: then decided to do rowing as part of her injury recovery, 284 00:13:46,280 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 3: and she was just an elite rower, yeah, and then 285 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,079 Speaker 3: all of a sudden has gone on to gold. I'm like, huh, 286 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:55,959 Speaker 3: maybe my talents lie elsewhere. And so then that's when 287 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 3: I kind of started looking at other things. My coach 288 00:13:59,080 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 3: at the time, who's fortune. He's Kathy Freeman's old coach. 289 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 2: It's a great name. Yeah, yes, he's a great thought. 290 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 3: And he he said, maybe like you would be better 291 00:14:10,120 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 3: off at something like rugby. And I mean, my dad 292 00:14:12,720 --> 00:14:15,720 Speaker 3: would die if I like became a rugby player, you 293 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,600 Speaker 3: know in a good way? Yes, Like yeah, okay, like 294 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 3: so happy. He's a Queenslander. He would just be like, 295 00:14:23,960 --> 00:14:26,520 Speaker 3: you know, the proud I mean, he is the proudest 296 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:29,120 Speaker 3: dad ever. But he would just be so overly proud. 297 00:14:29,280 --> 00:14:32,560 Speaker 3: And you guys went on to win like Golden Rio 298 00:14:32,960 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 3: and so I'm like maybe, but I don't know. For like, 299 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 3: I really like running and all this kind of stuff. 300 00:14:38,480 --> 00:14:41,480 Speaker 3: But after, you know, thinking about it, I'm like, maybe 301 00:14:41,520 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 3: my talents do lie elsewhere. And bob say was something 302 00:14:44,480 --> 00:14:46,520 Speaker 3: that I always thought I would do after my track 303 00:14:46,560 --> 00:14:47,640 Speaker 3: and field career. 304 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:49,080 Speaker 2: Okay, so it always was in the back of your 305 00:14:49,120 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 2: head that it might be there. 306 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:53,280 Speaker 3: Yeah, And especially when Yanna Pittman, who four hundred meter 307 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 3: hurdler a massive idol of mine, when she went and 308 00:14:57,880 --> 00:15:01,600 Speaker 3: she competed in the Satschi Winter Olympics in bobsleiy, I'm like, oh, well, 309 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 3: if she can do it, so can I. 310 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:05,440 Speaker 2: So I'm like, I'll just wait a little bit. 311 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 3: I'll go and make my Australian team in track and 312 00:15:08,040 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 3: then I'll go on and do bobsleigh. But I was like, 313 00:15:10,840 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 3: you know what, I'm young, I've got a lot to 314 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:16,520 Speaker 3: give and I really do have this dream of representing 315 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 3: Australia on the world stage and at the Olympic Games. 316 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:22,960 Speaker 3: So I just googled whether we had an Australian bobsleay 317 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:25,640 Speaker 3: team and they didn't, but at the time they were 318 00:15:25,680 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 3: revamping the team for the twenty eighteen Olympics and so 319 00:15:29,480 --> 00:15:32,320 Speaker 3: then I just signed up for the Talent I D 320 00:15:32,520 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 3: camp and actually driving out here, I drove past the camp. 321 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:38,240 Speaker 2: Was it an arabin at the Academy of Sport? 322 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 3: Yes? And I was like wow, I like that's where 323 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 3: my journey began. Was the Talent ID camp in Arabein 324 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,800 Speaker 3: Did it feel quite nostalgic driving past it? 325 00:15:47,920 --> 00:15:48,960 Speaker 2: Like really cool? 326 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:52,400 Speaker 3: I was just like, man, like, how far have I 327 00:15:52,600 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 3: come since twenty sixteen when I was a complete rookie 328 00:15:57,280 --> 00:15:59,720 Speaker 3: just going to just try and see if I could 329 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:03,560 Speaker 3: like be in the Australian bob slay team. And yeah, 330 00:16:03,600 --> 00:16:09,520 Speaker 3: I went there in September twenty sixteen and they were like, yep, 331 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,320 Speaker 3: you've like achieved all the standards that you need to 332 00:16:13,400 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 3: in order to be able to make the team. Would 333 00:16:15,400 --> 00:16:17,160 Speaker 3: you like to go over and learn how to drive 334 00:16:17,160 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 3: a bob sleigh? And I was like, yeah, when do 335 00:16:19,360 --> 00:16:22,800 Speaker 3: I leave? And they're like a month and I was like, oh, okay, 336 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 3: so there's no funding. I'm going to have to do 337 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:27,320 Speaker 3: this all my stuff, and I have a month to 338 00:16:27,400 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 3: do it, wol. So I worked out I needed about 339 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 3: ten thousand dollars in order to be able to afford 340 00:16:32,520 --> 00:16:35,160 Speaker 3: to go over there. So I just started fundraising and 341 00:16:35,200 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 3: I i you know, did raffle events and you know, 342 00:16:40,520 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 3: friends donated to like an Australian Sports Foundation fund and 343 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,160 Speaker 3: I got my first sponsor who was. 344 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:49,400 Speaker 2: My dad's old boss. 345 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 3: It's actually still with me today, Gavin Like he's been legend. Yeah, 346 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 3: he's been a big part of my journey and probably 347 00:16:57,520 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 3: the reason why I, like, you know, was able to 348 00:16:59,800 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 3: go over there, because he supports me with flights and so. 349 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was. 350 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:07,280 Speaker 3: It all was a little bit of a whirlwind, but 351 00:17:07,480 --> 00:17:10,680 Speaker 3: I pulled it all together and went off to Whistler 352 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:12,480 Speaker 3: and Canada again and. 353 00:17:14,720 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, was a part of. 354 00:17:17,280 --> 00:17:19,959 Speaker 3: A small Nations camp and so it was a bunch 355 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:27,760 Speaker 3: of it was Australia, the US, Virgin Islands, Jamaica, Ghana 356 00:17:27,800 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 3: and Nigeria and so we all just were there and 357 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:35,280 Speaker 3: we were like, okay, we're going to learn how to 358 00:17:35,359 --> 00:17:39,080 Speaker 3: drive bob sleighs. And it was an unreal camp. I 359 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:41,679 Speaker 3: had no idea what I was getting myself into my 360 00:17:41,800 --> 00:17:44,880 Speaker 3: first run. I don't really remember at all. I remember 361 00:17:44,920 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 3: it being feeling really fast. I looked back recently, it's 362 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,120 Speaker 3: like I found out it was like ninety kilometers an hour. 363 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,159 Speaker 3: And if I'm going ninety kilometers an hour, like on 364 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 3: a training day, we call it a day because it's 365 00:17:57,240 --> 00:18:02,040 Speaker 3: far far too slow. Is very fast though it's so 366 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:05,280 Speaker 3: slow we're going we're going like one hundred and twenty 367 00:18:05,320 --> 00:18:07,639 Speaker 3: to one hundred and forty kilometers an hour, like, and 368 00:18:07,760 --> 00:18:10,440 Speaker 3: that's that's your good days. If you're going ninety ks 369 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,359 Speaker 3: an hour, that's very slow, and you know it's not 370 00:18:13,440 --> 00:18:14,480 Speaker 3: even worth driving. 371 00:18:15,640 --> 00:18:18,120 Speaker 2: For me in the beginning, it was unbelievable fast. 372 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 3: And I even said to myself, like, if you get 373 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:24,480 Speaker 3: to the bottom of your first run and you don't 374 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:26,600 Speaker 3: like it, you don't need to do this. No one's 375 00:18:26,640 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 3: putting pressure on you to do this. But you know, 376 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 3: I was like, I got to the bottom of that 377 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:33,840 Speaker 3: first round, like I didn't hate it, so we're going 378 00:18:33,920 --> 00:18:36,879 Speaker 3: to go again, okay? And I went again and again 379 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:40,479 Speaker 3: and again, and yeah, eventually, because you start at the 380 00:18:40,520 --> 00:18:42,960 Speaker 3: bottom of the track, like kind of halfway down the 381 00:18:43,000 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 3: track when you're first learning how to drive a new 382 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:47,600 Speaker 3: track and you slowly. 383 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:49,520 Speaker 2: Progress up the different starts that they have. 384 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 3: Okay, when I got to the top and I would 385 00:18:51,720 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 3: had my first run down from the top, that was 386 00:18:55,280 --> 00:18:57,879 Speaker 3: kind of like solidified the moment. I'm like, yep, I 387 00:18:57,920 --> 00:18:59,760 Speaker 3: love this and this is going to be my sport now, 388 00:18:59,760 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 3: and this is gonna be how I become an Australian Olympian. 389 00:19:03,560 --> 00:19:06,119 Speaker 2: I love that. That's very cool. What were some of 390 00:19:06,200 --> 00:19:09,360 Speaker 2: the questions and the fears that you had inside your 391 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:11,400 Speaker 2: head ahead of that first session. 392 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,199 Speaker 3: I didn't have any. I honestly I didn't because I 393 00:19:17,240 --> 00:19:18,320 Speaker 3: didn't know what to expect. 394 00:19:18,400 --> 00:19:21,120 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, like if I asked. 395 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:22,720 Speaker 3: You to go into a bob, say like, now, what 396 00:19:23,440 --> 00:19:24,360 Speaker 3: would you expect? 397 00:19:25,160 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 2: I don't know. I'd be scared of crashing, though, I 398 00:19:27,160 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 2: reckon if I was going like ninety k's for me 399 00:19:29,520 --> 00:19:32,959 Speaker 2: is fast, sloping me fast, I'd be scared of just 400 00:19:33,840 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 2: not having any control. Yeah, I mean, I didn't. 401 00:19:37,600 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 3: Like Actually, my first sport was horse riding, okay, and 402 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,879 Speaker 3: so I think a part of me kind of tapped 403 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,320 Speaker 3: back into, like, you know, the crazy horse girl that 404 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 3: I once was. 405 00:19:51,280 --> 00:19:54,560 Speaker 2: I love that. Do you know I have plats in 406 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 2: your head. You know, I have plats with I race 407 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:02,160 Speaker 2: now when I actually didn't even make the horse girl 408 00:20:02,160 --> 00:20:02,719 Speaker 2: has lived on. 409 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:06,040 Speaker 3: Yes, i'd never even I just wear it because like 410 00:20:06,040 --> 00:20:08,120 Speaker 3: they're my warrior brains, but actually. 411 00:20:07,840 --> 00:20:09,680 Speaker 2: It's crazy a horse girl. 412 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:15,399 Speaker 3: Yeah, but yeah, no, I think it was just you know, 413 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 3: I've fallen off of a horse plenty of times and 414 00:20:17,760 --> 00:20:20,119 Speaker 3: I got back on, and so I think that was 415 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,640 Speaker 3: probably was why I didn't fear crashing and everything like that. 416 00:20:25,040 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 3: I honestly can tell you I had like no questions 417 00:20:28,440 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 3: or fears about it because I had I had no 418 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:32,119 Speaker 3: idea what I was getting myself into. 419 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:34,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, wow, And what was it like being part of 420 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 2: that group of nations who were not traditionally strong winter 421 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:39,800 Speaker 2: sports nations. 422 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:42,639 Speaker 3: It was really fun because we were all it was. 423 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:46,440 Speaker 3: It's been that was like the only moment in bobsleigh 424 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:47,840 Speaker 3: where I felt like we were. 425 00:20:47,720 --> 00:20:48,800 Speaker 2: All in the same boat. 426 00:20:49,200 --> 00:20:53,000 Speaker 3: You know, got very low funded, not expecting to be 427 00:20:53,040 --> 00:20:55,840 Speaker 3: good at this sport, just out here giving it a go. 428 00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 3: So it was very cool vibes, really fun people. And yeah, 429 00:21:02,200 --> 00:21:05,840 Speaker 3: it's stayed with me for like my whole career, and 430 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:08,000 Speaker 3: I will cherish those weeks forever. 431 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:10,679 Speaker 2: That's really cool. What was that feeling then, if you 432 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:14,120 Speaker 2: contrast that to when you actually were in an environment 433 00:21:14,200 --> 00:21:16,760 Speaker 2: with people who'd been doing it for a very long 434 00:21:16,800 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 2: time and were very elite, and you weren't in that 435 00:21:19,280 --> 00:21:21,880 Speaker 2: safe bubble with people who are in the same situation 436 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:24,959 Speaker 2: as you. Yeah, I felt very small, like you know, 437 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:25,520 Speaker 2: it was. 438 00:21:25,960 --> 00:21:28,320 Speaker 3: It took a long time to feel like that I 439 00:21:28,400 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 3: belonged in that space. But when I started winning medals 440 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:35,600 Speaker 3: again and again, even on the lower circuits, you know, 441 00:21:35,680 --> 00:21:39,359 Speaker 3: because that it had been done by a few Australians before, 442 00:21:39,720 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 3: but not kind of on a consistent basis. But as 443 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:45,879 Speaker 3: soon as I started doing it again and again, I 444 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:49,080 Speaker 3: then felt like I belonged and I was a true 445 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:52,560 Speaker 3: competitor in the sport. And I think, like I think 446 00:21:52,720 --> 00:21:56,200 Speaker 3: people probably saw me as a true competitor. Like before, 447 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:00,439 Speaker 3: I then really felt like I belonged. But yeah, now 448 00:22:00,480 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 3: I definitely you know, that's changed across the last few years, 449 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:07,679 Speaker 3: and it's really fun to be, you know, one of 450 00:22:07,720 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 3: the smallest teams out there, but you know, one of 451 00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:10,920 Speaker 3: the strongest. 452 00:22:10,960 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 2: It's a really proud moment. And before we talk about 453 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 2: when Monobob came into the picture. Can you actually just 454 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:19,199 Speaker 2: explain the difference for people who don't know. 455 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 3: Yeah, sure, So monobob is the single event in Bob's say, so, 456 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,320 Speaker 3: it's just me and the sled. I'm the one who 457 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:30,200 Speaker 3: pushes it by myself, drives it down, and I break the. 458 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:32,199 Speaker 2: Sled all stop the sled at the end. About the 459 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,960 Speaker 2: breaking part, Actually, yeah, it's probably important act. 460 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:37,320 Speaker 3: Hence why I have a brakeman in the two men 461 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:40,080 Speaker 3: that sense. Yeah, so in the two man event, it's 462 00:22:40,119 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 3: myself and my teammate. We're pushing the sled together. We 463 00:22:43,800 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 3: both jump in. I'm the one who drives down the 464 00:22:48,240 --> 00:22:50,879 Speaker 3: sled down the track. She doesn't do anything until we 465 00:22:50,960 --> 00:22:53,320 Speaker 3: cross the line where she sits up and she breaks 466 00:22:53,320 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 3: the sled for us. 467 00:22:55,000 --> 00:22:57,679 Speaker 2: Okay, see I'm always learning here. Yeah, I like that. 468 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 2: When did monobob come into the conversation. 469 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:04,679 Speaker 3: Yeah, it came in after the twenty eighteen Olympics. The 470 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 3: IOC decided to that it was going to be a 471 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:09,760 Speaker 3: new event for the twenty twenty two. 472 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:11,639 Speaker 2: Olympics and just for the women. 473 00:23:12,080 --> 00:23:15,119 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, so the women wanted equality in our sport, 474 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:17,400 Speaker 3: and it could because the men have the two men 475 00:23:17,440 --> 00:23:20,320 Speaker 3: and the fore man and the women were really fighting 476 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:23,720 Speaker 3: for the fore men. I think it would be very 477 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,480 Speaker 3: cool to drive a four man, but if you're looking 478 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,439 Speaker 3: at from an Australian point of view, we struggled to 479 00:23:29,440 --> 00:23:32,480 Speaker 3: get brakemen at the best of times, right, and so 480 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:34,920 Speaker 3: for me to put together a four man team would 481 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,040 Speaker 3: be like a pretty hard ask and I don't know 482 00:23:38,080 --> 00:23:40,639 Speaker 3: if our caliber of athletes would be you know, I 483 00:23:40,640 --> 00:23:43,359 Speaker 3: don't know if we would be that competitive in a 484 00:23:43,400 --> 00:23:47,480 Speaker 3: four man. Plus the four men SAIDs are very very expensive. 485 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 3: There are one hundred and twenty thousand euros. Yeah, ros 486 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,520 Speaker 3: even that's yeah wow, yeah, And so like for us, 487 00:23:55,560 --> 00:23:59,480 Speaker 3: we're already, like, you know, very low funded, and if 488 00:23:59,480 --> 00:24:01,439 Speaker 3: you're looking at a four man event, I would just 489 00:24:01,520 --> 00:24:03,800 Speaker 3: look at it and be like, I don't think that's 490 00:24:03,800 --> 00:24:07,760 Speaker 3: feasible for us, whereas Monobob you know, the sleds are 491 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,720 Speaker 3: twenty five thousand euros. They're all standardized, so they're all 492 00:24:11,760 --> 00:24:16,240 Speaker 3: the same across all the athletes, and it's just me. 493 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 3: So it's very achievable for not only myself, but for 494 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:24,280 Speaker 3: other nations that are like low funded. And what it 495 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 3: did for the sport was amazing. It brought nations back 496 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 3: into the sport who had been out because they, you know, 497 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:34,520 Speaker 3: couldn't find breakmen, they couldn't find funding or other things. 498 00:24:35,200 --> 00:24:37,440 Speaker 3: And so for us, our sport just grew and grew, 499 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,400 Speaker 3: and then from that they decided, oh, let's go find 500 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 3: a breakman and we can create a two man team 501 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:45,760 Speaker 3: against So it then grew our two man field. So 502 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,080 Speaker 3: it's just done great things for our sport. 503 00:24:48,280 --> 00:24:51,040 Speaker 2: And for you making a decision ahead of twenty twenty two, 504 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,920 Speaker 2: what does it look like between the two disciplines? Do you 505 00:24:54,880 --> 00:24:57,520 Speaker 2: call them two disciplines? Yeah, yeah, yeah. 506 00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 3: You know, for me, obviously, a lot of my success 507 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:04,080 Speaker 3: has been a monobob so you know, we're going after 508 00:25:04,880 --> 00:25:08,679 Speaker 3: the podium in for twenty twenty six and in two men. 509 00:25:08,840 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 3: You know, Kiara and myself, who was my teammate in 510 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:16,920 Speaker 3: twenty twenty two, we're still together, but in twenty twenty 511 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,159 Speaker 3: two we were thrown together. You know, it was in 512 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 3: the season she became my teammate. We didn't really know 513 00:25:22,080 --> 00:25:24,919 Speaker 3: each other. We worked very well together, but you know, 514 00:25:25,280 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 3: as a brakeman and you have to develop a lot 515 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:30,760 Speaker 3: of trust for your pilot and vice versa, you know, 516 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:33,200 Speaker 3: and so it was kind of a little bit of 517 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,119 Speaker 3: a whirlwind for us right now. We're building to be 518 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:38,919 Speaker 3: like a very strong team in the two men as well. 519 00:25:39,240 --> 00:25:41,000 Speaker 2: But there are elements. 520 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,600 Speaker 3: In the two men that make it difficult to be 521 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:45,320 Speaker 3: as competitive as you can as I can be in 522 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 3: the monobob And one is our equipment, where you know, 523 00:25:49,000 --> 00:25:51,680 Speaker 3: we have a sled that's pretty much a stock standard 524 00:25:51,720 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 3: two men slaid, whereas other nations with bigger budgets and 525 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:57,800 Speaker 3: they have their own engineers, they're able to work with 526 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,600 Speaker 3: them and develop a really high text that really is 527 00:26:01,680 --> 00:26:05,600 Speaker 3: quite hard to be competitive with, and they're exclusive to them. 528 00:26:05,720 --> 00:26:08,200 Speaker 3: We can't go out and purchase those sleds. 529 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:09,760 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. 530 00:26:09,880 --> 00:26:13,080 Speaker 3: So like there are other elements that you know, make 531 00:26:13,160 --> 00:26:15,520 Speaker 3: it difficult to be competitive in the two men. But 532 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:18,119 Speaker 3: you know, for me, as long as if we go 533 00:26:18,240 --> 00:26:20,800 Speaker 3: and max out our pushing, if I max out my 534 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:23,840 Speaker 3: driving and we max out that the equipment I have, yeah, 535 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 3: you know. 536 00:26:24,240 --> 00:26:25,480 Speaker 2: We're in for a shot. 537 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,679 Speaker 3: And our sport is one on consistency, especially at the 538 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:30,640 Speaker 3: Olympic Games. 539 00:26:31,119 --> 00:26:33,639 Speaker 2: So yeah, that's what I've just said to us. 540 00:26:33,760 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 3: I'm like, we just need to be keep showing up, 541 00:26:36,600 --> 00:26:39,680 Speaker 3: maxing out everything, and keep being as consistent as possible, 542 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:42,320 Speaker 3: and you know, you never know what happens on race day. 543 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, How did it feel looking back to that 544 00:26:45,800 --> 00:26:49,040 Speaker 2: little eight year old kid who watched Kathy to arrive 545 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:51,760 Speaker 2: at twenty twenty two and be like, this probably wasn't 546 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,040 Speaker 2: how I expected to get here, but here we are. 547 00:26:54,200 --> 00:26:57,920 Speaker 3: Yeah, it like, really it was interesting because I obviously 548 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:00,399 Speaker 3: I actually thought I would become an Olympian as a 549 00:27:00,400 --> 00:27:02,680 Speaker 3: horse rider, and then I went on to be a 550 00:27:02,720 --> 00:27:04,639 Speaker 3: track and field and then I've gone on to be 551 00:27:04,680 --> 00:27:07,120 Speaker 3: a Bob's Letter and so really I had a. 552 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:09,120 Speaker 2: Dream and I just have had. 553 00:27:09,359 --> 00:27:11,719 Speaker 3: I just found the right vessel in order to be 554 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 3: able to help me achieve that dream. So yeah, it 555 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,879 Speaker 3: was really it was a whirlwind because obviously twenty twenty 556 00:27:17,920 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 3: two was COVID and trying to make the Olympics was 557 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 3: just you know, it was so unpredictable that time. You 558 00:27:26,440 --> 00:27:29,560 Speaker 3: kind of was just like, let's just get there and 559 00:27:29,600 --> 00:27:34,080 Speaker 3: then we'll see what happens. So it was like, you know, 560 00:27:34,720 --> 00:27:37,159 Speaker 3: I got there and I was exhausted, but you know, 561 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:40,359 Speaker 3: I really thought I was in for a shot for 562 00:27:40,440 --> 00:27:43,920 Speaker 3: a medals there. But when it hit me was when 563 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 3: I walked through into the stadium and I saw the 564 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 3: rings above like our heads and I'm like, wow, I'm here, 565 00:27:52,440 --> 00:27:55,760 Speaker 3: like take it in like and I'll like forever see that, 566 00:27:56,040 --> 00:27:59,800 Speaker 3: like you know image in my head because that was 567 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 3: a moment that I like all the hustle and bustle 568 00:28:02,680 --> 00:28:05,040 Speaker 3: just went away and I was like wow, like I've 569 00:28:05,080 --> 00:28:08,040 Speaker 3: achieved my dream and I'm here and no matter what 570 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 3: happens after this, like I can hold my head high. 571 00:28:10,920 --> 00:28:14,920 Speaker 2: Yeah. Yeah, that's very cool. And going from twenty twenty 572 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 2: two to where you're currently at, like what what has 573 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,560 Speaker 2: your prep been like? And how have you got to 574 00:28:20,560 --> 00:28:25,000 Speaker 2: the point where you're so consistently performing and having podium finishes. Yeah, 575 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:29,120 Speaker 2: for me, I realized that twenty twenty two, my team 576 00:28:29,160 --> 00:28:31,959 Speaker 2: and I prepared for me to get to the Games. 577 00:28:31,960 --> 00:28:34,399 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, they didn't prepare for me to compete at 578 00:28:34,400 --> 00:28:35,399 Speaker 2: the Games. Oh yeah. 579 00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:38,400 Speaker 3: So now it's really I realized that, and I'm like, 580 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 3: all right, I need to be prepared to compete. 581 00:28:42,320 --> 00:28:46,120 Speaker 2: At the Olympics. Not just making it there. We're competing. 582 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 3: So that's what every single race and every single opportunity, 583 00:28:50,200 --> 00:28:51,680 Speaker 3: every training session. 584 00:28:52,640 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 2: Has been focused towards. 585 00:28:55,680 --> 00:28:58,640 Speaker 3: After Beijing, I pretty much sat down straight away and 586 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:02,080 Speaker 3: wrote out my four year plan and I figured out 587 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 3: who I wanted to have on board, and one of 588 00:29:04,240 --> 00:29:08,160 Speaker 3: the key people is my head coach, Pierre and he 589 00:29:08,280 --> 00:29:11,760 Speaker 3: had been the coach for the Russian, South Korean and 590 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,720 Speaker 3: Chinese teams and they were for they were the home 591 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 3: nations for the last three Olympics, so you'd work with 592 00:29:19,000 --> 00:29:22,120 Speaker 3: big teams and big budgets. And I said, I want 593 00:29:22,200 --> 00:29:25,200 Speaker 3: him as my coach. And everyone's like, you're nuts. There 594 00:29:25,280 --> 00:29:27,920 Speaker 3: is no way that you're getting this man as your coach. 595 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:31,480 Speaker 3: You're a little small team from Australia. Who do you 596 00:29:31,600 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 3: think you are? And I was like, I'm gree Walker. 597 00:29:34,840 --> 00:29:38,320 Speaker 3: I want Pierre Luners as my coach. And I just 598 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:42,280 Speaker 3: contacted him again and again and again, and I'm sure he. 599 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:44,240 Speaker 2: Was like she is the biggest pest ever. 600 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:50,840 Speaker 3: But you know, persistence works, and he turned around a 601 00:29:50,880 --> 00:29:53,800 Speaker 3: few months later down the track after being offered you know, 602 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:56,800 Speaker 3: big positions at other teams, and he's like, you know what, 603 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 3: I need a new venture and I think that you're it, 604 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:03,920 Speaker 3: so let's go and do it. And he really has. 605 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:07,240 Speaker 3: He we scaled it right back to basics. You know, 606 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:09,800 Speaker 3: he goes, you've developed some pretty bad habits. 607 00:30:09,440 --> 00:30:11,880 Speaker 2: Across the years. Let's go out and you. 608 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,320 Speaker 3: Know, you need to do a lot of driving to 609 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,600 Speaker 3: be able to work those like unwind those bad habits. 610 00:30:19,040 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 3: And I learned pretty quickly that he didn't. I didn't 611 00:30:24,440 --> 00:30:26,320 Speaker 3: need to unwind those habits. I just need to be 612 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 3: taught differently. So he spoken language that I understood, and 613 00:30:31,240 --> 00:30:36,800 Speaker 3: also he instilled so much confidence in me to trust 614 00:30:36,800 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 3: my intuition. So when I would say this corner doesn't 615 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:45,040 Speaker 3: feel right, or like driving through the corner, like driving 616 00:30:45,040 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 3: through this corner doesn't feel right, I think I need 617 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:50,120 Speaker 3: to do this, and he goes, let me go and see. 618 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:52,360 Speaker 3: He would go and see and be like, yeah, you're 619 00:30:52,440 --> 00:30:55,960 Speaker 3: exactly right. And he was the first coach that really 620 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,400 Speaker 3: was like, Brie, you know what you're talking about. Because 621 00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:01,240 Speaker 3: I think other coaches in the past we'll be like, 622 00:31:01,240 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 3: why wouldn't Australia know what she's talking about? Like, you know, 623 00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 3: I have no business being like having any knowledge in 624 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:10,000 Speaker 3: Bob Sleigh. Yeah, But Pierre was like, no, you knew 625 00:31:10,040 --> 00:31:12,840 Speaker 3: what you were talking about, and trust your instincts and 626 00:31:12,880 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 3: if you feel something, tell me and I'll translate it. 627 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 3: And that's why how I think we have been able 628 00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:22,120 Speaker 3: to be successful with really just a team of four 629 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:26,280 Speaker 3: versing all these other teams that have humongous budgets and 630 00:31:26,400 --> 00:31:27,800 Speaker 3: many people track side. 631 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:31,840 Speaker 2: Yeah. Fast forward to the end of twenty twenty four. 632 00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 2: There's a video of you that we reshared. It actually 633 00:31:34,640 --> 00:31:39,480 Speaker 2: went very viral because it's an exceptional video. Can you 634 00:31:39,560 --> 00:31:42,000 Speaker 2: talk through what that moment was and what that moment 635 00:31:42,040 --> 00:31:42,440 Speaker 2: meant to you? 636 00:31:43,000 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 3: Ah, there is a bit of a backstory to that 637 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:51,200 Speaker 3: moment and why I guess it has such an impact 638 00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:54,880 Speaker 3: on me, Like do we have time, ladies? 639 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:56,400 Speaker 2: Oh yeah. 640 00:31:55,520 --> 00:31:58,640 Speaker 3: So we ever come to the end of our season 641 00:31:58,680 --> 00:32:03,400 Speaker 3: and we have one more World Cup to attend and 642 00:32:03,440 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 3: that's in Lake Placid, and our budget is run out. 643 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:08,960 Speaker 3: And Pierre asked me, he said. 644 00:32:08,960 --> 00:32:10,240 Speaker 2: Brie, are we going to do this? 645 00:32:10,480 --> 00:32:12,840 Speaker 3: And I'm like, yeah, I mean, like, we don't have 646 00:32:12,920 --> 00:32:15,640 Speaker 3: a lot of money, Like we've booked our accommodation and stuff, 647 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:19,480 Speaker 3: but there's nothing left, Like I would have to spend all, 648 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:21,640 Speaker 3: like you know, put it on the credit card e 649 00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 3: And I'm like, but I really want to go and 650 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:30,280 Speaker 3: win a crystal Globe because so over the season, we 651 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,240 Speaker 3: have eight World Cup races and you accumulate points each time, 652 00:32:34,560 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 3: and at the end of the season you get ranked. 653 00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:41,160 Speaker 3: And I really wanted to win an overall Crystal Globe 654 00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:44,800 Speaker 3: and so I was like, I really want to win it. 655 00:32:44,920 --> 00:32:48,160 Speaker 3: I'm sitting forth, but the the points are so tight. 656 00:32:48,560 --> 00:32:50,160 Speaker 3: I'm like, yep, nah, let's do it. 657 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:51,080 Speaker 2: Let's go for it. 658 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,640 Speaker 3: I'll put it on the business card. We're fine, HUTU 659 00:32:54,760 --> 00:32:59,120 Speaker 3: break about right. And so we go over there and 660 00:33:00,080 --> 00:33:02,160 Speaker 3: I'm compete, like you know, I'm training and I'm like, 661 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,200 Speaker 3: I feel like i can do really well here, but 662 00:33:04,320 --> 00:33:06,240 Speaker 3: you know, I'm not going to get to ahead of myself. 663 00:33:06,600 --> 00:33:10,400 Speaker 3: And it actually just come off the World Championships in Winterberg, 664 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 3: where in the third heat there I was sitting second 665 00:33:14,040 --> 00:33:17,240 Speaker 3: and in the fourth heath I dropped to fourth and 666 00:33:17,600 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 3: that was a really heartbreaking moment. But my coach was like, 667 00:33:22,440 --> 00:33:28,240 Speaker 3: that's was such an important lesson, Bree because you defend 668 00:33:28,280 --> 00:33:31,680 Speaker 3: it instead of attacked. Okay, you need to in Bob say, 669 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:34,720 Speaker 3: you always need to defend. You can attack, you can 670 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:41,280 Speaker 3: never defend your position. And so I'm We're in Lake Placid. 671 00:33:41,440 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 3: I go down for my first heat in the race 672 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:47,800 Speaker 3: and I'm sitting first, but I'm sitting first by point 673 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:51,440 Speaker 3: zero two and the athlete who's sitting behind me is 674 00:33:51,520 --> 00:33:54,800 Speaker 3: Alana Meaz Taylor, who's the American. So we're on her 675 00:33:54,840 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 3: home track, home soil, and it's yeah, it's going to 676 00:34:00,480 --> 00:34:01,680 Speaker 3: be pretty tight racing. 677 00:34:02,040 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 2: But for me, I was like, I have I've. 678 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:09,360 Speaker 3: Been in a situation where, you know, the crowd was 679 00:34:09,400 --> 00:34:13,759 Speaker 3: so wild at Winterberg at the World Championships and the 680 00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:18,240 Speaker 3: racing was so tight. I know I can't defend my position. 681 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:19,520 Speaker 3: I need to attack. 682 00:34:20,040 --> 00:34:21,040 Speaker 2: And I get to the. 683 00:34:22,719 --> 00:34:26,000 Speaker 3: Start line for my second heat and Alana goes down 684 00:34:26,040 --> 00:34:28,759 Speaker 3: before me. Because in the second heat you go in 685 00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:32,120 Speaker 3: reverse so that it goes from slowest to the fastest 686 00:34:32,160 --> 00:34:32,919 Speaker 3: in the first heat. 687 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:33,600 Speaker 2: Does that make sense. 688 00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:37,839 Speaker 3: Yeah, So Alana's sitting second, she's going just before me. 689 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:38,960 Speaker 2: She goes down. 690 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:42,000 Speaker 3: The commentator's going nuts, the crowd's going nuts. She does 691 00:34:42,040 --> 00:34:44,880 Speaker 3: a really good run. But for me, I just dial 692 00:34:44,960 --> 00:34:47,040 Speaker 3: in and I focus on what I need to focus, 693 00:34:47,080 --> 00:34:50,480 Speaker 3: and I'm like, you need to attack, and I have gone, 694 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:54,240 Speaker 3: and I have just ripped it and attacked my start. 695 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:58,120 Speaker 3: I blew my start like away from the first heat, 696 00:34:58,520 --> 00:35:01,040 Speaker 3: and I've just gone. And I remember getting to a 697 00:35:01,080 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 3: certain point in the track and I knew if I 698 00:35:03,280 --> 00:35:05,720 Speaker 3: nailed that point that I had got it, and I 699 00:35:05,760 --> 00:35:09,680 Speaker 3: absolutely nailed it, and I'm just driving like out, like 700 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:11,799 Speaker 3: out of my own skin, and I get to the 701 00:35:11,840 --> 00:35:16,560 Speaker 3: bottom and I beat Alana byo point two five, so 702 00:35:17,000 --> 00:35:19,520 Speaker 3: a quarter of a second, which is in our sport 703 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:24,280 Speaker 3: is humongousy. And I've crossed the line and I couldn't 704 00:35:24,320 --> 00:35:27,319 Speaker 3: see if I had won. And I'm sitting there and 705 00:35:27,680 --> 00:35:30,120 Speaker 3: that's why my hands go out because I'm like, like, 706 00:35:30,239 --> 00:35:30,839 Speaker 3: have I won? 707 00:35:30,920 --> 00:35:32,719 Speaker 2: And Kiara is there, who's. 708 00:35:32,480 --> 00:35:34,840 Speaker 3: My teammate, and she's going nuts waving her finger. I 709 00:35:34,840 --> 00:35:36,960 Speaker 3: couldn't see her finger, so I. 710 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:38,799 Speaker 2: Was like getting all the way up and I'm like, 711 00:35:38,920 --> 00:35:39,480 Speaker 2: have I won? 712 00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:43,600 Speaker 3: And I get to the finish, I see the one. 713 00:35:43,719 --> 00:35:46,480 Speaker 3: I see her, and I've just thrown my sled. You 714 00:35:46,520 --> 00:35:48,880 Speaker 3: don't do that because it's like, you know, it's pretty 715 00:35:48,880 --> 00:35:51,840 Speaker 3: steep going backwards, and I've thrown my sled, people have 716 00:35:51,960 --> 00:35:55,120 Speaker 3: caught it, and I've just leaped into her arms. And 717 00:35:55,400 --> 00:35:58,960 Speaker 3: it was just such a beautiful moment because not only 718 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:03,200 Speaker 3: had I had won, I actually secured the second overall 719 00:36:03,320 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 3: crystal globe with that win, and I was just, you know, 720 00:36:07,160 --> 00:36:09,560 Speaker 3: I just thought maybe with that win. I would come third, 721 00:36:09,560 --> 00:36:12,080 Speaker 3: but to be able to come second overall was just 722 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 3: so awesome and to do it, I guess on my 723 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:19,120 Speaker 3: own dime, and it was just like everything was worth it. 724 00:36:19,520 --> 00:36:21,680 Speaker 2: Oh, I like actually go a bit teary white and 725 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,840 Speaker 2: like goosebumps and every like that is quite and because 726 00:36:24,960 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 2: oh sorry you as you know, we're big fans and 727 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:29,360 Speaker 2: we watch you from afar and I love seeing that 728 00:36:29,440 --> 00:36:31,320 Speaker 2: video and things like that and the way people reacted 729 00:36:31,320 --> 00:36:33,839 Speaker 2: because I think like because of it being a winter 730 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,960 Speaker 2: sport and you're being from Australia, like we know that 731 00:36:35,960 --> 00:36:39,799 Speaker 2: we've had amazing success in certain different winter sports, but 732 00:36:39,920 --> 00:36:42,000 Speaker 2: it often does feel quite far away. But there was 733 00:36:42,040 --> 00:36:44,560 Speaker 2: something really powerful about that moment because you could even 734 00:36:44,600 --> 00:36:47,319 Speaker 2: if someone didn't know your story or what you've been 735 00:36:47,360 --> 00:36:49,439 Speaker 2: through and what it had taken together, you could see 736 00:36:49,480 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 2: what it meant to you. 737 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:53,200 Speaker 3: Yeah, and I think also what it was and I like, 738 00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:56,799 Speaker 3: through talking with people, it was how happy Kiara was 739 00:36:56,840 --> 00:36:59,840 Speaker 3: for me, Like you know, it was like it is 740 00:36:59,840 --> 00:37:04,440 Speaker 3: a individual sport, but it takes like our whole team 741 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:06,600 Speaker 3: for me to be able to achieve that. And she 742 00:37:07,120 --> 00:37:09,680 Speaker 3: I never feel alone in that event because she is 743 00:37:09,800 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 3: just one hundred percent behind me and so supportive and like, 744 00:37:13,840 --> 00:37:16,839 Speaker 3: you know, it's great to come down in a two 745 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:19,160 Speaker 3: man event and to be able to celebrate with a teammate, 746 00:37:19,200 --> 00:37:21,279 Speaker 3: but to be able to do that in an individual 747 00:37:21,320 --> 00:37:24,480 Speaker 3: event and for her to have so much genuine excitement 748 00:37:24,600 --> 00:37:29,040 Speaker 3: for like what we achieved, Yes, was just unbelievable, And 749 00:37:29,320 --> 00:37:31,799 Speaker 3: yeah it was. It's a moment Old Cherish forever. I 750 00:37:31,840 --> 00:37:33,640 Speaker 3: love that you touched. 751 00:37:33,320 --> 00:37:35,760 Speaker 2: On just putting it on the credit card and some decisions, 752 00:37:35,800 --> 00:37:38,160 Speaker 2: some really big decisions that you have to make around 753 00:37:38,200 --> 00:37:41,600 Speaker 2: budget and finances and logistics. That's quite a big part 754 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:43,400 Speaker 2: of what you do. You're not just an athlete. You 755 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,560 Speaker 2: sit in rooms and make conversations about your own career. 756 00:37:46,560 --> 00:37:47,560 Speaker 2: What does that look like? 757 00:37:47,680 --> 00:37:51,680 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's pretty confronting because I mean, like, as an athlete, 758 00:37:51,719 --> 00:37:54,040 Speaker 3: you just expect that, you know, I go and train, 759 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:56,920 Speaker 3: and I go and recover, and I go and I compete. 760 00:37:57,280 --> 00:37:59,880 Speaker 3: But actually to be able to make everything happen I do, 761 00:38:00,080 --> 00:38:02,800 Speaker 3: I have to sit in boardrooms and kind of pitch 762 00:38:03,120 --> 00:38:05,920 Speaker 3: like what I want to do and really put myself 763 00:38:05,960 --> 00:38:08,040 Speaker 3: out there on a legend. Be like if you guys 764 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:12,520 Speaker 3: help me, like revide me with this funding and these resources, 765 00:38:12,600 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 3: I will go and achieve this. And that's pretty like 766 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:19,520 Speaker 3: because nothing's ever guaranteed. But for me, like I've been 767 00:38:19,680 --> 00:38:22,000 Speaker 3: brave enough to put myself out there to say, like, 768 00:38:22,160 --> 00:38:24,920 Speaker 3: if I get this help, I will go on and 769 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:26,800 Speaker 3: achieve it at like this level. 770 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:29,160 Speaker 2: And so it is. 771 00:38:29,239 --> 00:38:33,239 Speaker 3: And then you obviously I don't necessarily like they're like, Okay, yeah, 772 00:38:33,280 --> 00:38:35,040 Speaker 3: we'll help you provide this, but you've got to do 773 00:38:35,080 --> 00:38:36,840 Speaker 3: the rest of yourself because we have no idea what 774 00:38:37,120 --> 00:38:39,879 Speaker 3: like want to do in bob'sleigh, Okay, so I need 775 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:42,200 Speaker 3: to then go out and resource my coaches. I need 776 00:38:42,239 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 3: to go higher, and then I also need to go 777 00:38:44,160 --> 00:38:47,680 Speaker 3: and fire like that's like that can be pretty confronting 778 00:38:47,719 --> 00:38:50,480 Speaker 3: because I'm not an entrepreneur like maybe I am now, 779 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:54,200 Speaker 3: but like like I never thought that's what I would 780 00:38:54,239 --> 00:38:57,680 Speaker 3: be if being an athlete. I also have to sit 781 00:38:57,760 --> 00:39:01,880 Speaker 3: there and you know, a budget season out with our coach, 782 00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:04,280 Speaker 3: and I go, Okay, this is what we can afford 783 00:39:04,760 --> 00:39:08,120 Speaker 3: afford within our funding. Everything else, I'm going to have 784 00:39:08,120 --> 00:39:10,319 Speaker 3: to go out and find responsors. So then I go 785 00:39:10,400 --> 00:39:14,239 Speaker 3: out and look for sponsors and pitch to them like 786 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:16,960 Speaker 3: what we're going to achieve and it's really hard to 787 00:39:17,000 --> 00:39:20,040 Speaker 3: pitch a sport that isn't you know, front and center 788 00:39:20,360 --> 00:39:23,319 Speaker 3: and on the end of Australian's noses like football and 789 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:27,600 Speaker 3: rugby and cricket and even like swimming, you know. So yeah, 790 00:39:27,640 --> 00:39:31,440 Speaker 3: it's it is really like it's full on and it 791 00:39:31,560 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 3: is a full time gig. Like I have to you know, 792 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:37,600 Speaker 3: go and train and then come back and recover and 793 00:39:37,640 --> 00:39:41,160 Speaker 3: then come and then go and look at like booking accommodation, 794 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:46,400 Speaker 3: booking flights, and then you know, hunting down sponsors and 795 00:39:46,440 --> 00:39:47,239 Speaker 3: everything like that. 796 00:39:47,360 --> 00:39:51,520 Speaker 2: So it's a huge job. But I actually kind of 797 00:39:51,560 --> 00:39:51,920 Speaker 2: love it. 798 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:56,160 Speaker 3: I kind of love you know, piecing the puzzle together 799 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:01,200 Speaker 3: and just seeing it all come to fruition at the 800 00:40:01,280 --> 00:40:02,960 Speaker 3: end of the day is just so rewarding. 801 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:05,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's really really cool. Can you give us a 802 00:40:05,600 --> 00:40:07,680 Speaker 2: bit of insight into what it actually looks like, I 803 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:09,719 Speaker 2: guess for winter sports as a whole, from like an 804 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:13,400 Speaker 2: Australian perspective around the funding, is it athletes in different 805 00:40:13,440 --> 00:40:15,239 Speaker 2: sports kind of just have to pitch and say this 806 00:40:15,320 --> 00:40:16,480 Speaker 2: is what I want to do, this is what I 807 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:19,240 Speaker 2: need or are they're more structured systems around different sports. 808 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:22,399 Speaker 3: No, there's definitely structured systems around different sports. I think 809 00:40:22,440 --> 00:40:25,360 Speaker 3: the sports that we are very strong in, which is 810 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:30,400 Speaker 3: your moguls, aerials, snowboard like half pipe, and then you 811 00:40:30,480 --> 00:40:34,279 Speaker 3: also have like snowboard cross. They all have programs that 812 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:38,200 Speaker 3: are kind of overseen by the OWIA, so the Olympic 813 00:40:38,239 --> 00:40:42,920 Speaker 3: Winter Institute of Australia and you know it actually like 814 00:40:43,000 --> 00:40:47,600 Speaker 3: it shows that their support has been so helpful in 815 00:40:47,719 --> 00:40:51,799 Speaker 3: helping us to have such a strong legacy in the 816 00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:56,200 Speaker 3: sport and can we do go on and win medals 817 00:40:56,200 --> 00:40:58,960 Speaker 3: on world stage? And so I'm very grateful for the 818 00:40:59,000 --> 00:41:02,640 Speaker 3: OWIAA also the Queensland Academy of Sport. They're the ones 819 00:41:02,680 --> 00:41:06,560 Speaker 3: who fund my program and really I wouldn't be where 820 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:07,879 Speaker 3: I am today without them. 821 00:41:08,760 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 2: And what have you learned from having to have some 822 00:41:11,680 --> 00:41:14,720 Speaker 2: of these difficult conversations with the hiring and the firing 823 00:41:14,800 --> 00:41:18,440 Speaker 2: and around your leadership skills really and your people skills. 824 00:41:18,560 --> 00:41:22,799 Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it's it can be really tricky because at 825 00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:29,399 Speaker 3: times you think logically that person is a good fit, 826 00:41:30,200 --> 00:41:32,120 Speaker 3: but there's some sometimes you have to go with you 827 00:41:32,200 --> 00:41:36,160 Speaker 3: got feeling and you have to be like this doesn't 828 00:41:36,160 --> 00:41:40,520 Speaker 3: feel right for whatever reason. This person is amazing, but 829 00:41:40,719 --> 00:41:43,080 Speaker 3: it doesn't feel right, and I need to trust that 830 00:41:43,239 --> 00:41:47,120 Speaker 3: because you know it's it is. It's very expensive to 831 00:41:47,160 --> 00:41:51,279 Speaker 3: travel overseas, and also we're traveling for so long and 832 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:53,839 Speaker 3: people can you know, they have to put their life 833 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:56,640 Speaker 3: on pause back in Australia or wherever they're from. 834 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:57,360 Speaker 2: In the world. 835 00:41:58,040 --> 00:42:00,680 Speaker 3: And then if you have ignored that up feeling and 836 00:42:00,719 --> 00:42:02,640 Speaker 3: then you get over there and it doesn't work out, 837 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:03,840 Speaker 3: then that can. 838 00:42:03,719 --> 00:42:04,600 Speaker 2: Come back to bite you. 839 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:08,320 Speaker 3: So yeah, you have to take some big deep breaths 840 00:42:08,680 --> 00:42:11,440 Speaker 3: and just go Nope, this doesn't feel right. I'm so sorry, 841 00:42:11,480 --> 00:42:13,040 Speaker 3: this isn't going to work and I'm going to have 842 00:42:13,080 --> 00:42:17,320 Speaker 3: to go elsewhere. And that can be really tricky because 843 00:42:17,400 --> 00:42:20,480 Speaker 3: you build such strong connections with people, especially in the 844 00:42:20,560 --> 00:42:23,960 Speaker 3: small team. But you know, at the end of the day, 845 00:42:24,080 --> 00:42:26,200 Speaker 3: I make those calls for the good of the team 846 00:42:26,840 --> 00:42:29,640 Speaker 3: and because you know I've been I have been doing 847 00:42:29,680 --> 00:42:33,439 Speaker 3: it for a while, and I also do go from 848 00:42:33,440 --> 00:42:36,520 Speaker 3: the guidance of people like my head coach and the 849 00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:40,839 Speaker 3: owia and they're like, Bree, we think you're correct on this, 850 00:42:41,000 --> 00:42:43,080 Speaker 3: like go forth and make that decision. 851 00:42:43,200 --> 00:42:45,000 Speaker 2: So yeah, it takes. 852 00:42:44,719 --> 00:42:48,080 Speaker 3: Balls, but you know, it's at the end of the day, 853 00:42:48,160 --> 00:42:51,440 Speaker 3: if you keep your your why at the forefront. Then 854 00:42:51,480 --> 00:42:53,680 Speaker 3: you always and go with your gut in seas you 855 00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:55,200 Speaker 3: always make the right decision. 856 00:42:55,480 --> 00:42:57,600 Speaker 2: I love that. Can you give us a little preview 857 00:42:57,680 --> 00:42:59,799 Speaker 2: less than twelve months to go till the twenty twenty 858 00:42:59,800 --> 00:43:02,200 Speaker 2: six Winter Olympics. I think that's a preview what it's 859 00:43:02,239 --> 00:43:03,799 Speaker 2: going to look like for you. Yeah. 860 00:43:03,880 --> 00:43:05,880 Speaker 3: So I'm in Australia until June. 861 00:43:05,960 --> 00:43:06,680 Speaker 2: So I do a. 862 00:43:06,600 --> 00:43:09,640 Speaker 3: Lot of my dry land training here, which is I'm 863 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:12,560 Speaker 3: mainly in the gym and i'm and I'm on the 864 00:43:12,640 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 3: running track. If you follow along on my Instagram, I 865 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:17,240 Speaker 3: show a lot of that. I love showing my content 866 00:43:17,280 --> 00:43:22,600 Speaker 3: of my training. Once I go, I then leave for 867 00:43:22,800 --> 00:43:27,800 Speaker 3: Calgary in Canada in July and I begin my push 868 00:43:27,880 --> 00:43:31,200 Speaker 3: training because I have a facility over there called a 869 00:43:31,239 --> 00:43:33,799 Speaker 3: push track, and it's where we kind of simulate our 870 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:36,480 Speaker 3: push starts and we can practice them again and again 871 00:43:36,560 --> 00:43:39,880 Speaker 3: without going all the way down to bobsleigh track. And 872 00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,560 Speaker 3: then I continue my dry land training like I would 873 00:43:42,560 --> 00:43:44,839 Speaker 3: in Australia, but you obviously just add in the push 874 00:43:45,400 --> 00:43:50,320 Speaker 3: start element. And then in October we head over to 875 00:43:50,400 --> 00:43:55,280 Speaker 3: start training down bob slid tracks and I'm very excited 876 00:43:55,320 --> 00:43:57,920 Speaker 3: in October, we get to go and try the new 877 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:02,080 Speaker 3: track in Cortina. So I haven't slid that track before, 878 00:44:02,480 --> 00:44:05,000 Speaker 3: and but my coach has been there, he's watched a 879 00:44:05,000 --> 00:44:08,640 Speaker 3: few other athletes test that track at and he's like, breathe, like, 880 00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:11,440 Speaker 3: you're going to love this track really, and so I'm 881 00:44:11,440 --> 00:44:13,319 Speaker 3: really excited to go over there and try that. 882 00:44:13,880 --> 00:44:16,160 Speaker 2: And then that's where our first World Cup will. 883 00:44:16,040 --> 00:44:18,360 Speaker 3: Be for the season, and then that kind of kicks 884 00:44:18,440 --> 00:44:21,240 Speaker 3: up the World Cup season. So we have seven World 885 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,640 Speaker 3: Cup oh yeah, seven World Cups before the Olympic Games, 886 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:27,360 Speaker 3: and then the Games is in February, and then we 887 00:44:27,440 --> 00:44:31,680 Speaker 3: have one World Cup after the Olympics. So yeah, it's 888 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:35,480 Speaker 3: all systems go really from now until the Yeah, I 889 00:44:35,480 --> 00:44:36,840 Speaker 3: guess the end of February. 890 00:44:36,920 --> 00:44:40,120 Speaker 2: Amazing. A question I ask everyone on the show is 891 00:44:40,440 --> 00:44:42,719 Speaker 2: what is your favorite failure? 892 00:44:44,040 --> 00:44:47,480 Speaker 3: Ooh, that's a great question. That would have to be 893 00:44:47,520 --> 00:44:50,719 Speaker 3: Winterberg World Champs that I touched on before. You know, 894 00:44:50,840 --> 00:44:53,160 Speaker 3: that was my first World Champs that I really thought 895 00:44:53,200 --> 00:44:56,640 Speaker 3: that I had a shot to win a World Championship medal. 896 00:44:57,440 --> 00:45:00,560 Speaker 3: And it's one of my favorite tracks. I've I drive 897 00:45:00,600 --> 00:45:04,359 Speaker 3: it very well and was driving it very well and 898 00:45:05,040 --> 00:45:07,600 Speaker 3: before every World Champs, Pierre creates. 899 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:09,919 Speaker 2: A plan for me and he goes. 900 00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 3: Don't be surprised when you're executing this plan, and I 901 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,560 Speaker 3: was like, okay, I always want to like I will 902 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:20,840 Speaker 3: never be surprised when I execute a plan, but actually 903 00:45:20,960 --> 00:45:24,640 Speaker 3: when I got to the bottom of So World Championships 904 00:45:24,680 --> 00:45:27,479 Speaker 3: is different to World Cups. World Cups we have two 905 00:45:27,520 --> 00:45:32,120 Speaker 3: heats per race. World Championships we have four heats across 906 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:35,880 Speaker 3: two days. So I competed the first day with the 907 00:45:35,920 --> 00:45:39,480 Speaker 3: two heats, and I think I was sitting third. Came 908 00:45:39,520 --> 00:45:43,319 Speaker 3: into the second day, came down for the third heat, 909 00:45:43,360 --> 00:45:46,120 Speaker 3: and I was sitting in second, and I'm like, oh 910 00:45:46,120 --> 00:45:49,319 Speaker 3: my god, I'm actually executing this plan. And I think 911 00:45:49,320 --> 00:45:51,920 Speaker 3: if you go back and look at that footage of 912 00:45:52,000 --> 00:45:54,160 Speaker 3: that third heat. I get to the bottom and I'm 913 00:45:54,200 --> 00:45:57,880 Speaker 3: a little bit stunned, and Kiara is very excited for me. 914 00:45:58,040 --> 00:46:02,840 Speaker 3: She's like, oh my god, like actually sitting first. And 915 00:46:02,880 --> 00:46:05,120 Speaker 3: then the girl that came down after me, she jumped 916 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:08,240 Speaker 3: ahead of me, but she's like, breathe, like, get excited, 917 00:46:08,280 --> 00:46:10,480 Speaker 3: you're doing this. And I think I was just in 918 00:46:10,520 --> 00:46:11,960 Speaker 3: a little bit of shock, and I didn't want to 919 00:46:11,960 --> 00:46:15,360 Speaker 3: get too excited. But for me, I actually should have 920 00:46:15,400 --> 00:46:19,240 Speaker 3: got excited. And also what I did was I got 921 00:46:19,280 --> 00:46:22,240 Speaker 3: out of my routine because I wanted to calm my emotion. 922 00:46:22,840 --> 00:46:24,680 Speaker 2: I should have let myself feel. 923 00:46:24,400 --> 00:46:27,399 Speaker 3: All the emotion and then just and then that's when 924 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:30,880 Speaker 3: I should have calmed myself instead of just like squishing 925 00:46:30,920 --> 00:46:36,240 Speaker 3: it down. So preparing for that fourth heat, Alana Meyers 926 00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:40,160 Speaker 3: Taylor was ahead of me, and the crowd was going 927 00:46:40,280 --> 00:46:44,960 Speaker 3: nuts and wild, and instead of going back into my 928 00:46:45,120 --> 00:46:48,839 Speaker 3: zone and going into that attack mode, I could hear 929 00:46:48,880 --> 00:46:53,200 Speaker 3: the crowd, I could hear the commentator, and I took 930 00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:56,839 Speaker 3: a step back, whereas I should have stepped. 931 00:46:56,560 --> 00:46:57,719 Speaker 2: Forward and zoned in. 932 00:46:58,440 --> 00:47:01,200 Speaker 3: And I go down in the fourth heat, and I 933 00:47:01,280 --> 00:47:05,000 Speaker 3: make a little mistake, but it was in a crucial 934 00:47:05,120 --> 00:47:09,440 Speaker 3: area of the track. And Bob and Monobob is so 935 00:47:09,600 --> 00:47:12,799 Speaker 3: competitive these days that usually you could probably make that 936 00:47:12,880 --> 00:47:15,560 Speaker 3: mistake in the past, and you would you maybe wouldn't 937 00:47:15,600 --> 00:47:19,720 Speaker 3: shift your position. But because it's so tight right now, 938 00:47:20,200 --> 00:47:22,320 Speaker 3: you make that mistake, you don't just drop our place, 939 00:47:22,400 --> 00:47:26,840 Speaker 3: you drop places, right And I dropped from second to fourth, okay, 940 00:47:27,200 --> 00:47:30,400 Speaker 3: And it was such a heartbreaking moment because I knew 941 00:47:30,600 --> 00:47:34,120 Speaker 3: I making that mistake was costly. I just didn't know 942 00:47:34,200 --> 00:47:38,120 Speaker 3: that it would cost me a medal. And I finished 943 00:47:38,239 --> 00:47:42,000 Speaker 3: and I was like, I was so heartbroken. And I 944 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:45,520 Speaker 3: remember seeing Pierre and I was kind of numb to 945 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:48,279 Speaker 3: it until I saw him, and then I got to 946 00:47:48,400 --> 00:47:52,200 Speaker 3: him and I just broke down and it was so heartbreaking. 947 00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:54,960 Speaker 2: But he turned around. 948 00:47:55,000 --> 00:47:57,560 Speaker 3: It was like it was a lesson that you needed 949 00:47:57,600 --> 00:48:01,600 Speaker 3: to learn, and he goes, is, it's better to learn 950 00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:07,319 Speaker 3: it now than when it matters at the games. And 951 00:48:07,400 --> 00:48:10,000 Speaker 3: I was like, man, like, really, like I have to 952 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:13,160 Speaker 3: learn these hard lessons. He goes, Yeah, you'll learn and 953 00:48:13,320 --> 00:48:16,120 Speaker 3: you'll be able to use that learning. And I just 954 00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:19,600 Speaker 3: didn't know how soon I would use that learning because 955 00:48:19,640 --> 00:48:21,799 Speaker 3: then it was the following race in lake classes where 956 00:48:21,800 --> 00:48:23,880 Speaker 3: I used that learning, and then I went on to 957 00:48:24,239 --> 00:48:26,520 Speaker 3: you know, win my first World Cup and my first 958 00:48:26,560 --> 00:48:27,400 Speaker 3: Crystal Globe. 959 00:48:27,680 --> 00:48:30,360 Speaker 2: I love that that is we have some good favorite 960 00:48:30,360 --> 00:48:32,480 Speaker 2: failure stories that would be up there because that is 961 00:48:32,560 --> 00:48:34,600 Speaker 2: like how quickly you were able to use that in 962 00:48:34,600 --> 00:48:37,960 Speaker 2: turn around is really really special. Yeah, Gray, thank you 963 00:48:38,080 --> 00:48:40,319 Speaker 2: so much for your time today. It's been so cool. 964 00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:43,279 Speaker 2: Your energy is just contagious and it's been so cool 965 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:45,239 Speaker 2: to have the chance as I said a couple of times. 966 00:48:45,239 --> 00:48:47,160 Speaker 2: We love watching you from a father, to actually meet 967 00:48:47,160 --> 00:48:48,719 Speaker 2: you and to hear more about your story, it's been 968 00:48:48,760 --> 00:48:51,040 Speaker 2: really special, so thank you so much. Thank you for 969 00:48:51,080 --> 00:48:54,960 Speaker 2: having me. It's been great chat. Thanks so much for listening. 970 00:48:55,239 --> 00:48:57,279 Speaker 2: If you got something out of this episode, I would 971 00:48:57,320 --> 00:48:59,400 Speaker 2: absolutely love it if you could send it on to 972 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:03,480 Speaker 2: one person and who you think might enjoy it. Otherwise, subscribe, 973 00:49:03,640 --> 00:49:05,600 Speaker 2: give us a review, and make sure you follow us 974 00:49:05,600 --> 00:49:08,440 Speaker 2: on Instagram at the Female Athlete Project to stay up 975 00:49:08,440 --> 00:49:11,640 Speaker 2: to date with podcast episodes, merch drops, and of course 976 00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:14,799 Speaker 2: news and stories about epic female athletes