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Speaker 1: This episode is brought to you by our partners at

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Speaker 1: Workplace Law. Welcome to The Female Athlete Project Season two.

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Speaker 1: My name is Chloe Dalton. I'm an Olympic gold medalist

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Speaker 1: in rugby sevens and I'm now playing for the GWS

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Speaker 1: Giants in the AFLW. I started TFAP to share the

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Speaker 1: stories of incredible female athletes and to address the gender

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Speaker 1: inequalities that exist.

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Speaker 2: Within the sports media space.

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Speaker 1: We want to change that story and we're all about

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Speaker 1: making news and highlights of women's sport easily accessible across

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Speaker 1: our platforms. Our hope is that more female athletes will

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Speaker 1: become household names and in turn enable the next generation

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Speaker 1: of young kids to pick up a ball, racket, backboard,

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Speaker 1: whatever they want to pick. Melissa Tapper made history in

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Speaker 1: twenty sixteen as the first Australian athlete to have competed

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Speaker 1: at both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

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Speaker 2: As a youngster, Millie fell.

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Speaker 1: In love with the aim of table tennis and as

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Speaker 1: you're hear, had an incredible local community pushing her to

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Speaker 1: achieve some big dreams. In twenty eighteen, she also became

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Speaker 1: the first Australian to achieve Commonwealth Games glory in table tennis.

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Speaker 1: This chat with Millie was following her competing in both

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Speaker 1: the Olympics and Paralympics in Tokyo twenty twenty, and I

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Speaker 1: absolutely loved hearing about her stubbornness, her drive, and her

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Speaker 1: desire to work every single day at her craft, often

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Speaker 1: taking herself to the point of feeling like she didn't

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Speaker 1: possibly have any more left in.

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Speaker 2: Her This was a really special chat.

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Speaker 1: I hope you enjoy it, Millie tap Up, Welcome to

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Speaker 1: the Female Athlete Project.

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Speaker 3: Thank you very much for having me.

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Speaker 1: You're getting prepped for your day twelve COVID swab in

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Speaker 1: hotel quarantine. How has that experience been for you so far?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I'm pretty lucky with it. Yeah. Day

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Speaker 3: twelve and I still were quite good. And I think

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Speaker 3: now that no, I'm on the home stretch and the

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Speaker 3: last test to go, then yeah, I'm just excited to

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Speaker 3: get out in some fresh air.

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Speaker 1: To be honest, have you had any Have you had

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Speaker 1: any windows? Do you get any fresh air?

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Speaker 2: You're all locked up?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I'm in a real nice little shoe box. But

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Speaker 3: I can't complain though, because the windows a nice floor

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Speaker 3: to ceiling windows, so I get a very nice full

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Speaker 3: view out into the Melbourne city. But nah, it's actually

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Speaker 3: been surprisingly very good. But yeah, just I am missing

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Speaker 3: fresh air.

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Speaker 1: Yes, we've seen a few Olympians and Paralympians put root

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Speaker 1: numbers up and get deliveries. Have you gone down that

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Speaker 1: route of trying to get deliveries from some fan nail?

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Speaker 4: No?

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Speaker 3: Well, I mean my friends and family have sent me

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Speaker 3: a few things, but even just with those few, it's

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Speaker 3: it's been too much, to be honest. I even had

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Speaker 3: one of my girlfriends last night, at about like half

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Speaker 3: half seven at night, six massive donuts arrived at my door.

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Speaker 3: I had no idea who they were from. And I

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Speaker 3: was sitting there for about half an hour trying to

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Speaker 3: scratch my head, being like like who knows like that

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Speaker 3: I'm here and I knew it had to be like

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Speaker 3: a friend or family, but yeah, she got Twenty minutes

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Speaker 3: later she messaged me and said something arrived and I

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Speaker 3: was like, ah, you're the culprit for this. I was like, nice,

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Speaker 3: six donuts, Come on, how am I going to eat

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Speaker 3: six donuts?

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Speaker 2: How many of you down so far?

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Speaker 3: Oh? I've got half one?

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Speaker 2: But yeah I donut?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, No, I seriously like the amount of food

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Speaker 3: that's sitting in here. Yeah, it's so hard.

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Speaker 1: Every episode we usually kick off by going back to

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Speaker 1: your childhood, so I'd love to know what you were

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Speaker 1: like as a little kid.

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Speaker 3: My mum would definitely be a good one to answer this, though,

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Speaker 3: I reckon, but she probably would have said I was

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Speaker 3: pretty stubborn, very strong, strong minded with what I was doing.

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Speaker 3: I think I packed up a bag a couple of

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Speaker 3: times and stood out in the front pavement of the

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Speaker 3: house said that I was leaving because I wasn't too

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Speaker 3: impressed with things. But yeah, no, I think given that

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Speaker 3: I was born with a disability, I think growing up

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Speaker 3: I learned that anything that I couldn't do at any

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Speaker 3: point in time just meant that I had to go

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Speaker 3: home and practice a lot and maybe had to apply

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Speaker 3: a bit more time and energy into finding solutions to things.

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Speaker 3: But that ended up I think being a little bit

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Speaker 3: of a superpower for me in sport and in life

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Speaker 3: as well. So yeah, thankfully to my incredible parents, I

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Speaker 3: feel like I've grown up very happy and a good human.

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Speaker 1: And what about your siblings? How did that, I guess

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Speaker 1: shape who you've become as a person, and a bit

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Speaker 1: of your sporting experience too.

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Speaker 3: Yeah. So I've gotten older brother and older sister and

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Speaker 3: they've definitely treated me just like any other siblings. So

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Speaker 3: I think I was still made by them to do

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Speaker 3: the dishes of an evening or whether it was my

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Speaker 3: job to dry them, or whether it was on the

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Speaker 3: weekend I had the cleaning duties. Yeah, I mean I

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Speaker 3: never got any special treatment from them, but they've been

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Speaker 3: a massive part in terms of, you know, helping me

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Speaker 3: grow up. I moved out of home just before I

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Speaker 3: turned fifteen and actually moved in with my older sister

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Speaker 3: in Melbourne so I could keep going to school and training.

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Speaker 3: So at that point, she was only twenty two, so

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Speaker 3: I think she did a fantastic job pretty much mothering

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Speaker 3: me through my teenage years. But I definitely like to

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Speaker 3: claim that that's why she's such a good mother now,

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Speaker 3: because I mean she had to put up with me

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Speaker 3: and get me through high school. So yeah, I'm very lucky.

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Speaker 1: I'm interested in this dynamic between you and sister moving

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Speaker 1: in as a fifteen year old, which is some like

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Speaker 1: interesting developmental years as a teenager.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, definitely, Like I was going into year ten

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Speaker 3: at high school, so she my sister basically was like

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Speaker 3: cooking for me. Yeah, she was definitely just totally mothering me.

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Speaker 3: I think I think my parents were incredibly trusting of her,

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Speaker 3: which like she has always been the very grown up

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Speaker 3: one out of the three of us anyway, but I

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Speaker 3: think it was, Yeah, it was definitely very impressive how

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Speaker 3: well she was able just to yeah look after me

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Speaker 3: as a big sister, I think. And we traveled back

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Speaker 3: home most weekends to see mom and dad, which was

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Speaker 3: like a three and a half hour trip back.

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Speaker 2: Wow.

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Speaker 3: But yeah, she definitely, yeah, taught me a lot though

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Speaker 3: growing up. Because even if I think about it, like

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Speaker 3: the simple things or like when I was learning to drive,

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Speaker 3: like so before I even got my l's already, when

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Speaker 3: we're driving back to Hamilton, she should always just be

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Speaker 3: talking to me about what she was doing and in

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Speaker 3: terms of driving and what she was looking out for.

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Speaker 3: So it was really funny. I remember when I got

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Speaker 3: my l's, I actually felt like I'd been driving for

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Speaker 3: years just because of the way she'd taught me when

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Speaker 3: she was driving. So it was little things like that,

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Speaker 3: yeah that I thought, Yeah, when I look back on

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Speaker 3: back on them, that they were yeah, very cool and yeah,

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Speaker 3: she's a pretty impressive big sister.

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Speaker 2: Very cool.

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Speaker 1: I'd love to hear the story about the very first

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Speaker 1: time you played a game of table tennis. The very

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Speaker 1: first time ever was our parents brought us a table

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Speaker 1: for our holiday house in Port Fairy, and my again,

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Speaker 1: my brother and sister were the main ones that were

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Speaker 1: playing because anytime that I got on, I mean, I

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Speaker 1: was so young that I was really bad at it,

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Speaker 1: and for them that was very fun, so they didn't

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Speaker 1: let me keep on playing, so I just became a

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Speaker 1: very good spectator watching them. And then it wasn't until

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Speaker 1: later on in primary school that I played table tennis

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Speaker 1: off site on a Friday lunchtime sport activity. And again

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Speaker 1: I was terrible at it, but at least I was

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Speaker 1: allowed to play. They let me play it up there,

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Speaker 1: and I think it was from that point on that

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Speaker 1: I found out that I really enjoyed it, and I

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Speaker 1: think that's why I kept going back.

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Speaker 2: And so what did that actually look like?

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Speaker 1: Was that something that you just would regularly keep practicing,

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Speaker 1: even though at the beginning you went very good.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so sort of more just for fun. The local

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Speaker 3: club had like a junior league, so I would go

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Speaker 3: just once a week. I was like on a Tuesday

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Speaker 3: evening and play their little competition that they had, and

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Speaker 3: I guess, yeah, anytime that you'd do more of something,

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Speaker 3: the betty you get at it. So that's where it

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Speaker 3: began to grow, and it went from one day a

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Speaker 3: week to two to three and it was really when

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Speaker 3: I look back on it now, there were so many

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Speaker 3: people from the local club that supported me and helped

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Speaker 3: me just to improve. I mean, at that point there

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Speaker 3: was no likelihood of me going to go on to

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Speaker 3: represent the country, and I think but the guys in

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Speaker 3: particular that were involved in the club were just so

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Speaker 3: helpful and saw that I was enjoying myself and being

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Speaker 3: young and a female in a sport that didn't really

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Speaker 3: have any at all in that point when I first

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Speaker 3: signed up. They definitely nurtured me and helped me to improve.

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Speaker 3: And that sometimes meant that they would come to my parents'

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Speaker 3: house on a weekend where my dad had set up

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Speaker 3: a table in the shed so that I could still practice,

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Speaker 3: and whether it was after school going, one of them

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Speaker 3: was available and would give me a hit and help

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Speaker 3: me out. So yeah, it's it's something special as well.

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Speaker 3: When I think back to that sort of time that

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Speaker 3: I wouldn't have been able to continue and I wouldn't

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Speaker 3: have kept progressing if if it wasn't for the likes

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Speaker 3: of having such a small country town get behind me

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Speaker 3: as well.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, that's really special.

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Speaker 1: Do you remember the first time when you beat either

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Speaker 1: one of your siblings?

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Speaker 3: Not so much once I started playing, it was sort

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Speaker 3: of then all of a sudden that they didn't really

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Speaker 3: they didn't really play anymore.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, smart, smart from them.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, but my brother still likes to claim that, yeah,

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Speaker 3: he was, he was the reason that I improved, So

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Speaker 3: I'll let him take that one.

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Speaker 1: What did it look like from playing at the local

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Speaker 1: club to kind of progressing your way up to playing

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Speaker 1: more seriously?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so I started off yeah, like once a week,

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Speaker 3: and then that upped and uped and up, and then

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Speaker 3: that was from about eight years old. But then eleven

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Speaker 3: twelve years old was when I played my first state tournament.

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Speaker 3: So I headed to Ballarat and that was the yeah,

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Speaker 3: first time that I ever really played like a major

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Speaker 3: sort of event outside of Hamilton for table tennis, and

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Speaker 3: I won the under twelve girl singles there. I had

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Speaker 3: beaten a couple of like Victorian state representative girls to

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Speaker 3: do it, And that was the moment I think that

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Speaker 3: I really became hooked. I walked out of the stadium

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Speaker 3: with the trophy and still to this day it's my favorite.

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Speaker 2: That's really cool.

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Speaker 3: It was just how yeah, it was just like that

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Speaker 3: feeling of like, oh, you know, that was fun. I

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Speaker 3: loved it, you know, I'm alright at it and I

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Speaker 3: totally caught the bug for it. And even just walking

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Speaker 3: out with my parents and how proud of them, proud

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Speaker 3: of me they were, and how much they enjoyed just

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Speaker 3: spending the day inside a table tennis hall with me

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Speaker 3: and watching was really nice. So it was definitely from

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Speaker 3: that moment onwards though that yeah, I was definitely veering

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Speaker 3: more towards more table tennis.

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Speaker 1: So it was in two thousand and nine I think

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Speaker 1: it was that you were approached by Paralympics Australia about

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Speaker 1: the opportunity to play there. Can you talk us through

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Speaker 1: what happened at birth and how that has impacted your

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Speaker 1: ability to play it and what that means for your classification.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, so when I was born, I was a very

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Speaker 3: large baby. So I was eleven pound two, which is

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Speaker 3: quite quite a whopp up.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, it is very.

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Speaker 3: But like just to add to being so large, it

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Speaker 3: was my mum's birthday as well when she ended up

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Speaker 3: delivering me, and the poor woman did it naturally as well,

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Speaker 3: so I ended up getting stassive. Oh yeah, it's absolutely impressive. Definitely, Yeah,

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Speaker 3: she's amazing. But yeah, so I guess yeah. From then

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Speaker 3: to get me out, I was pulled by my right

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Speaker 3: arm and that tore the nerves in between my neck

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Speaker 3: and shoulder. And originally it was sort of thought that

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Speaker 3: it would just be okay, like you know, it just

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Speaker 3: needs a little bit of time to heal and it's fine.

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Speaker 3: But four months old, my parents realized I still had

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Speaker 3: no use of my right arm. It was basically just

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Speaker 3: hanging by my side. So they took me to a

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Speaker 3: surgeon or a specialist in Melbourne and they ended up

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Speaker 3: explaining that I have a condition that's called brachial plexus.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, basically just the fancy words for saying that

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Speaker 3: those nerves had been torn. And at four months old,

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Speaker 3: I had an operation where they took the nerves from

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Speaker 3: the back of my calf muscles joined into the ones

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Speaker 3: that were broken in my arm and gave me back

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Speaker 3: a little bit of movement, I guess, so in terms

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Speaker 3: of my table tennis, I mean just growing up in general, though,

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Speaker 3: I had never been treated like I had a disability,

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Speaker 3: and I'd never looked at myself like I had a disability.

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Speaker 3: So yeah, I guess, And particularly in the teenage years

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Speaker 3: being approached to then play the Paralympics, I didn't really

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Speaker 3: know much about the Paralympics either at that time, so

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Speaker 3: I was just very like, oh, I'm not really sure,

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Speaker 3: but yeah, thankfully, you know, Paralympics Australia has incredible people

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Speaker 3: that are involved with them, so I decided to give

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Speaker 3: it a go, and through that I found that I

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Speaker 3: was a class ten. So that so table tennis has

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Speaker 3: eleven classes to obviously try and group athletes that have

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Speaker 3: a similar disability against one another. So I guess one

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Speaker 3: to five are like wheelchair athletes, so one being more

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Speaker 3: disability than five, and six to ten other standing athletes.

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Speaker 3: So I'm a class ten, and then eleven is for

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Speaker 3: intellectual disabilities as well. So once I'd been classed, that

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Speaker 3: meant that I would be grouped against similar girls with

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Speaker 3: a similar type of disability. And my main exemption comes

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Speaker 3: from service, so I can't do what's considered a legal serve,

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Speaker 3: so I have an exemption to help me serve.

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Speaker 1: Okay, what did it What was it like when you

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Speaker 1: were kind of in those teenage years, going from playing

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Speaker 1: against able bodied players to then being approached and looking

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Speaker 1: at this idea of preparing for the paralym pics.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, definitely, I think the teenage years were probably the

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Speaker 3: hardest of it. I guess, I guess when you're a

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Speaker 3: female growing up and you know that you're a little

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Speaker 3: bit different to everyone else. But at the same time

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Speaker 3: I liked it. But also at times, you know, I

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Speaker 3: would have one of those down days and I still

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Speaker 3: remember one day just crying to Mum, being like, why me,

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Speaker 3: this is not fair? But I'm pretty sure that honestly

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Speaker 3: lasted maybe five minutes because my Mum just looked at

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Speaker 3: me and said, Melissa, you can do anything you want

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Speaker 3: to do. Stop crying that it doesn't doesn't matter, you know, like,

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Speaker 3: and I think that's what was so amazing about my

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Speaker 3: family and friends as well. It was like, Okay, you

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Speaker 3: can have your little down moment, but at the same time, like,

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Speaker 3: you know, you're perfectly capable of doing whatever you want,

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Speaker 3: so why are you upset, and I think because of that,

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Speaker 3: I was, yeah, really then more inclined to sort of

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Speaker 3: give it a go and just see how, yeah, everything

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Speaker 3: would pan out. But as a teenager, I think I

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Speaker 3: was lucky that I had fantastic people around me to

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Speaker 3: sort of continue, you know, pushing me through through everything

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Speaker 3: and encouraging me to keep giving everything a go. And

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Speaker 3: with that I was comfortable to give everything a go,

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Speaker 3: which definitely definitely helped. But yeah, the Paralympics ended up

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Speaker 3: opening I guess another side of me that I was

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Speaker 3: more willing, Like, I was then very willing to embrace

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Speaker 3: having a disability, whereas previously as a teenager I was

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Speaker 3: probably sort of just growing up with it and not

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Speaker 3: fully really embracing it.

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Speaker 1: I had a chat on season one with Maddi di

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Speaker 1: Rosario and it was kind of about this idea where say,

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Speaker 1: with like female athletes and Paralympic athletes, and Maddie put

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Speaker 1: it so eloquently, this idea of the importance of representation

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Speaker 1: and visibility in that space. And it's interesting to hear

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Speaker 1: the way you describe the way you're growing up you

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Speaker 1: kind of didn't see it in that way. Was that

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Speaker 1: move in being able to represent Australia at the Paralympics.

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Speaker 1: Do you feel like you moved more into a space

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Speaker 1: of I guess representing people with a disability.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, I guess it came along that way as well.

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Speaker 3: But for me, I think it was just seeing that,

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Speaker 3: you know, regardless whether it's every day or being an

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Speaker 3: elite sports person, Yeah, that like you can, you can

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Speaker 3: find a way to be able, to be able to

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Speaker 3: do things, and there's so many people on a day

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Speaker 3: to day basis, Like everybody has a disability. It doesn't

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Speaker 3: necessarily have to be physical, but everyone has something that

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Speaker 3: they believe at the end of the day that they

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Speaker 3: can't do something or you know, something about them isn't

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Speaker 3: you know perfect, I mean, what even is that anyway?

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Speaker 3: So I think yeah, for me, just yeah, being able

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Speaker 3: just to show myself as well that I am capable

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Speaker 3: of doing everything and then in turn, if that ends

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Speaker 3: up you know, reflecting and helping someone else too, then

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Speaker 3: that that was always just a bonus. But for me,

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Speaker 3: it was definitely just seeing what I was definitely capable

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Speaker 3: of doing.

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Speaker 2: I'd love to play an audio clip for you.

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Speaker 1: This is from the qualifiers for the Rio twenty sixteen Olympics.

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Speaker 2: Can she make history here?

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Speaker 4: Yeah, she did well, tib Belizard Tappa. I look at

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Speaker 4: that smile, she has done it. The first Australian athlete

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Speaker 4: you make the Paralympics Olympic Games.

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Speaker 1: Before we get into that the emotion behind that moment,

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Speaker 1: can we talk about the road leading up to that.

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Speaker 1: Obviously we've talked about Paralympics, Australia approaching you, but you

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Speaker 1: still had this goal of representing Australia at the Olympics

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Speaker 1: and was it Did you try and qualify two thousand

348
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Speaker 1: and four, two thousand and eight, and twenty twelve, Yeah?

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Speaker 2: Yeah, Can you.

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Speaker 1: Talk us through those Was it almost sixteen years to

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Speaker 1: qualify for that moment?

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Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, basically I think it was. It was more so,

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Speaker 3: you know, once I found out that that table tennis

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Speaker 3: was played in the Olympic Games, then that really became

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Speaker 3: a goal for me. And initially obviously I didn't know

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Speaker 3: anything about the Paralympics, so Olympics was always the goal

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Speaker 3: and the dream. So to start, you know, putting things

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Speaker 3: into place to start achieving that, and that's where moving

359
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Speaker 3: to Melbourne was part of part of that step as well.

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Speaker 3: My coaches in Melbourne, working more with them and that

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Speaker 3: starting to go through that whole qualification process and understanding

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Speaker 3: it because it's an absolutely grueling event and it's one

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Speaker 3: of the only sort of times that you'll be put

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Speaker 3: through those pressures and that you know, that amount of

365
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Speaker 3: matches through a short period of time, like quite a

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00:21:26,640 --> 00:21:31,360
Speaker 3: lot of demands on the body. And experiencing that as

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Speaker 3: a fourteen year old was really tough. And I remember

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Speaker 3: the first time as well, like absolutely no, there was

369
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Speaker 3: no way I was going to qualify, but still in

370
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Speaker 3: my head, I was like I could make it an Olympics.

371
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Speaker 3: So being vulnerable and like pushing yourself out there into

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Speaker 3: the competition at fourteen, I mean I lost my first match,

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Speaker 3: and I think I was a bit like lucky to

374
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Speaker 3: even win a few points out of the whole match

375
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Speaker 3: as well, but I was still just so shattered, like

376
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Speaker 3: I was like, oh, I just missed out on making

377
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Speaker 3: an Olympics. And I think every time though I put

378
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Speaker 3: myself into that position, I wanted it more again and again,

379
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Speaker 3: and it was really hard for me. After being a

380
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Speaker 3: top junior, I mean I was winning nationals just about

381
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Speaker 3: every year, but then once I left under eighteen's I

382
00:22:21,760 --> 00:22:25,359
Speaker 3: was in the senior ranks and that became very tough

383
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Speaker 3: because things were a lot more open. I wasn't winning

384
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Speaker 3: so much. I found it harder to win, and just

385
00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:36,359
Speaker 3: making that jump was really hard. So I think the

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Speaker 3: Paralympics really came at a very good time for me

387
00:22:40,400 --> 00:22:45,080
Speaker 3: because I was then competing internationally again against high level

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Speaker 3: and just learning and putting myself again in another sort

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00:22:48,440 --> 00:22:52,640
Speaker 3: of situation. That just helped me grow and I think

390
00:22:52,680 --> 00:22:55,680
Speaker 3: because of that over the next few years that really

391
00:22:55,720 --> 00:23:01,399
Speaker 3: helped as well. They complimented one another. Even though I

392
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Speaker 3: now wanted to qualify for a Paralympics, the Olympics was

393
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Speaker 3: still in the back of my head as well as

394
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Speaker 3: something that I've always dreamed of wanting to go to.

395
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Speaker 3: It was just really quite a bonus that I was

396
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Speaker 3: lucky enough to have people around me to encourage me

397
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Speaker 3: to play Paralympics as well. And yeah, so I think

398
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Speaker 3: over those years of continuously trying to qualify and falling

399
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Speaker 3: short and having that bit of heartbreak every time, you know,

400
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Speaker 3: it's not an easy thing to then be like, all right,

401
00:23:34,040 --> 00:23:37,359
Speaker 3: it's okay, we go again. Another four years, we try again,

402
00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:43,080
Speaker 3: sort of things so I think with that in mind, though, yeah,

403
00:23:43,080 --> 00:23:46,080
Speaker 3: it sort of drove me to continue to want to

404
00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:50,480
Speaker 3: wanting to be better, and then the Paralympics side continued

405
00:23:50,480 --> 00:23:52,920
Speaker 3: to help improve me in a lot of areas that

406
00:23:53,359 --> 00:23:56,520
Speaker 3: I wasn't getting in the able bodied. So for me

407
00:23:56,760 --> 00:23:59,880
Speaker 3: it ended up being the perfect mixture.

408
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Speaker 1: I get so interested by this idea, right, like with

409
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Speaker 1: this Olympic cycle and the Paralympic cycle, with the four years,

410
00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:10,280
Speaker 1: and like, if I think back growing up as a kid,

411
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Speaker 1: I idolized athletes like Animeirs and Lauren Jackson who went

412
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Speaker 1: to four Olympic Games, and athletes like Luis Savage who

413
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Speaker 1: just had these such extensive careers and performed at such

414
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Speaker 1: a high level for such a long period of time.

415
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Speaker 1: What for you, like, did you come back after trying

416
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Speaker 1: to qualify for those Olympics and then think like about

417
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Speaker 1: that next four year cycle, did you have moments where

418
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Speaker 1: you're like, is this actually worth pushing for another four

419
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Speaker 1: years for something that may not actually happen?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, for sure, I mean that happens a lot. I

421
00:24:44,280 --> 00:24:48,000
Speaker 3: think that's just a natural part of what comes. But

422
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Speaker 3: I also think that given the sort of childhood that

423
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Speaker 3: I had when I wanted something and knowing that it

424
00:24:58,960 --> 00:25:01,680
Speaker 3: just wasn't going to come straight away and it wasn't

425
00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,199
Speaker 3: going to be easy. But if I did put the

426
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Speaker 3: time in, I really did believe that eventually I would

427
00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,520
Speaker 3: be able to do something. And whether that have been

428
00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:14,199
Speaker 3: learning to tie my shoelaces or putting my hair up

429
00:25:14,320 --> 00:25:19,560
Speaker 3: or shooting a netball, I knew that I could do

430
00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,520
Speaker 3: something as long as I was willing to try and

431
00:25:22,560 --> 00:25:25,800
Speaker 3: find a solution for it. So I guess every time

432
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Speaker 3: that those moments happened, I would have that period of

433
00:25:30,720 --> 00:25:33,120
Speaker 3: you know, it's like a crap feeling like, I mean,

434
00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:35,800
Speaker 3: no one wants to feel like that, so why it's

435
00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:37,919
Speaker 3: almost a bit of a sickness, like why do we

436
00:25:38,040 --> 00:25:43,000
Speaker 3: keep putting ourselves into a position to have that? So

437
00:25:43,960 --> 00:25:46,960
Speaker 3: but at the same time, as much as you don't

438
00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:51,560
Speaker 3: like it, you love that struggle of trying to achieve it,

439
00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,640
Speaker 3: And yeah, for me, that was definitely something that kept

440
00:25:56,680 --> 00:26:02,920
Speaker 3: on driving me, and I knew that eventually I would

441
00:26:02,920 --> 00:26:05,479
Speaker 3: find Yeah, I would find the way, and I had

442
00:26:05,560 --> 00:26:09,680
Speaker 3: the right people around me. I knew that I could

443
00:26:09,680 --> 00:26:15,280
Speaker 3: stick to things. I was driven basically. I really remember

444
00:26:15,359 --> 00:26:21,159
Speaker 3: from London Paralympics to then qualifying for RIO, I felt

445
00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:24,879
Speaker 3: like a racehorse with blinkers on, because I from that

446
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,520
Speaker 3: time onwards, I'd looked at everything that I knew I

447
00:26:28,560 --> 00:26:31,600
Speaker 3: could work on and improve, so you know, like whether

448
00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:37,760
Speaker 3: it's nutrition, strength and conditioning, psych the actual on table

449
00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:41,639
Speaker 3: stuff that I was doing. Everything coupled together. But I

450
00:26:41,720 --> 00:26:44,000
Speaker 3: knew that over four years and if I was willing

451
00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:47,840
Speaker 3: to do it every single day, that I knew that

452
00:26:47,960 --> 00:26:52,399
Speaker 3: I'll be very very close to qualifying. And that was

453
00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:54,879
Speaker 3: what happened, And I was just stoked that I was

454
00:26:54,920 --> 00:27:00,440
Speaker 3: able to regardless of having a bad day, I was

455
00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:04,320
Speaker 3: able to look at a solution to get through it

456
00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:06,920
Speaker 3: rather than just be looking at it as a negative

457
00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,040
Speaker 3: and then staying on it and going down that path.

458
00:27:11,320 --> 00:27:15,080
Speaker 3: I definitely have learnt though over the years that being

459
00:27:15,520 --> 00:27:21,439
Speaker 3: a more solution based approach type of person is a

460
00:27:21,480 --> 00:27:25,520
Speaker 3: lot enjoyable. Oh there's a lot more success that comes

461
00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:30,000
Speaker 3: with it and requires less energy then to be negative.

462
00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:34,480
Speaker 3: So I think with all of those together, it just

463
00:27:34,520 --> 00:27:36,879
Speaker 3: sort of made the whole process and the journey of

464
00:27:37,000 --> 00:27:39,280
Speaker 3: qualifying so much more enjoyable.

465
00:27:40,760 --> 00:27:43,600
Speaker 1: Now for a quick half time break. Workplace Law is

466
00:27:43,600 --> 00:27:46,760
Speaker 1: a law firm focused on supporting and empowering FEMA athletes

467
00:27:46,800 --> 00:27:49,440
Speaker 1: to take control of their careers. If you can't afford

468
00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:51,399
Speaker 1: an agent, I would like to manage your own career,

469
00:27:51,680 --> 00:27:54,720
Speaker 1: Workplace Law would love to help you. They provide FEMA

470
00:27:54,760 --> 00:27:58,760
Speaker 1: athletes with guidance through the complexities of player contracts, negotiations

471
00:27:58,800 --> 00:28:03,239
Speaker 1: and sponsorship agreements, personal brand building, mentoring with on and

472
00:28:03,240 --> 00:28:06,720
Speaker 1: off field careers, crisis management, and work with individuals to

473
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:09,399
Speaker 1: ensure they respond to incidents and media stories in an

474
00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:14,760
Speaker 1: appropriate manner, and advice and representation in disciplinary hearings and tribunals.

475
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:16,320
Speaker 2: Find out more at.

476
00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:20,520
Speaker 1: Www dot Workplace Law dot com dot AU. Just a

477
00:28:20,600 --> 00:28:24,000
Speaker 1: quick note, this interview was recorded virtually while Milly was

478
00:28:24,000 --> 00:28:27,119
Speaker 1: in hotel quarantine. We had a few internet issues for

479
00:28:27,160 --> 00:28:29,840
Speaker 1: the final ten minutes, so the audio is slightly impacted.

480
00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:33,640
Speaker 1: There's a lot in that that I want to discuss,

481
00:28:33,680 --> 00:28:36,280
Speaker 1: But what really stood out to me was this idea

482
00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:37,400
Speaker 1: of loving the struggle.

483
00:28:37,640 --> 00:28:40,480
Speaker 2: And I think, like I even think about my training on.

484
00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:42,640
Speaker 1: Those days where you have like whatever it might be,

485
00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:44,640
Speaker 1: whether it's in the gym or for me it might

486
00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:47,600
Speaker 1: be like a really hard conditioning session, and I sometimes

487
00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:50,400
Speaker 1: have these moments where I can't breathe and it's so

488
00:28:50,600 --> 00:28:52,440
Speaker 1: hard and I don't feel I can get through, but

489
00:28:52,480 --> 00:28:56,520
Speaker 1: there's this like beautiful feeling of almost like I feel

490
00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:58,440
Speaker 1: like this is what my body was made to do.

491
00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,680
Speaker 1: Like is that that resonates with you? This like when

492
00:29:01,680 --> 00:29:03,680
Speaker 1: you're in that struggle, you're like, this is this is

493
00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:04,520
Speaker 1: what I love doing?

494
00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:08,520
Speaker 3: Yeah? Yeah, exactly, And that even gives me like goosebumps

495
00:29:08,560 --> 00:29:10,960
Speaker 3: just hearing you say something like like that as well.

496
00:29:12,120 --> 00:29:17,840
Speaker 3: I really love pushing myself to the limit, I think,

497
00:29:17,920 --> 00:29:20,479
Speaker 3: and I think that's when you know you've hit that

498
00:29:20,520 --> 00:29:23,560
Speaker 3: point and then you push yourself just to go, whether

499
00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:26,720
Speaker 3: it's an extra ten seconds longer or you know, two

500
00:29:26,760 --> 00:29:30,520
Speaker 3: more reps, it's just knowing that you've reached you know,

501
00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:33,200
Speaker 3: that point and you've pushed and then that's where the

502
00:29:33,200 --> 00:29:36,840
Speaker 3: improvement comes. And then once you're done that that feeling

503
00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:42,440
Speaker 3: like it's so addictive, Like the whole time and the

504
00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,520
Speaker 3: whole moments through it all, you just like I want

505
00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:49,600
Speaker 3: it to end, But when it does finish, you're like, yeah,

506
00:29:49,880 --> 00:29:53,720
Speaker 3: like I did this and you know, I killed it

507
00:29:53,760 --> 00:29:58,080
Speaker 3: and it was awesome and now you know, yeah, I

508
00:29:58,480 --> 00:30:01,560
Speaker 3: live for that feeling at the end knowing that you've

509
00:30:01,680 --> 00:30:04,800
Speaker 3: just pushed yourself to the best that you can and

510
00:30:04,840 --> 00:30:09,320
Speaker 3: even sometimes times like just knowing on the other end

511
00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:13,000
Speaker 3: that the rest day is perfectly fine, that's good, but

512
00:30:13,080 --> 00:30:15,880
Speaker 3: you're knowing that you're having that because then the next

513
00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:19,360
Speaker 3: day you're going going to get to go again. And Yeah,

514
00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:23,720
Speaker 3: for me, I think, yeah, it's definitely that that feeling

515
00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,400
Speaker 3: of once you finish and knowing that you gave it

516
00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:29,360
Speaker 3: everything that yeah, I can't get enough of.

517
00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:32,120
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's a difference.

518
00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:35,320
Speaker 1: I also am interested behind this idea of your transition

519
00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:38,880
Speaker 1: from junior to seniors and more, I guess the mental

520
00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,320
Speaker 1: side of it around being successful in winning games to

521
00:30:42,360 --> 00:30:46,280
Speaker 1: then having to readjust to getting beaten. What were you

522
00:30:46,480 --> 00:30:50,360
Speaker 1: like in that space, say, in matches that you were losing.

523
00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:54,000
Speaker 1: Have you noticed a difference as you've grown in your

524
00:30:54,040 --> 00:30:56,880
Speaker 1: self talk and what you're saying to yourself in those

525
00:30:56,920 --> 00:30:58,600
Speaker 1: moments when you're losing.

526
00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:04,720
Speaker 3: Yeah, So that that whole beginning period of coming out

527
00:31:04,720 --> 00:31:09,280
Speaker 3: of juniors into seniors was really hard because I just

528
00:31:10,400 --> 00:31:15,440
Speaker 3: remember juniors being amazing because regardless I felt confident and

529
00:31:16,400 --> 00:31:18,960
Speaker 3: I was I always managed to find a way to

530
00:31:19,000 --> 00:31:23,360
Speaker 3: come through and win. So that like for me. That

531
00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:27,640
Speaker 3: was like I felt untouchable through juniors, and then as

532
00:31:27,680 --> 00:31:31,800
Speaker 3: I got into the seniors, even though as I began,

533
00:31:32,000 --> 00:31:35,480
Speaker 3: I still had those thoughts. But the girls I were

534
00:31:35,560 --> 00:31:39,080
Speaker 3: competing against had been you know, professionals over in Europe

535
00:31:39,120 --> 00:31:44,120
Speaker 3: playing league. They had been to you know, several Olympics

536
00:31:44,160 --> 00:31:47,880
Speaker 3: in Commonwealth Games themselves, and that level was just another

537
00:31:48,400 --> 00:31:51,040
Speaker 3: It was another step up to what I had experienced.

538
00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:54,959
Speaker 3: And even though I knew I was capable and I

539
00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,560
Speaker 3: was matching it with them, it was just those critical

540
00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:01,760
Speaker 3: important points that I just really couldn't quite get right.

541
00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:08,480
Speaker 3: And then going into Paralympic events and then being put

542
00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:14,160
Speaker 3: on an international stage consistently and against high level competitors

543
00:32:14,560 --> 00:32:20,000
Speaker 3: again who I was matched really well with, I began

544
00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,440
Speaker 3: to learn at a quicker rate. I think, how to

545
00:32:24,360 --> 00:32:29,520
Speaker 3: switch myself on and get into the match and start

546
00:32:29,560 --> 00:32:34,720
Speaker 3: following processes to play my best table tennis. And through

547
00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,840
Speaker 3: quite a period of time, I spent overseas, and then

548
00:32:37,880 --> 00:32:41,920
Speaker 3: I went overseas to play league, so I was spending

549
00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:44,360
Speaker 3: months at a time over there. So then when I

550
00:32:44,400 --> 00:32:49,960
Speaker 3: came back home and was again back into senior competitions,

551
00:32:51,240 --> 00:32:55,800
Speaker 3: there was a big shift. And even though I'd constantly

552
00:32:55,880 --> 00:32:59,880
Speaker 3: been playing against people that I was losing against. Every

553
00:32:59,840 --> 00:33:02,400
Speaker 3: time I turned up, I tried to win another point

554
00:33:02,480 --> 00:33:06,040
Speaker 3: more than the one before. And I think again it

555
00:33:06,120 --> 00:33:08,960
Speaker 3: was that a very similar sort of process as a kid.

556
00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:11,880
Speaker 3: When I wanted to do something, he just kept chipping

557
00:33:11,920 --> 00:33:16,800
Speaker 3: away it, kept trying to work at it. And again, yeah,

558
00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:20,000
Speaker 3: once I started to see that the improvements were coming,

559
00:33:20,120 --> 00:33:22,520
Speaker 3: and the more I believed that I could do it,

560
00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:25,120
Speaker 3: there was an extra point that was coming my way

561
00:33:25,120 --> 00:33:28,400
Speaker 3: each set, and just seeing that little bit of improvement

562
00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:31,320
Speaker 3: was all that I needed, I think, to really sort

563
00:33:31,360 --> 00:33:34,440
Speaker 3: of spur me on. And even if it still took,

564
00:33:34,720 --> 00:33:39,000
Speaker 3: you know, a little period of time to secure the win,

565
00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:42,920
Speaker 3: but once I got that first one, I think that

566
00:33:43,120 --> 00:33:45,920
Speaker 3: was the big change for me to then know that

567
00:33:46,280 --> 00:33:49,840
Speaker 3: I can compete in the senior levels and you know,

568
00:33:50,040 --> 00:33:52,280
Speaker 3: an Olympic Games or a Codworph Games is now out

569
00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:56,280
Speaker 3: of reach, which then you know, just started a whole

570
00:33:56,320 --> 00:34:00,320
Speaker 3: nother like domino effect of wanting to be better and

571
00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:04,120
Speaker 3: pushing myself even more and finding more opportunities on areas

572
00:34:04,120 --> 00:34:09,840
Speaker 3: to improve. So it was a hard transition initially, but

573
00:34:10,120 --> 00:34:13,520
Speaker 3: it's sometimes all you need is that little bit of

574
00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:18,799
Speaker 3: evidence of improvement or progress that will then be enough

575
00:34:18,840 --> 00:34:21,799
Speaker 3: to keep motivating you to keep going. And yeah, that's

576
00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:24,400
Speaker 3: what it was for me. It was that little bit

577
00:34:24,440 --> 00:34:28,080
Speaker 3: of progress that I saw that then I was like, yeah,

578
00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:29,719
Speaker 3: unstoppable for it.

579
00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:34,239
Speaker 1: I think that's a really powerful little thing because I think, like,

580
00:34:34,280 --> 00:34:36,799
Speaker 1: if you think about people in all areas of life, right,

581
00:34:36,840 --> 00:34:39,480
Speaker 1: this idea of kind of like imposter syndrome almost where

582
00:34:39,520 --> 00:34:42,600
Speaker 1: people are in these positions where they don't necessarily believe

583
00:34:42,600 --> 00:34:45,360
Speaker 1: that they belong there yet, but this idea that you

584
00:34:45,440 --> 00:34:47,319
Speaker 1: just need a little bit of evidence, a little bit

585
00:34:47,360 --> 00:34:50,560
Speaker 1: of improvement. How long did it take you to kind

586
00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:53,920
Speaker 1: of go from the point where you weren't winning games

587
00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,319
Speaker 1: to then get to a point even if you weren't winning,

588
00:34:56,320 --> 00:35:00,160
Speaker 1: where you were like, okay, like I belong here, No,

589
00:35:00,200 --> 00:35:02,120
Speaker 1: I'm eventually going to get to that point where I

590
00:35:02,160 --> 00:35:03,120
Speaker 1: start winning games.

591
00:35:03,600 --> 00:35:07,920
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, so I reckon. Initially I went for about

592
00:35:08,040 --> 00:35:12,160
Speaker 3: a two years sort of period of where it was

593
00:35:12,480 --> 00:35:15,120
Speaker 3: like I was turning up but just finding it hard

594
00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:19,960
Speaker 3: and not really sure like how many more times I

595
00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:25,160
Speaker 3: could keep doing that? Until yeah, I reckon. Just over

596
00:35:25,200 --> 00:35:28,640
Speaker 3: that sort of two year period, it was when I

597
00:35:29,160 --> 00:35:32,680
Speaker 3: started seeing sets were coming coming my way, so it

598
00:35:32,719 --> 00:35:37,680
Speaker 3: was getting closer to winning those more important matches and then, yeah,

599
00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:42,840
Speaker 3: I reckon just around early twenties then was when I

600
00:35:42,920 --> 00:35:48,240
Speaker 3: really started to believe that, yeah, this is going to

601
00:35:48,280 --> 00:35:51,000
Speaker 3: be for me, like I can do this, and it

602
00:35:51,080 --> 00:35:54,640
Speaker 3: was just going to be that long sort of understanding

603
00:35:54,680 --> 00:35:58,160
Speaker 3: of a goal that's going to come, but just got

604
00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:02,120
Speaker 3: to take it one at a time and sometimes that's hard.

605
00:36:02,320 --> 00:36:06,200
Speaker 3: But I think I'm a very goal orientated person though

606
00:36:06,239 --> 00:36:08,640
Speaker 3: as well, so even the long term goal will be

607
00:36:08,719 --> 00:36:12,920
Speaker 3: something that excites me, but having the smaller ones definitely

608
00:36:13,040 --> 00:36:18,080
Speaker 3: is what keeps keeps you motivate and coming back. So yeah,

609
00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:20,359
Speaker 3: it was definitely early twenties. I think that then I

610
00:36:20,440 --> 00:36:24,839
Speaker 3: really began to think that I was capable of doing it.

611
00:36:25,280 --> 00:36:27,719
Speaker 1: We heard in the audio clip earlier that you made

612
00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:31,040
Speaker 1: history as the first Australian to compete at both an

613
00:36:31,040 --> 00:36:33,720
Speaker 1: Olympics and a Paralympics in that same cycle.

614
00:36:34,520 --> 00:36:36,360
Speaker 2: What was that like for you?

615
00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:41,319
Speaker 1: Was that a big occasion or a big moment to

616
00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:44,200
Speaker 1: I guess make history in that sense, or was it

617
00:36:44,239 --> 00:36:46,080
Speaker 1: for you just a bonus way for you to get

618
00:36:46,080 --> 00:36:47,560
Speaker 1: to play more table teens.

619
00:36:47,840 --> 00:36:54,239
Speaker 3: Yeah, it was the whole history side. I mean, I

620
00:36:54,239 --> 00:36:57,960
Speaker 3: feel like down the track that'll mean a lot more

621
00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:00,880
Speaker 3: to me, maybe when I'm like a grand rocking with

622
00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:03,000
Speaker 3: my grandkids to sleep or something, you know.

623
00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:05,000
Speaker 2: Stories.

624
00:37:05,320 --> 00:37:10,759
Speaker 3: Yeah, but in that very moment, it was it was

625
00:37:10,800 --> 00:37:14,479
Speaker 3: more about just getting, yeah, exactly, to play more tail

626
00:37:14,560 --> 00:37:19,000
Speaker 3: tennis at at the highest level on the biggest stage

627
00:37:19,080 --> 00:37:21,960
Speaker 3: that I could possibly play, and and that for me

628
00:37:22,280 --> 00:37:27,319
Speaker 3: was just the biggest motivation to to be playing and

629
00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:31,719
Speaker 3: trying and trying to achieve it. And the most exciting

630
00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:34,120
Speaker 3: thing for me is getting to put on the Australian

631
00:37:34,160 --> 00:37:37,520
Speaker 3: colors and walk out onto a stage and compete. So

632
00:37:38,280 --> 00:37:41,080
Speaker 3: any opportunity that I get the chance to do that

633
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:47,840
Speaker 3: is just an absolute privilege. So yeah, again the history

634
00:37:47,880 --> 00:37:53,160
Speaker 3: side is you know, I mean, that's awesome, but getting

635
00:37:53,200 --> 00:37:55,759
Speaker 3: getting to play on the on the biggest stage is

636
00:37:56,440 --> 00:37:57,759
Speaker 3: just the greatest thing ever.

637
00:37:58,440 --> 00:38:02,839
Speaker 1: Yeah, I agree. I think I'm interested to know about this.

638
00:38:03,480 --> 00:38:05,680
Speaker 1: I guess the Rio experience for you because I think

639
00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:08,200
Speaker 1: you competed in the Olympics. Then did you fly home

640
00:38:08,440 --> 00:38:10,359
Speaker 1: and then flew back again for the Paralympics.

641
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:15,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, so it was pretty hectic. I left the

642
00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:19,960
Speaker 3: Olympic village a day or two after I'd finished competing,

643
00:38:20,560 --> 00:38:24,120
Speaker 3: I had about two weeks back in Australia. Part of

644
00:38:24,160 --> 00:38:26,640
Speaker 3: that was a training camp up in Brisbane with my

645
00:38:26,719 --> 00:38:31,560
Speaker 3: parer squad, and then flew back into Rio for the Paralympics.

646
00:38:31,600 --> 00:38:37,320
Speaker 3: So it was a full schedule. Like it's not always ideal,

647
00:38:37,400 --> 00:38:41,839
Speaker 3: I guess, given that Rio is quite a flight away,

648
00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:46,640
Speaker 3: but again, yeah it was. It was the best sort

649
00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:50,560
Speaker 3: of solution to being able to compete at my best.

650
00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:55,880
Speaker 1: And then comparing that experience to Tokyo, what was that

651
00:38:56,040 --> 00:38:58,239
Speaker 1: like where you were there for I guess quite a

652
00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:00,839
Speaker 1: lengthy period of time to ped across that.

653
00:39:01,160 --> 00:39:02,279
Speaker 2: How did that experience go?

654
00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:07,359
Speaker 3: Yeah? I guess having the knowledge of Rio helped as well.

655
00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:13,120
Speaker 3: Originally I was planning on flying home in between the games,

656
00:39:13,120 --> 00:39:16,600
Speaker 3: given that you know, it's a shorter flight the same

657
00:39:16,680 --> 00:39:20,359
Speaker 3: time zone. Basically there was a lot more about being

658
00:39:20,400 --> 00:39:22,920
Speaker 3: able to do the the double in Tokyo. That was

659
00:39:22,920 --> 00:39:27,960
Speaker 3: a lot more appealing. But then you know, we love

660
00:39:28,000 --> 00:39:31,560
Speaker 3: a little bit of uncertainty and things thrown into the mix.

661
00:39:31,600 --> 00:39:37,239
Speaker 3: So given given COVID, that again changed plans. But yeah,

662
00:39:36,880 --> 00:39:43,040
Speaker 3: I ended up being away to two months pretty much

663
00:39:43,040 --> 00:39:47,960
Speaker 3: in Japan. But the way that it was like laid

664
00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:51,319
Speaker 3: out in the end, was broken down really nicely, so

665
00:39:51,760 --> 00:39:55,000
Speaker 3: I had different periods of different times with different people,

666
00:39:55,120 --> 00:40:00,000
Speaker 3: so the environment was getting changed and I didn't feel

667
00:40:00,239 --> 00:40:05,759
Speaker 3: to place or felt burnt out, which was really important

668
00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,759
Speaker 3: and that was what everyone was aware of and we

669
00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:11,080
Speaker 3: were trying our best to make sure that didn't happen.

670
00:40:11,920 --> 00:40:14,160
Speaker 3: So I basically went from the Olympic Village with the

671
00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:19,480
Speaker 3: Olympic team to then an off site Australian bubble where

672
00:40:20,040 --> 00:40:22,880
Speaker 3: you know, it's a different place, some different people, a

673
00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:26,200
Speaker 3: different training venue, and then back into the Paralympic Village

674
00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:31,080
Speaker 3: with the Paralympic team, and the way it broken up things,

675
00:40:31,200 --> 00:40:34,839
Speaker 3: you know, new and fresh and exciting and yeah, still

676
00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:37,040
Speaker 3: the same the very first day that I got to

677
00:40:37,040 --> 00:40:41,080
Speaker 3: see everyone inside Paralympic I was just just as excited,

678
00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,560
Speaker 3: if not more the first day I walked into the

679
00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:48,320
Speaker 3: Olympic Village. So it was it was definitely a long process,

680
00:40:48,440 --> 00:40:52,239
Speaker 3: but at the same time, yeah, very lucky that I

681
00:40:52,280 --> 00:40:57,200
Speaker 3: had fantastic people from the AOCMPA helping me achieve and

682
00:40:57,239 --> 00:40:59,919
Speaker 3: stay healthy and fit while I was over that whole time.

683
00:41:00,440 --> 00:41:02,120
Speaker 2: You get a pretty unique insight.

684
00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:05,120
Speaker 1: Obviously, competing in both the Olympics and the Paralympics, and

685
00:41:05,719 --> 00:41:08,640
Speaker 1: we saw like through the Female Athlete Project, we're involved

686
00:41:08,640 --> 00:41:11,520
Speaker 1: in the campaign with the equal prize money where we

687
00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:14,440
Speaker 1: saw Scott Morrison then announced that Paralympics would get equal

688
00:41:14,520 --> 00:41:17,560
Speaker 1: prize money for winning a medal. Have there been specific

689
00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:21,080
Speaker 1: areas where you notice a significant difference between between the

690
00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:25,040
Speaker 1: two events and the preparation for the two events.

691
00:41:25,600 --> 00:41:30,840
Speaker 3: So it was incredible. I so didn't expect in terms

692
00:41:30,840 --> 00:41:35,520
Speaker 3: of the metal prize money to comp like that was

693
00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:43,760
Speaker 3: just absolutely But outside of that though, I mean, sports

694
00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:49,440
Speaker 3: different depend upon how they medal, have different setups and everything.

695
00:41:49,640 --> 00:41:57,600
Speaker 3: But for me, I'm through through my sport and you know,

696
00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:00,320
Speaker 3: I think I've been very well looked after, and I

697
00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:03,839
Speaker 3: don't I don't see too much out on either other

698
00:42:03,920 --> 00:42:10,200
Speaker 3: side of that. But yeah, from my end, there's obviously

699
00:42:10,239 --> 00:42:12,520
Speaker 3: going to be differences, but at the same time, I'm

700
00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:14,840
Speaker 3: very much in my own bubble all the time. We

701
00:42:15,000 --> 00:42:17,520
Speaker 3: know what else is happening everywhere else.

702
00:42:18,360 --> 00:42:19,480
Speaker 2: Yeah, that makes sense.

703
00:42:19,960 --> 00:42:21,919
Speaker 1: Every episode on the show, I have a question from

704
00:42:21,960 --> 00:42:25,239
Speaker 1: a six year old and from my grandma, so I

705
00:42:25,320 --> 00:42:30,520
Speaker 1: might play the question from six year old freeda first

706
00:42:31,920 --> 00:42:37,520
Speaker 1: hi Mary, how often do you miss the ball completely?

707
00:42:40,880 --> 00:42:48,680
Speaker 3: Freda, That's the best question, and I, even even as

708
00:42:48,719 --> 00:42:51,200
Speaker 3: an elite table tennis player, I can still miss the

709
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:54,120
Speaker 3: ball completely more often than I would like to share.

710
00:42:55,400 --> 00:42:58,160
Speaker 1: Amazing, She'll be Freda will be stoked with that answer.

711
00:42:58,200 --> 00:43:03,520
Speaker 2: I think question from Granny hi Elly, if you were

712
00:43:03,560 --> 00:43:07,200
Speaker 2: to finish playing table tennis, would you feel satisfied with

713
00:43:07,320 --> 00:43:10,799
Speaker 2: all the incredible things you have achieved? She comes in

714
00:43:10,800 --> 00:43:11,560
Speaker 2: with the good ones.

715
00:43:12,000 --> 00:43:21,600
Speaker 3: She does well well, Granny. I prior to Tokyo, I did,

716
00:43:21,719 --> 00:43:24,680
Speaker 3: in fact say to myself I would be very content,

717
00:43:26,000 --> 00:43:30,719
Speaker 3: not just performing, being happy with how I performed. And

718
00:43:30,719 --> 00:43:34,440
Speaker 3: if I didn't meddle, I'm very content with my career

719
00:43:34,880 --> 00:43:37,360
Speaker 3: and if it was to end there and then I

720
00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:43,839
Speaker 3: would be very content. So yeah, I think I feel

721
00:43:43,920 --> 00:43:49,239
Speaker 3: very privileged for the opportunities that have the people I've

722
00:43:49,280 --> 00:43:52,719
Speaker 3: been able to meet. Obviously, I wish that could last

723
00:43:52,719 --> 00:43:57,600
Speaker 3: a lifetime, because I think being an greatest things the

724
00:43:57,640 --> 00:44:03,680
Speaker 3: most enjoyable thing can do. So yeah, I'm I still

725
00:44:03,800 --> 00:44:06,680
Speaker 3: want to enjoy them, though for a little bit longer.

726
00:44:06,719 --> 00:44:10,000
Speaker 3: I'm not ready to give them up just yet. But

727
00:44:10,680 --> 00:44:15,120
Speaker 3: if my career had to end today, I would happily

728
00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:17,080
Speaker 3: sit here with a smile on my face and be

729
00:44:17,360 --> 00:44:18,680
Speaker 3: spoked with what I've got to do.

730
00:44:19,080 --> 00:44:22,120
Speaker 1: That's really cool. We also skipped over the silver medal

731
00:44:22,160 --> 00:44:25,279
Speaker 1: in Tokyo. So in the team's event, you guys took

732
00:44:25,320 --> 00:44:27,640
Speaker 1: out silver. What was that experience, Like.

733
00:44:28,239 --> 00:44:36,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, that was a really That feeling and that emotion

734
00:44:36,400 --> 00:44:40,200
Speaker 3: that came the match when I knew we had secured

735
00:44:41,080 --> 00:44:45,439
Speaker 3: a medal was just it has been a long long

736
00:44:45,480 --> 00:44:49,320
Speaker 3: time coming. I mean I fell short of the bronze

737
00:44:49,360 --> 00:44:52,879
Speaker 3: medal in Rio at my first Paralympic Games, and from

738
00:44:52,880 --> 00:44:56,680
Speaker 3: then onwards, you know, that's been something I'd been searching

739
00:44:56,719 --> 00:45:00,120
Speaker 3: for to add team and part of my career. But

740
00:45:00,400 --> 00:45:04,480
Speaker 3: like Rio, I fell short and Tokyo, like I really

741
00:45:04,520 --> 00:45:06,600
Speaker 3: wanted it, but at the same time, like I said,

742
00:45:06,600 --> 00:45:09,320
Speaker 3: I'd be content if I didn't have it. It actually

743
00:45:09,320 --> 00:45:12,520
Speaker 3: almost felt like I could breathe again. It was just

744
00:45:12,600 --> 00:45:15,680
Speaker 3: this like weight that came off my chest and I

745
00:45:15,760 --> 00:45:21,560
Speaker 3: was just so excited. The girls played incredible and like

746
00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:25,960
Speaker 3: to have to have that opportunity and be up on

747
00:45:26,120 --> 00:45:30,360
Speaker 3: the podium at the end of Tokyo crazy five years

748
00:45:30,440 --> 00:45:34,000
Speaker 3: up until that point, plus you know, it was nine

749
00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:38,520
Speaker 3: years until on the podium at Apparalympic Games. Yeah, it

750
00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:43,880
Speaker 3: was it was just yeah, it just chess felt like

751
00:45:44,000 --> 00:45:46,879
Speaker 3: I could breathe. It was so it was insane, and

752
00:45:47,200 --> 00:45:49,120
Speaker 3: from that moment on, I just knew that I was

753
00:45:49,120 --> 00:45:53,239
Speaker 3: going to enjoy the like even more the the experience

754
00:45:53,280 --> 00:45:55,040
Speaker 3: that we're going to have in Tokyo. Whether it was

755
00:45:55,040 --> 00:45:56,759
Speaker 3: a win or loss in the next one, it was

756
00:45:56,920 --> 00:46:01,640
Speaker 3: just an exciting moment to know that it's been achieved

757
00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:05,600
Speaker 3: and I get to go home with something that I want.

758
00:46:05,840 --> 00:46:07,000
Speaker 2: That's really really special.

759
00:46:07,360 --> 00:46:09,799
Speaker 1: I'd also love to hear about what you do, I

760
00:46:09,800 --> 00:46:12,600
Speaker 1: guess away from sports. So you're an ambassador with standing talk.

761
00:46:12,640 --> 00:46:13,879
Speaker 1: Can you tell us a bit about that?

762
00:46:14,120 --> 00:46:19,560
Speaker 3: Yep, So that that's back in my hometown Hamilton mentoring program.

763
00:46:20,080 --> 00:46:22,640
Speaker 3: So I love getting to go catching up with the

764
00:46:22,760 --> 00:46:27,799
Speaker 3: kids back in Hamilton. And that's more so just you know,

765
00:46:28,440 --> 00:46:32,200
Speaker 3: checking in seeing how they're going in school, things outside

766
00:46:32,239 --> 00:46:36,600
Speaker 3: of school. And for me, I I mean, I love talking.

767
00:46:38,719 --> 00:46:45,560
Speaker 3: I also love listening. But I think for country kids

768
00:46:45,600 --> 00:46:48,000
Speaker 3: as well, it's such a good thing to be able

769
00:46:48,000 --> 00:46:52,720
Speaker 3: to have someone just to talk to and to listen.

770
00:46:52,760 --> 00:46:56,840
Speaker 3: And sometimes you know, I also wish at that age

771
00:46:56,840 --> 00:47:00,239
Speaker 3: I had someone as well outside of the family lean

772
00:47:00,320 --> 00:47:04,120
Speaker 3: friend group just to you know, sit have a hot

773
00:47:04,200 --> 00:47:07,680
Speaker 3: chocolate with, or you know, go for a walk, but

774
00:47:08,480 --> 00:47:11,000
Speaker 3: just to bounce ideas off or any concerns. And I

775
00:47:11,040 --> 00:47:15,880
Speaker 3: think that's something really nice. And the relationships through all that,

776
00:47:15,880 --> 00:47:20,320
Speaker 3: the mentors and teas get to develop is really nice.

777
00:47:20,400 --> 00:47:24,040
Speaker 3: So to be able to be a part of that

778
00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:25,080
Speaker 3: in a small way.

779
00:47:25,160 --> 00:47:27,760
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's really cool. What is next?

780
00:47:27,800 --> 00:47:31,560
Speaker 1: You've been to now three Paralympic Games and two Olympic Games.

781
00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:34,960
Speaker 2: What's next next?

782
00:47:35,320 --> 00:47:38,120
Speaker 3: Is? I mean, I'm just each week to try and

783
00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:46,239
Speaker 3: make it through to Friday. I feel you, But yeah,

784
00:47:46,440 --> 00:47:50,200
Speaker 3: I mean, particularly after getting at a hotel quarantine, I'm

785
00:47:50,840 --> 00:47:55,719
Speaker 3: really looking forward to some fresh air. I'm going to

786
00:47:55,760 --> 00:47:59,160
Speaker 3: take my time and sort of you know, so everything

787
00:47:59,280 --> 00:48:02,000
Speaker 3: that's that's happened, particularly over the last few months, but

788
00:48:02,160 --> 00:48:06,000
Speaker 3: also the last few years, and yeah, see where we go.

789
00:48:06,320 --> 00:48:08,880
Speaker 3: I would love to be getting back to Hamiltenders to

790
00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:13,680
Speaker 3: see my family, but in the minute I can, I think, yeah,

791
00:48:13,719 --> 00:48:17,080
Speaker 3: I'll be back there, And for now, yeah, I'll just

792
00:48:17,640 --> 00:48:21,040
Speaker 3: go pretty you light sessions in the hall, keep my

793
00:48:21,080 --> 00:48:25,319
Speaker 3: fitness up, and yeah, I mean Birmingham now is just

794
00:48:25,400 --> 00:48:28,720
Speaker 3: around the corner, so we'll see see I was sitting.

795
00:48:28,840 --> 00:48:33,080
Speaker 3: But yeah, if we if we look at, for instance,

796
00:48:33,160 --> 00:48:38,080
Speaker 3: in twenty twenty four, I don't know about it, but

797
00:48:40,400 --> 00:48:44,720
Speaker 3: after after the Common Games on Gold Coast, I also

798
00:48:44,840 --> 00:48:46,799
Speaker 3: thought that maybe that was going to be the end

799
00:48:47,000 --> 00:48:49,520
Speaker 3: as well, or even after Rio. Actually, and I mean

800
00:48:49,560 --> 00:48:52,600
Speaker 3: it's still five years later and I'm still here. I

801
00:48:52,640 --> 00:48:57,319
Speaker 3: wouldn't write myself off yet, but yeah, definitely looking forward

802
00:48:57,360 --> 00:48:58,480
Speaker 3: to a little bit of downtime.

803
00:48:58,800 --> 00:48:59,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, okay, I did.

804
00:48:59,880 --> 00:49:02,279
Speaker 1: I was meant to ask earlier as well, what does

805
00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:05,160
Speaker 1: the typical week of training look like as a table

806
00:49:05,160 --> 00:49:05,800
Speaker 1: tennis player?

807
00:49:06,239 --> 00:49:08,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, so in the lead up, I mean the whole

808
00:49:08,719 --> 00:49:13,959
Speaker 3: five days a week, close to it hours each day,

809
00:49:14,520 --> 00:49:18,080
Speaker 3: and then I've got yeah, I got so that would

810
00:49:18,120 --> 00:49:21,640
Speaker 3: be broken up over two sessions in the day. I've

811
00:49:21,680 --> 00:49:24,640
Speaker 3: got two gym sessions in at the vis I run

812
00:49:24,719 --> 00:49:30,399
Speaker 3: twice ladies every morning, and in between that, I mean,

813
00:49:30,600 --> 00:49:34,800
Speaker 3: the recovery process is as important as the actual physical side.

814
00:49:34,960 --> 00:49:39,520
Speaker 3: So like most athletes, I love food, I love coffee,

815
00:49:40,000 --> 00:49:40,840
Speaker 3: I love sleeping.

816
00:49:43,640 --> 00:49:48,359
Speaker 1: We're all the same, aren't we. I finish off every

817
00:49:48,400 --> 00:49:52,879
Speaker 1: episode with three would you rather questions? So number one

818
00:49:53,880 --> 00:49:59,360
Speaker 1: is would you rather win an Olympic or Paralympic gold medal?

819
00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:07,760
Speaker 3: Nah, that's fair. The first one is the really hard one.

820
00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:15,160
Speaker 1: You're like, I gotta I'm gonna go Sorry.

821
00:50:13,680 --> 00:50:25,440
Speaker 3: What's that another cope? I would take either anyone? Okay,

822
00:50:25,440 --> 00:50:27,000
Speaker 3: I could get my hands on Yeah.

823
00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:27,319
Speaker 2: All right.

824
00:50:27,440 --> 00:50:29,319
Speaker 1: I usually don't let people get away with that, but

825
00:50:29,440 --> 00:50:30,359
Speaker 1: I'll give you that one.

826
00:50:31,000 --> 00:50:32,000
Speaker 2: Number two.

827
00:50:32,360 --> 00:50:35,919
Speaker 1: Would you rather play in a final against the world

828
00:50:36,000 --> 00:50:39,239
Speaker 1: number one? Or against the table tennis robot or the.

829
00:50:39,200 --> 00:50:41,399
Speaker 3: Table tennis robot? One?

830
00:50:41,600 --> 00:50:44,600
Speaker 1: Okay, all right? The robot is for anyone who hasn't

831
00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:47,000
Speaker 1: seen the robot. I was watching it with producer Bailey before.

832
00:50:47,040 --> 00:50:47,960
Speaker 1: It's quite impressive.

833
00:50:50,040 --> 00:50:51,400
Speaker 3: The one that plays table tennis.

834
00:50:51,480 --> 00:50:53,840
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's ridiculous.

835
00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:57,960
Speaker 1: You can't really win. Number three? Would you rather have

836
00:50:58,160 --> 00:51:00,120
Speaker 1: I've heard Joe Carlton fan. Would you rather have a

837
00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:02,359
Speaker 1: kick of the footy with Eddie Betts or a hit

838
00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:03,800
Speaker 1: of tennis with Roger Federer?

839
00:51:04,239 --> 00:51:08,680
Speaker 3: Or I mean, I'm terrible at both, but it has

840
00:51:08,719 --> 00:51:10,640
Speaker 3: to be afl Yeah.

841
00:51:10,200 --> 00:51:14,200
Speaker 2: Yeah, it's got to be Eddie. He's iconic. Where can

842
00:51:14,200 --> 00:51:15,839
Speaker 2: people find you on Instagram?

843
00:51:16,320 --> 00:51:19,440
Speaker 3: Um? Merely tap off, nice and easy to remember.

844
00:51:19,760 --> 00:51:23,400
Speaker 1: Perfect, Thank you so much. For coming on today and

845
00:51:23,440 --> 00:51:25,719
Speaker 1: having a chat. You've got an incredible story, and I

846
00:51:25,719 --> 00:51:30,120
Speaker 1: think the way that you've been able to stay motivated

847
00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:32,680
Speaker 1: and disciplined for such a long period of time is

848
00:51:32,680 --> 00:51:35,239
Speaker 1: incredible and I loved I particularly loved that idea of

849
00:51:35,440 --> 00:51:37,560
Speaker 1: just like noticing the small bits of evidence and the

850
00:51:37,600 --> 00:51:39,520
Speaker 1: small improvements. I think, Yeah, I think a lot of

851
00:51:39,520 --> 00:51:41,560
Speaker 1: people can take something away from that. So I've absolutely

852
00:51:41,600 --> 00:51:43,640
Speaker 1: loved having a chat. Thank you so much for coming on.

853
00:51:43,960 --> 00:51:46,200
Speaker 3: Thank you so much for having me and helping me

854
00:51:46,280 --> 00:51:47,279
Speaker 3: past time in here.

855
00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:52,359
Speaker 1: Thank You're very welcome. Thanks so much for listening. If

856
00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:54,880
Speaker 1: you got something out of this episode, I would absolutely

857
00:51:54,960 --> 00:51:56,680
Speaker 1: love it if you could send it on to one

858
00:51:56,719 --> 00:52:00,759
Speaker 1: person who you think might enjoy it. Otherwise, suscribe, give

859
00:52:00,840 --> 00:52:02,680
Speaker 1: us a review, and make sure you follow us on

860
00:52:02,719 --> 00:52:05,480
Speaker 1: Instagram at the Female Athlete Project to stay up to

861
00:52:05,560 --> 00:52:09,360
Speaker 1: date with podcast episodes, merch drops, and of course news

862
00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:11,759
Speaker 1: and stories about epic female athletes.