1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:04,160 Speaker 1: Being mentally fit is just as important as being physically fit. 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:08,119 Speaker 2: Hello and welcome to the sitdown. 3 00:00:08,200 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 3: I'm Viv Christie, Managing editor for Australian Tennis Magazine, and. 4 00:00:11,680 --> 00:00:14,640 Speaker 4: I'm Metrolope, a writer an editor for ozopen dot com 5 00:00:14,920 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 4: and Viv, why are we sitting down this week with 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 4: Carolyn Broderick, who's Tennis Australias and the Australian Open's Chief 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:21,280 Speaker 4: medical officer. 8 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: Well as are some of tennis approaches. 9 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 3: We wanted to learn more about what Carolyn's role encapsulates 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 3: during the Australian Open, and as it turned out, we 11 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 3: learned a lot. There is so much more on offer 12 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,800 Speaker 3: to players than the injuries that you might see them 13 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:38,599 Speaker 3: being treated for on court. There's a huge range of 14 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,040 Speaker 3: services on offer to players during the Australian Open, including 15 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:44,640 Speaker 3: some of their year round health checks. They're helping with 16 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,800 Speaker 3: their preparation and just general health and wellbeing, which is 17 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 3: a huge service. 18 00:00:49,280 --> 00:00:51,200 Speaker 4: I think we were both surprised at like the depth 19 00:00:51,240 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 4: and breadth of services available to players, which is really 20 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 4: kind of keeping their health and wellness and well being 21 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 4: at front and center. It was a really fascinat in 22 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 4: chat Carolyn Broderick. Thank you very much for joining us 23 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 4: today on the sit down. How are you very good? 24 00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 5: Thanks thanks for having me. 25 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:10,760 Speaker 4: You're welcome. And what do you think of pod Labor Arena. 26 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 4: We always like to ask our guests about being inside. 27 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:14,200 Speaker 4: It's very impressive. 28 00:01:14,360 --> 00:01:18,320 Speaker 1: I feel very tennis orientated with all this tennis memorabilia 29 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: around me. 30 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 4: Yeah. 31 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, it's really good. 32 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:21,880 Speaker 4: It's a pretty cool space. 33 00:01:21,959 --> 00:01:22,279 Speaker 5: Yeah. 34 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:24,640 Speaker 4: Well, look, this is great to chat to you for 35 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 4: our listeners. I guess we can say a little bit 36 00:01:27,920 --> 00:01:30,080 Speaker 4: about what you do. You are the Chief Medical Officer 37 00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:32,559 Speaker 4: for Tennis Australia and I guess by extension that makes 38 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:34,600 Speaker 4: you the chief Medical Officer of the AO. 39 00:01:34,920 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 5: Yes. 40 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 4: And you're also the chief Medical Officer or team physician 41 00:01:39,200 --> 00:01:40,920 Speaker 4: for the Australian Billy jing Kin Cup team. 42 00:01:41,040 --> 00:01:41,320 Speaker 5: Yes. 43 00:01:41,680 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 4: And you were also the medical director for the Australian 44 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:47,160 Speaker 4: Olympic team last year in Paris, which we would love 45 00:01:47,200 --> 00:01:49,000 Speaker 4: to talk to you more about. So this is a 46 00:01:49,040 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 4: lot of roles that we're talking about here, So how 47 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 4: do you juggle them all? How do you go about that? 48 00:01:53,680 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: Interestingly, there's a lot of similarities between my roles at 49 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:59,320 Speaker 1: the Australian Open and as medical director of the Australia 50 00:01:59,320 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: Olympic Team. 51 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:01,920 Speaker 5: Because essentially what you're. 52 00:02:01,720 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: Doing is you're trying to set up a reasonably self 53 00:02:05,320 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: sufficient medical center for a four week period, a pop 54 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: up sort of center, and so a lot of things 55 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,120 Speaker 1: that we do for the Aster and Open are very 56 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:17,520 Speaker 1: similar to Paris or to the Olympics. We try and 57 00:02:17,560 --> 00:02:20,720 Speaker 1: be self sufficient with our pharmacy. We have our on 58 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: site pharmacy. We do our own PCR testing, so we 59 00:02:24,200 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: can if anyone has an infectious illness, we can diagnose 60 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:32,559 Speaker 1: it very quickly and either offer targeted treatments or isolate accordingly. 61 00:02:33,760 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: And then we have radiology ultrasound services on sites. So 62 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: obviously we need to go outside of our little pop 63 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:43,639 Speaker 1: up clinic every now and again, but we're pretty self 64 00:02:43,680 --> 00:02:47,320 Speaker 1: sufficient in both environments. And I suppose the other similarity 65 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:51,640 Speaker 1: is your need to prepare for external environments that affect 66 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 1: the world. 67 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 5: COVID being the primary one. 68 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,639 Speaker 1: So a lot of the things, the infection control procedures 69 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: that we needed to put in place Australian Open, we're 70 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: also relevant for Olympic Games, and we learned a lot 71 00:03:05,120 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: from those COVID years. We learned that simple control infection 72 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:13,600 Speaker 1: control measures work like masking, like avoiding crowded indoor spaces 73 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: and so because what we know is that even mild 74 00:03:16,800 --> 00:03:21,080 Speaker 1: infections COVID asigned mild infections in pair performance and so 75 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: we don't want a spread of infectious illness. So a 76 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: lot of things we learned from the COVID years have 77 00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: actually been very valuable in this sort of post COVID 78 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: era and we educate our athletes and our players here 79 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,119 Speaker 1: at Tennis Australia about how they can avoid getting these 80 00:03:39,160 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: infectious illnesses to perform at their peak. 81 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:44,880 Speaker 4: We should have that amongst our staff. That would be 82 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,680 Speaker 4: great that how big is the team then, so if 83 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 4: you're building this self sufficient kind of like health organization, 84 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:54,440 Speaker 4: I guess for the month of January, you lead a 85 00:03:54,480 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 4: team of how many people. 86 00:03:56,080 --> 00:03:58,840 Speaker 5: So they're probably about thirty. But we have a lot 87 00:03:58,840 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 5: of on site. 88 00:04:00,160 --> 00:04:02,240 Speaker 1: This is one of the areas where it differs from 89 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,320 Speaker 1: an Olympic Games is we're able to draw on a 90 00:04:04,320 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 1: lot of the local expertise in Melbourne for our off 91 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:10,600 Speaker 1: site specialists, and we get certain services to come on site. 92 00:04:10,680 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 1: I think what most people see about what we do 93 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: in player medical is our court calls, but that's just 94 00:04:15,920 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: a tiny fragment of what we do. Most of our 95 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: work involves seeing players with their illnesses and injuries that 96 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 1: we do on site, but we also have we're cognizant 97 00:04:28,320 --> 00:04:31,279 Speaker 1: of the fact that players are on touring the world 98 00:04:31,279 --> 00:04:34,120 Speaker 1: for eleven months of the year now, so things that 99 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,280 Speaker 1: we take for granted, like getting our skin check, getting 100 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:42,240 Speaker 1: our vaccinations, getting patsmeres, all that sort of thing, we 101 00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:44,320 Speaker 1: want to try and offer our players here so that 102 00:04:44,480 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: we can allow. 103 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:47,000 Speaker 5: Them access to those services. 104 00:04:47,040 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: So we have a dermatologist on site, for instance, who 105 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:54,040 Speaker 1: does checks, We offer vaccinations, We have an optometrist on site. 106 00:04:54,520 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: We also have a pedietrist that comes on site every 107 00:04:56,640 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: day to make aorthodics, to care for feet and these 108 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:03,919 Speaker 1: are just some of the services that we provide for 109 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: our players because we're mindful of the fact that it 110 00:05:06,120 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 1: can be difficult to access services when you're on the 111 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: road for eleven months a year. 112 00:05:11,240 --> 00:05:13,200 Speaker 4: Well, that's really fascinating. I didn't know all of those 113 00:05:13,240 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 4: people weren't. 114 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:17,360 Speaker 3: Amazing five minutes in and not even already learned so much. 115 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 3: What is a typical day for you during the Australian Open. 116 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: Look, I'd say there's no such thing as a typical day, 117 00:05:24,240 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: partly because I started this role as Chief Medical Officer 118 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,839 Speaker 1: in August twenty seventeen, so my first AO was twenty eighteen, 119 00:05:32,400 --> 00:05:36,040 Speaker 1: and so we had three years of extreme heat and 120 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,039 Speaker 1: then three years of COVID because COVID started during the 121 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:42,520 Speaker 1: twenty twenty Australian Open. We had our first cases in 122 00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,000 Speaker 1: Melbourne from China during the Australian Open, and at that 123 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: time we didn't know how serious a disease it was, 124 00:05:48,720 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 1: and there was a lot of fear and we didn't 125 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:54,600 Speaker 1: even really know how it was spread. So it impacted 126 00:05:54,600 --> 00:05:57,280 Speaker 1: the back end of the twenty twenty Australian Open. So 127 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: then we had three years of COVID and. 128 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,159 Speaker 5: You know, with heat and bush fire smoke. 129 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: The twenty twenty season was also the bush fast season, 130 00:06:05,760 --> 00:06:08,520 Speaker 1: so there were a lot of what I would call. 131 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:10,039 Speaker 5: Maybe atypical Australian Open. 132 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:11,600 Speaker 1: So the last two years have been a bit more 133 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,479 Speaker 1: smooth running from a medical perspective. But in the last 134 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,640 Speaker 1: two years, I suppose a normal day involves opening up 135 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:20,840 Speaker 1: the clinic eight o'clock in the morning. 136 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:22,800 Speaker 5: We see players with and. 137 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 1: Particularly in the early part of the AO, is like 138 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:27,640 Speaker 1: a lot of them are coming in from the northern 139 00:06:27,680 --> 00:06:30,279 Speaker 1: hemisphere where they've got you know, they're coming from winter, 140 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,080 Speaker 1: they've got the respiratory viruses that you get in winter, 141 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,279 Speaker 1: so a lot of them come in unwell after a 142 00:06:36,320 --> 00:06:40,039 Speaker 1: long plane flight from a northern hemisphere winter. So we 143 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:46,040 Speaker 1: have a GP clinic and then we treat illness injuries 144 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: as well. So because it's such a long season, everyone 145 00:06:49,880 --> 00:06:52,520 Speaker 1: is carrying some minor injury. There're very few people that 146 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: are one hundred percent fully fit with nothing, no nickels, nothing, 147 00:06:56,520 --> 00:07:01,080 Speaker 1: so we looking after those and then and we stay 148 00:07:01,640 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: in our player medical center till the till an hour 149 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: after the end of play, until the last person's finished playing, 150 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:09,960 Speaker 1: and we're assure that there's no injuries or illnesses that 151 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: need attending to after that. So it can be a 152 00:07:12,680 --> 00:07:15,400 Speaker 1: long day. We've got a good team there though, that 153 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: you know, take up the flack and are very flexible 154 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: around timing because you can't it's one of the sports 155 00:07:22,720 --> 00:07:24,239 Speaker 1: where you can't predict when it's going to finish. 156 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:25,880 Speaker 5: It's not like a rugby match you'll say that. 157 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 1: You know it's going to be ninety minutes and then 158 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:29,119 Speaker 1: we're done. 159 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 5: It's very different depending on the length of the matches. 160 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,240 Speaker 3: Yeah, I can imagine. Obviously a lot has changed since 161 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 3: twenty seventeen when you started in the role. How has 162 00:07:38,920 --> 00:07:40,720 Speaker 3: your role changed in line with that? 163 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:46,239 Speaker 1: I suppose each year and the AO gets bigger and better, 164 00:07:46,280 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: and we try and offer better services in medical as well, 165 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:53,400 Speaker 1: just new initiatives. We've got a mental health workshop we're 166 00:07:53,440 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: running this year. We're doing a fertility workshop for our 167 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:02,680 Speaker 1: women's players. We're always trying to work out areas that 168 00:08:02,880 --> 00:08:07,400 Speaker 1: can be of value to players, that just enhance the 169 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: service that we offer. I suppose the other big change 170 00:08:10,240 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: since twenty seventeen, the one that we're sort of most 171 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,520 Speaker 1: or one of the ones we're most proud of, is 172 00:08:14,560 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: the development of the Australian Open Heat Stress Scale. So, 173 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:20,040 Speaker 1: as I said, twenty eighteen was my first Australian Open. 174 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:21,640 Speaker 5: It was very hot and. 175 00:08:21,560 --> 00:08:25,600 Speaker 1: I realized that we really needed a heat policy that 176 00:08:25,680 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: was based on good science. So we started collaborating with 177 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:31,680 Speaker 1: the University of Sydney with Professor Oli Jay, who's a 178 00:08:31,760 --> 00:08:37,280 Speaker 1: world expert in thermophysiology, and then we developed a heat 179 00:08:37,280 --> 00:08:40,520 Speaker 1: stress scale that took into account not just environmental parameters, 180 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:43,720 Speaker 1: which is what happens in most sports, but also the 181 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 1: important things about what's happening with the players, so the 182 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: internal metamolic heat production that's produced as a result of exercising, 183 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:54,560 Speaker 1: and also the clothes that you're wearing in how easily 184 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: you can evaporate your sweat. So the algorithm that goes 185 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,320 Speaker 1: into the heat stress scale is very sophisic, decaated, and 186 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,319 Speaker 1: it also takes away, or it takes away a lot 187 00:09:05,320 --> 00:09:09,920 Speaker 1: of the subjectivity. Really, we have a five point scale. 188 00:09:10,040 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: There's different cooling interventions at each threshold, and I think 189 00:09:15,320 --> 00:09:17,560 Speaker 1: a lot of people think with a heat policy, what 190 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:20,319 Speaker 1: the only thing you're trying to do is work out 191 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: when to suspend or cancel play. 192 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 5: But our heat policy is about a lot more than that. 193 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: It's staging interventions so that hopefully you won't need to 194 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:29,240 Speaker 1: accept in the. 195 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 5: Most extreme environments suspend play. 196 00:09:32,880 --> 00:09:35,840 Speaker 1: And the cooling interventions that we use at the Australian 197 00:09:35,880 --> 00:09:38,880 Speaker 1: Open have all been modeled in the Climate Chamber at 198 00:09:38,880 --> 00:09:41,280 Speaker 1: the University of Sydney, so we're looking at the most 199 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:45,199 Speaker 1: effective cooling interventions as well. So I think that's taken 200 00:09:45,240 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: a lot of the stress out of heat, certainly for me, 201 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:53,840 Speaker 1: because it's so objective but also it's transparent. So we've 202 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:56,240 Speaker 1: got the heat stress scale on display in all the 203 00:09:56,240 --> 00:09:59,440 Speaker 1: player areas, so in the locker rooms, in the training rooms, 204 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: in the dining room, so that the players not only 205 00:10:02,240 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: know what the heat stress scale is now and what 206 00:10:04,120 --> 00:10:06,760 Speaker 1: might happen, but they can see the forecasts. So if 207 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:09,480 Speaker 1: they're playing at four o'clock in the afternoon, they can 208 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,200 Speaker 1: see the heat stress scales climbing. It might be that 209 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:15,360 Speaker 1: they'll have that ten minute break between sets, or maybe 210 00:10:15,400 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: if they're playing on rod labor, that the roof might 211 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: be closed. So it gives them an ability to plan. 212 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: And I love the fact that it's so transparent and 213 00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:26,160 Speaker 1: that it's taken away that thought that this is a 214 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: decision that's made in the back corridors and no one 215 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 1: really knows how it's made. 216 00:10:30,640 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 3: Have you found that players health needs or the types 217 00:10:34,160 --> 00:10:37,120 Speaker 3: of injuries that they're getting health concerns have they changed 218 00:10:37,160 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 3: over the years. 219 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,960 Speaker 1: Well, I think, Look, the calendar is much more crowded 220 00:10:42,240 --> 00:10:45,520 Speaker 1: and long now, so with and a lot of the 221 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: injuries musculo scaletal injuries we've seen, players are not acute injuries. 222 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 1: They're chronic or what we call overuse injuries, so that 223 00:10:53,200 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: definitely is impacted by loading, and so they need to 224 00:10:56,559 --> 00:11:00,200 Speaker 1: be and each obviously each player works out there own 225 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,480 Speaker 1: plan for the year, which consists of training blocks and time, 226 00:11:04,640 --> 00:11:10,200 Speaker 1: downtime and competition time, so it requires careful planning. The 227 00:11:10,240 --> 00:11:13,520 Speaker 1: other thing about tennis is which is different to any 228 00:11:13,600 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: other sport, is it's played on different surfaces. So there's 229 00:11:17,920 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: not many sports where you're, you know, one day playing 230 00:11:19,960 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: on grass and the next day on a hard court, 231 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,480 Speaker 1: and then on clay, and so each of those surfaces 232 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: is associated with different injury types based on the nature 233 00:11:29,679 --> 00:11:32,880 Speaker 1: of the game they play on those surfaces. 234 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:35,000 Speaker 4: I don't think we talk about that enough in tennis, 235 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 4: but it's actually a really great unique thing about tennis. 236 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,199 Speaker 4: We love it the colors and the way the game 237 00:11:39,280 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 4: is played, but that I don't think there's really any 238 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,280 Speaker 4: sports maybe cricket turf compared to non turf, but that, yeah, 239 00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:47,640 Speaker 4: I think that is quite a unique thing to tennis. 240 00:11:48,080 --> 00:11:50,679 Speaker 4: With you mentioned the length of the season, that is 241 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:52,200 Speaker 4: kind of a bit of a topic at the moment. 242 00:11:52,360 --> 00:11:56,040 Speaker 4: That is, like, we've just seen hole Garuna. He's going 243 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:58,360 Speaker 4: to be out potentially for a year with an achilles rupture, 244 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:00,600 Speaker 4: there's a lot of plays shutting down this season for 245 00:12:01,160 --> 00:12:04,120 Speaker 4: mental fatigue and for burnout, and a lot of players 246 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:06,600 Speaker 4: becoming more vocal about that length of the calendar, So 247 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:09,360 Speaker 4: like kind of yeah, what are those challenges and do 248 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 4: you think A, is that conversation good that it's happening, 249 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 4: and B do you think it's making plays more aware 250 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:17,960 Speaker 4: about those things you talked about, factoring in training blocks, 251 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 4: pacing yourself, managing your own schedule better. 252 00:12:21,040 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 5: Yeah. 253 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: I think that's very important and that's one of the 254 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: roles of our recovery specialists too, is talking about good 255 00:12:26,559 --> 00:12:30,800 Speaker 1: recovery techniques as well. But I think you do need 256 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:35,160 Speaker 1: to manage your own schedule appropriately. And lots of other 257 00:12:35,200 --> 00:12:41,360 Speaker 1: sports talking about loading. Yeah, and there's no real off season, 258 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,760 Speaker 1: and that off season, which used to be sort of 259 00:12:44,800 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: end of November beginning of December, is there's things impinging 260 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,319 Speaker 1: on it too. I suppose we have the advantage that 261 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,719 Speaker 1: the Australian Open is that we're seeing everyone fresh in 262 00:12:53,800 --> 00:12:57,360 Speaker 1: the beginning of their season, so but towards the back 263 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: end of the year, that's when you see probably more 264 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: of the overused burnout type injuries that you're describing, or 265 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:07,960 Speaker 1: illnesses that you're describing. 266 00:13:07,760 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 4: When preparing for an Australian summer. What kinds of things 267 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 4: do players need to factor in that are unique to 268 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:15,280 Speaker 4: competing here? Is it just heat? 269 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:18,840 Speaker 1: Heats an important one, and we send out messaging to 270 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 1: our players before they come out to Australia just talking 271 00:13:22,360 --> 00:13:24,439 Speaker 1: about ways of dealing with heat. 272 00:13:24,720 --> 00:13:27,040 Speaker 5: Acclimatization is the most. 273 00:13:26,760 --> 00:13:31,640 Speaker 1: Effective personal tool for preventing your risk of exertional heat illness. 274 00:13:31,720 --> 00:13:36,040 Speaker 1: So to fully acclimatize takes between ten and fourd end days. 275 00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:37,080 Speaker 5: So that's why. 276 00:13:37,360 --> 00:13:39,679 Speaker 1: And we are noticing that our players are coming out 277 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:42,040 Speaker 1: here much earlier. Some of them are coming out before 278 00:13:42,080 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: Christmas now, and I think that's great. We're encouraging that 279 00:13:46,840 --> 00:13:48,880 Speaker 1: not only enough just to sit in the heat. You 280 00:13:48,920 --> 00:13:52,080 Speaker 1: need to be training in the heat to acclimatize, but 281 00:13:52,200 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 1: that can make a big difference. 282 00:13:54,960 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 5: Other things are the long travel. 283 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,000 Speaker 1: You know a lot of people take time adjusting to 284 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:04,559 Speaker 1: the you're crossing multiple times and so adjusting to jet lag. 285 00:14:04,720 --> 00:14:10,640 Speaker 1: And again we have assistance and advice around that as well, 286 00:14:10,679 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: because if you're fatigued, you're more likely to sustain injuries 287 00:14:15,480 --> 00:14:17,160 Speaker 1: and get illnesses. 288 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 5: So that's another factor when you say extreme Heatre. 289 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: There are a lot of other and a lot of 290 00:14:25,200 --> 00:14:28,480 Speaker 1: others in the media recently that are tournaments that are 291 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 1: impacted by heat. Our type of heat is probably a 292 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,760 Speaker 1: slightly different type of heat to the ones they're experiencing 293 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,440 Speaker 1: at the moment. Up in the Asian circuit, we have 294 00:14:38,520 --> 00:14:41,960 Speaker 1: a very well traditionally a dry heat in Melbourne hot, 295 00:14:42,400 --> 00:14:46,360 Speaker 1: very hot, but dry, whereas a number of the other 296 00:14:46,400 --> 00:14:49,000 Speaker 1: tournaments in the US and in Asia that are impacted 297 00:14:49,240 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: and not so hot in terms of temperature, but a 298 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:55,880 Speaker 1: lot of humidity is so Again, it's about adapting to 299 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:58,720 Speaker 1: our type of heat to where we know the radiant 300 00:14:58,720 --> 00:15:01,040 Speaker 1: heat is higher, but the humidity is less, and there's 301 00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:05,600 Speaker 1: advantages of that and different ways of coping with that. 302 00:15:06,360 --> 00:15:08,720 Speaker 4: Vives told me a very interesting story which I didn't 303 00:15:08,760 --> 00:15:12,440 Speaker 4: know about. Evon Gulagong used to go Sorry, Evan Gulagong 304 00:15:12,480 --> 00:15:15,840 Speaker 4: caller used to go to Fiji to practice and prepare 305 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:17,960 Speaker 4: for the Australian summer. Are you aware of any kind 306 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 4: of like players unique preparations for here or kind of yeah, 307 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:24,680 Speaker 4: going about it a slightly different way or savvy ways 308 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:28,000 Speaker 4: that they try to get ahead to succeed here in January. 309 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 5: I think. 310 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:32,640 Speaker 1: Well, one interesting example of that was during the COVID years. 311 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:34,840 Speaker 1: So when you remember the year twenty twenty one, it 312 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:37,600 Speaker 1: was where we had all the players in hotel quarantine 313 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: for two weeks, and we thought one of my main concerns, 314 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: as well as the fact that you're in hotel quarantine 315 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: and injury risk, but one of my main concerns that 316 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: year was heat related illness. 317 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:50,280 Speaker 5: How are they going to acclimatize. 318 00:15:50,440 --> 00:15:53,960 Speaker 1: So we ran a couple of sessions for the players 319 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,840 Speaker 1: while they're in hotel quarantine about how they could acclimate 320 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:01,600 Speaker 1: to heat in their hotel room, which in turning the 321 00:16:01,640 --> 00:16:05,400 Speaker 1: hotel conditioning up to high or having and also having 322 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: a hot bath or a hot shower, and then pretty 323 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 1: much putting on all the clothes they've got in their 324 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:15,040 Speaker 1: wardrobe and then exercising because they all had either exercise 325 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,840 Speaker 1: bikes or treadmills in their rooms, so exercising with all 326 00:16:17,880 --> 00:16:19,800 Speaker 1: their clothes on, having had a hot bath and a 327 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: hot shower. So we tried to simulate the conditions. It 328 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: wasn't perfect, but I think it was a reasonable way 329 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 1: in the circumstances that we had to deal with. 330 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 5: That's probably the most. 331 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: Extreme example, but I know a lot of players go 332 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 1: to warm climates in the lead up to. 333 00:16:36,800 --> 00:16:41,360 Speaker 4: A floriena, Dubai places like that as well. Yeah, when 334 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:43,200 Speaker 4: we were preparing for this interview, we looked at your 335 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:46,920 Speaker 4: LinkedIn and so I think you mentioned Olie before. Oh, yes, yes, 336 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,880 Speaker 4: and that there is now a heat stress risk of 337 00:16:49,960 --> 00:16:52,840 Speaker 4: response guidelines and web tool that have been developed. So 338 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 4: is this, I guess like the extension and you were 339 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:55,760 Speaker 4: involved with that. 340 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: I believe, yes, yeah, And I mean it's really an 341 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: extension of the wonderful policy we've got here at the 342 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:04,560 Speaker 1: Australian Open and the beauty of that one is it's 343 00:17:04,600 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: freely available online and a lot of the schools sports 344 00:17:08,320 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: meds in Australia, the schools and community organizations are using it. 345 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: But what it takes into account is the actual activity 346 00:17:16,840 --> 00:17:18,840 Speaker 1: that the person is doing in the hot environment, which 347 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,199 Speaker 1: has been missed in previous sports policy. So you know, 348 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:26,360 Speaker 1: a person who's playing lawn bowls in a hot environment 349 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:29,000 Speaker 1: is going to have a different risk of exertional heat 350 00:17:29,280 --> 00:17:31,479 Speaker 1: illness compared to someone who's running a marathon in that 351 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:36,119 Speaker 1: same environment. So that heat tool takes into account the 352 00:17:36,200 --> 00:17:39,240 Speaker 1: activity that the person is doing. It also takes into 353 00:17:39,240 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: account what clothes they're wearing. So if you're a wicket 354 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:44,240 Speaker 1: keeper in cricket and you've got your head covered with 355 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:47,560 Speaker 1: a helmet, you're less able to evaporate is sweat, so 356 00:17:47,600 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 1: you're more at risk. And when you look at the 357 00:17:50,119 --> 00:17:54,439 Speaker 1: team sports in that app, it takes into account the 358 00:17:54,520 --> 00:17:56,879 Speaker 1: most vulnerable person in the team essentially, which would be 359 00:17:56,880 --> 00:17:58,040 Speaker 1: the wicket keeper in cricket. 360 00:17:58,160 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 5: It might be but yeah, just anyone who's got a 361 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,720 Speaker 5: lot of yeah, yeah, exactly. 362 00:18:05,359 --> 00:18:09,000 Speaker 1: And then you put in the postcode and it sources 363 00:18:09,040 --> 00:18:11,880 Speaker 1: the local weather data and there's a very complex algorithm 364 00:18:11,920 --> 00:18:14,040 Speaker 1: at the back of it, but it's just a nice 365 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: way and it's got a forecast feature too. 366 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:17,720 Speaker 5: That you can prepare for. 367 00:18:18,119 --> 00:18:22,240 Speaker 1: You know, if your son's playing rugby and some play 368 00:18:22,320 --> 00:18:24,239 Speaker 1: hot place on the weekend. You can look at it 369 00:18:24,280 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: in a few days in advance, work out what things 370 00:18:28,359 --> 00:18:30,120 Speaker 1: might be in place, and also plan for it around. 371 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:34,480 Speaker 5: It's got some suggestions around hydration and around how to 372 00:18:34,520 --> 00:18:36,320 Speaker 5: prepare for heat in those conditions. 373 00:18:36,960 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: The exciting thing about it too is we've got a 374 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:42,439 Speaker 1: fabulous data scientist there too at the University of Sydney 375 00:18:42,440 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: who's downloaded all the postcodes in the world and so 376 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:47,479 Speaker 1: it's now going to have a worldwide experience. So if 377 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:51,320 Speaker 1: you're playing cricket and Dhaka and Bangladesh, you can also 378 00:18:51,520 --> 00:18:54,000 Speaker 1: look it up and work out what the risk of 379 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: heat stress is and how you prepare for it. 380 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:58,639 Speaker 3: Switching gears a little bit. You've been involved with the 381 00:18:58,760 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 3: Billy Jenkin Cup team for many years. I think since 382 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 3: two thousand and seven would have been the highlights for you. 383 00:19:06,400 --> 00:19:10,760 Speaker 5: Oh look, there've been so many highlights. Well, we got 384 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 5: to the final one year, sadly didn't get the silverware 385 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:16,280 Speaker 5: at the end. 386 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:19,320 Speaker 1: But it was a great campaign. I think the highlights 387 00:19:19,320 --> 00:19:22,360 Speaker 1: have been the players involved and also the staff. And 388 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:25,560 Speaker 1: now you know, when I started in this role, Sam 389 00:19:25,680 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: Stozer was a player, quite a junior player, that's how 390 00:19:28,560 --> 00:19:33,280 Speaker 1: old and now she's the captain. So I think just 391 00:19:33,320 --> 00:19:36,639 Speaker 1: seeing that progression. We first saw ash when she was 392 00:19:36,640 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: about sixteen and she traveled over the other side of 393 00:19:39,920 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: the world to meet us, and seeing her progression and 394 00:19:43,640 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: her amazing success has been great. Even seeing Maya Joint 395 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:49,920 Speaker 1: who she was our orange girl this time last year 396 00:19:50,359 --> 00:19:51,879 Speaker 1: and now she's our top ranked player. 397 00:19:51,920 --> 00:19:55,480 Speaker 5: I mean just seeing that has been great. It also 398 00:19:55,560 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 5: gives me an insight. 399 00:19:57,200 --> 00:20:00,040 Speaker 1: I think it's important too in my role at the 400 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:03,760 Speaker 1: is to get an insight into the issues that these 401 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,399 Speaker 1: players face on the road. And I get a lot 402 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: of my intel from our Australian players there. You know, 403 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 1: what would would this sort of a service be of 404 00:20:12,440 --> 00:20:13,399 Speaker 1: benefit for you? 405 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,679 Speaker 5: Or what are the advantages. 406 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: And disadvantages of introducing certain medical services? So I get 407 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: my intel there as well, and I get to see 408 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:23,639 Speaker 1: a little bit about what life is like on the 409 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 1: tour and how we may be able to help these 410 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 1: players come astray and open. 411 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 3: Obviously, you are supporting players a lot in a physical sense, 412 00:20:35,960 --> 00:20:38,480 Speaker 3: but what about the emotional side. Is that sort of 413 00:20:38,720 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 3: part of your role or at least a consideration. I'm 414 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:44,159 Speaker 3: thinking about Storm Hunter last year when she had that 415 00:20:44,320 --> 00:20:46,720 Speaker 3: terrible injury at Billy Jenkin Cup, for example. 416 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:49,399 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean that was devastating and it was so 417 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:52,560 Speaker 1: exciting to see Storm win a tournament, that big tournament 418 00:20:52,640 --> 00:20:53,680 Speaker 1: last week there. 419 00:20:53,480 --> 00:20:57,520 Speaker 5: Too, after a really tough period there. 420 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: But I think the absolutely the psychological side of it 421 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:06,520 Speaker 1: is just as important. And you know, peak performance comes 422 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: not just with peak physical condition, but peak mental condition too. 423 00:21:10,359 --> 00:21:13,439 Speaker 1: We have other people involved in the organization who are 424 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: much more experted it and than me. We also have 425 00:21:17,600 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: at the Australian Open as sports psychiatrist who's on call 426 00:21:20,359 --> 00:21:23,080 Speaker 1: the whole time and he's doing this mental health workshop 427 00:21:23,119 --> 00:21:25,960 Speaker 1: at our Australian Opening twenty twenty six, doctor Ranjit Menon, 428 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:27,400 Speaker 1: who's been a great resource. 429 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:30,240 Speaker 5: We also have our. 430 00:21:30,720 --> 00:21:33,960 Speaker 1: Head of Psychology at Tennis Australia, Michael Lloyd, is based 431 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:38,439 Speaker 1: up in Brisbane. But being mentally fit is just as 432 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:41,720 Speaker 1: important as being physically fit, and coping with injury is 433 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:46,159 Speaker 1: a really tough one, particularly a prolonged injury. Coping with 434 00:21:46,240 --> 00:21:50,560 Speaker 1: retirement is another one too, because life changes considerably, and 435 00:21:50,600 --> 00:21:52,919 Speaker 1: then just the stresses of being on the road, and 436 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:57,160 Speaker 1: tennis players have some unique stressors that maybe other athletes 437 00:21:57,200 --> 00:22:00,320 Speaker 1: don't have, given that it's an individual sport. They're not 438 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:03,919 Speaker 1: surrounded by a team, and they're on the road from 439 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: quite a young age, so you lose a lot of 440 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:10,000 Speaker 1: your social support networks. So we're mindful of those things 441 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:13,840 Speaker 1: and we really we've actually just last week done a 442 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:17,359 Speaker 1: workshop for all our tournament physios on mental health, first 443 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:21,199 Speaker 1: aid and just recognizing when people are struggling and just 444 00:22:21,359 --> 00:22:24,879 Speaker 1: having the resources and the links that we can direct 445 00:22:24,880 --> 00:22:25,199 Speaker 1: them to. 446 00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:28,800 Speaker 3: Mental health is actually a conversation with a lot of 447 00:22:28,840 --> 00:22:31,160 Speaker 3: players these days. Have you sort of found that it's 448 00:22:31,200 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 3: become more important over the years. 449 00:22:33,840 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, I don't know, It's always been important. What I 450 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:38,440 Speaker 1: would say is that we talk about it more now, 451 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:38,800 Speaker 1: which is. 452 00:22:38,800 --> 00:22:39,840 Speaker 5: A great thing. Actually. 453 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,119 Speaker 1: I think in the past people have been reluctant to 454 00:22:43,119 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: bring it up for stigmatization reasons, but I think people 455 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:50,919 Speaker 1: are more It's not completely destigmatized, but I think people 456 00:22:51,280 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: feel much more comfortable bringing it up, and we, certainly 457 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: as practitioners bring it up too, even in people that 458 00:22:58,119 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: don't volunteer it, just to check in on them and 459 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: see how they're how they're traveling that way. 460 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:04,440 Speaker 5: Yeah. 461 00:23:04,480 --> 00:23:06,400 Speaker 4: In addition to all of the roles we talked about 462 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:08,400 Speaker 4: at the beginning of the interview that you do, you've 463 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:11,359 Speaker 4: got a lot of other connections like work with children's hospitals, 464 00:23:11,440 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 4: and you're involved in academic work that you talked about before, 465 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,679 Speaker 4: and and you know your work with the Olympics has 466 00:23:17,760 --> 00:23:19,359 Speaker 4: data back a long time. You would have spent a 467 00:23:19,359 --> 00:23:21,080 Speaker 4: lot of time on the road in both tennis and 468 00:23:21,119 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 4: with Olympics, so is it safe to say that you do. 469 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:26,479 Speaker 4: You're an incredibly busy person when it comes to your 470 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 4: kind of like work work life, because there's so many 471 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:30,399 Speaker 4: components to your roles. 472 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:33,720 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean it's certainly a busy life. I'm backed 473 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,680 Speaker 1: up by our husband, who's fabulous. He's the home well, 474 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:40,640 Speaker 1: he's he's had a good career himself, but he's been 475 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: great in terms of flexibility, and our house looks immaculate 476 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:46,199 Speaker 1: as a result of him. 477 00:23:46,200 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 5: In the garden looks great. 478 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:51,800 Speaker 1: No thanks to myself, But I think the key has 479 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,479 Speaker 1: been just everything has been so interesting and a lot 480 00:23:54,520 --> 00:23:56,960 Speaker 1: of things relate that they're not totally unrelated. A lot 481 00:23:56,960 --> 00:23:58,760 Speaker 1: of things, there's a lot of learnings. And my work 482 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,320 Speaker 1: at the children's hospital, which I there's a lot of 483 00:24:01,400 --> 00:24:04,760 Speaker 1: kids with chronic disease and we see most of the 484 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: children having bone Mara transplants for cancer, and there's so 485 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:12,359 Speaker 1: many lessons from them that are applicable to elite sport 486 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:18,280 Speaker 1: and vice versa. And I think, yeah, that having interesting 487 00:24:18,359 --> 00:24:21,920 Speaker 1: roles makes it not seem like so much like hard work. 488 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:26,400 Speaker 1: But I feel very, very grateful to have had all 489 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,800 Speaker 1: the different exposures that I have. Every day, I say. 490 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,520 Speaker 5: To myself, I've got the best job in the world. 491 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:35,120 Speaker 4: Yeah, Nonds, it sounds fantastic. As he said, very stimulating roles, 492 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,080 Speaker 4: which is so good. I guess in the time that 493 00:24:38,160 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 4: you do get like downtime, because he is train opens 494 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 4: one of those things when everyone is having downtime, we're 495 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:45,119 Speaker 4: kind of at our peak period. So when you do 496 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:47,000 Speaker 4: get those periods where you're at home and you're not 497 00:24:47,040 --> 00:24:49,200 Speaker 4: working as hard, what do you like to do away 498 00:24:49,240 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 4: from sports science and sports medicine and things like that. 499 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 5: Yeah, I like to travel. I'm a keen traveler. 500 00:24:56,680 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 1: I've just restarted ten I used to play tennis quite 501 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 1: a bit and then I sort of had twenty years 502 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 1: where I've played very rarely, and now recently I've taken 503 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:05,160 Speaker 1: it up again. 504 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:08,240 Speaker 5: So I'm loving that. I like going to the movies. 505 00:25:08,800 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 5: I had a year. 506 00:25:10,240 --> 00:25:13,280 Speaker 1: Off medicine between my third and fourth year at university 507 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: and worked as a cook for a year in Europe, Oh, 508 00:25:16,400 --> 00:25:19,359 Speaker 1: which was fabulous, And I would maintain that my greatest 509 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:23,360 Speaker 1: professional achievement to date is cooking a Pavlover for Mick 510 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:28,960 Speaker 1: Jagger in a wood fired aga. That is, without a doubt, 511 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: hands down my greatest professional achievement to date. 512 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:36,400 Speaker 5: So I still dabble in a bit of cooking for Jogger. Yes, 513 00:25:36,480 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 5: I worked at It was a long time ago. 514 00:25:38,080 --> 00:25:40,320 Speaker 1: It was Jerry Hall's thirtieth birthday. I did a three 515 00:25:40,440 --> 00:25:44,080 Speaker 1: day house party as their cook. Yeah, so that was 516 00:25:44,320 --> 00:25:46,320 Speaker 1: a long time ago. But well, as you know, because 517 00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:47,880 Speaker 1: Jerry Hall's a lot more than thirty now. 518 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:49,800 Speaker 5: But it was fun. 519 00:25:49,880 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 1: And so I had a year working as a cook 520 00:25:52,720 --> 00:25:55,000 Speaker 1: the whole year, and yeah, it was great fun. Got 521 00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:56,680 Speaker 1: it out of my system, though it made me think 522 00:25:56,720 --> 00:25:58,200 Speaker 1: I don't want to be a professional cook for my 523 00:25:58,240 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: whole life. 524 00:25:58,640 --> 00:25:59,520 Speaker 5: It was way more. 525 00:25:59,359 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 1: Stressful than medicine, trying to get everything ready at the 526 00:26:02,200 --> 00:26:04,879 Speaker 1: same time. And yeah, no, I never thought i'd do 527 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:06,240 Speaker 1: it long term. 528 00:26:06,280 --> 00:26:08,520 Speaker 3: I'm confident that you are the only person they could 529 00:26:08,520 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 3: claim that you cooked a pavlover for pretty much everyone. 530 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,560 Speaker 1: Everyone in the really Jenkin Cup team recite that story 531 00:26:14,600 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 1: because I feel like every. 532 00:26:15,640 --> 00:26:17,800 Speaker 5: Now and again there's someone who hasn't heard my story. 533 00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:23,080 Speaker 3: My fifteen minutes, I think you've already answered this question, 534 00:26:23,119 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 3: but I'm going to ask it anyway. 535 00:26:24,280 --> 00:26:26,600 Speaker 2: But have you always had an interest in tennis? 536 00:26:27,440 --> 00:26:27,520 Speaker 4: Oh? 537 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,719 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I played as a kid, and I 538 00:26:30,760 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: love I love watching and I love still love watching that. 539 00:26:34,880 --> 00:26:38,600 Speaker 1: I don't get to watch many matches that you actually see. 540 00:26:38,800 --> 00:26:39,720 Speaker 5: I hardly see. 541 00:26:39,840 --> 00:26:41,720 Speaker 1: I hardly see any at all during this day and Open, 542 00:26:41,760 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: except for the men's and women's finals because I sit 543 00:26:43,680 --> 00:26:46,240 Speaker 1: courtside for those. But most of the time we're beavering 544 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:50,280 Speaker 1: away seeing injuries and illnesses downstairs while all the matches 545 00:26:50,320 --> 00:26:52,480 Speaker 1: are coming on. And every now and again I see 546 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,120 Speaker 1: a player and I'm not quite sure if they won 547 00:26:54,160 --> 00:26:56,359 Speaker 1: their last match or lost it. So you have to 548 00:26:56,400 --> 00:26:59,479 Speaker 1: find a diplomatic way of sort of broaching that. I say, now, 549 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:01,199 Speaker 1: what do you play for now? And they might say, well, 550 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: I'm playing you know, and then rod. 551 00:27:03,440 --> 00:27:07,840 Speaker 5: Laver Arena tomorrow night, which or I'm just about to 552 00:27:07,840 --> 00:27:11,159 Speaker 5: catch a playing home. So yeah, I don't get to 553 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,440 Speaker 5: watch a lot. But what I do. 554 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: Watch I love and I love playing it again. I've 555 00:27:15,320 --> 00:27:16,919 Speaker 1: rediscovered my joy of playing. 556 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:19,360 Speaker 3: And there's so many health benefits in tennis as well. 557 00:27:19,600 --> 00:27:21,760 Speaker 1: Yes there are, Yeah, when lots of studies show you 558 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:23,720 Speaker 1: live long and live healthy. 559 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:24,360 Speaker 4: Yes. 560 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:24,920 Speaker 1: Yes. 561 00:27:25,000 --> 00:27:26,920 Speaker 4: They were also promoting that at the US Open it's 562 00:27:27,160 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 4: the healthiest sport in the world or something. They were saying, 563 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,120 Speaker 4: and it adds to your lifespan. 564 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,800 Speaker 1: So on that point, my father turned ninety five two 565 00:27:35,880 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: weeks ago and he had a game of tennis in 566 00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:39,240 Speaker 1: the morning with my son. 567 00:27:39,320 --> 00:27:39,480 Speaker 4: Man. 568 00:27:39,840 --> 00:27:41,520 Speaker 5: He's still on the court. He's pretty good. 569 00:27:41,560 --> 00:27:44,119 Speaker 4: Actually, that's amazing. Yeah, we found out the other day 570 00:27:44,160 --> 00:27:46,920 Speaker 4: that there's a ninety plus or ninety five plus category 571 00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:48,919 Speaker 4: in the Masters, so maybe he could just send it that. 572 00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 5: I did see that. 573 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,639 Speaker 1: Then the combined age of the guys that played the 574 00:27:52,680 --> 00:27:53,800 Speaker 1: final was like a hundred. 575 00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:56,280 Speaker 4: World's amazing. 576 00:27:56,480 --> 00:27:57,600 Speaker 5: I'm going to enter him in that. 577 00:27:57,960 --> 00:28:00,639 Speaker 4: So when you were named me Egal director of the 578 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,520 Speaker 4: Australian Olympic team, you held the distinct you were the 579 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,240 Speaker 4: first woman to be appointed to this role. So I'm 580 00:28:05,280 --> 00:28:06,879 Speaker 4: not sure if you care about things like that, but 581 00:28:06,920 --> 00:28:12,320 Speaker 4: that was That's a big moment, an achievement. Like what 582 00:28:12,359 --> 00:28:13,920 Speaker 4: did that mean to you when that was announced? 583 00:28:14,040 --> 00:28:16,080 Speaker 5: Yeah, no, that I thought that was great. 584 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:21,840 Speaker 1: I think that the AOC have got a lot of 585 00:28:21,880 --> 00:28:24,760 Speaker 1: women in senior leadership positions, which makes me really proud. 586 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,520 Speaker 5: Like Animes was our Chef de mission and we had a. 587 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:31,160 Speaker 1: Lot of women in senior leadership roles and more than 588 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,800 Speaker 1: half of our team is female, so it makes good 589 00:28:34,880 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: sense to me. But it was a great honor and 590 00:28:38,920 --> 00:28:43,440 Speaker 1: I think it's also great for other up and coming 591 00:28:43,720 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: people in whatever role, but in medicine and sport and 592 00:28:46,200 --> 00:28:50,480 Speaker 1: exercise medicine because we still have a significant male preponderance 593 00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:51,880 Speaker 1: in our specialty. 594 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:55,080 Speaker 5: But for them to see that you can do it 595 00:28:55,080 --> 00:28:55,760 Speaker 5: at that level, I. 596 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: Think is really important because as my sister, who used 597 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:00,880 Speaker 1: to be sex Discrimination and commissioner, used. 598 00:29:00,760 --> 00:29:02,800 Speaker 5: To say, you can't be what you can't see, and 599 00:29:02,840 --> 00:29:03,520 Speaker 5: it's so true. 600 00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:06,400 Speaker 1: So now that made me really proud, and I was 601 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:09,640 Speaker 1: proud of our Australian Olympic team for having faith in me, 602 00:29:09,800 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: but also in all the other senior women that they 603 00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:14,480 Speaker 1: appointed to those. 604 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:16,920 Speaker 4: Roles, and they had a brilliant Olympics as well. Yeah, 605 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:18,320 Speaker 4: our most breaking. 606 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:19,560 Speaker 5: Is our most successful Olympics ever. 607 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:20,760 Speaker 4: Wonderful. 608 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:24,640 Speaker 3: What would you say the biggest challenges and also the 609 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:26,240 Speaker 3: biggest rewards in your role? 610 00:29:26,800 --> 00:29:31,040 Speaker 1: Well, we've had a number of significant challenges, particularly during 611 00:29:31,120 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: the AO, you know, extreme heat, bush fights. 612 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 5: Mike. I'll never forget that day on. 613 00:29:35,680 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: Twenty twenty when I opened up the windows to my 614 00:29:39,200 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: room and saw this thick cloud of smoke and COVID 615 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:47,000 Speaker 1: would have to be the biggest, you know, just the fact, 616 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:49,880 Speaker 1: and again you're asking for the challenges and. 617 00:29:51,360 --> 00:29:51,959 Speaker 5: Achievements. 618 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,880 Speaker 1: I think managing to pull off the Australian Open in 619 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:59,320 Speaker 1: a COVID era was probably the greatest challenge but also 620 00:29:59,360 --> 00:30:01,920 Speaker 1: the greatest and I'm not putting that down to me. 621 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 1: That was Craig Tiley and the whole team. But I 622 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,600 Speaker 1: think you know that they were to date the two 623 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,560 Speaker 1: biggest events. I think they were the biggest events that 624 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 1: were held in Australia. 625 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,120 Speaker 5: While the borders were closed. 626 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:19,480 Speaker 1: So even the second one, the twenty twenty two, when 627 00:30:19,480 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: we thought it'd be you know, all over. 628 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:25,840 Speaker 5: The tricky thing about twenty twenty. 629 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 1: Two was that the rules changed seven times, the quarantine 630 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,120 Speaker 1: rules while we had our athletes in the country, so 631 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:37,720 Speaker 1: that made it even more challenging. And it just reinforces 632 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:40,280 Speaker 1: the need to be flexible, but also to have a 633 00:30:40,320 --> 00:30:42,800 Speaker 1: team around you that's very flexible and can pivot to 634 00:30:42,920 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: a different plan when things change. 635 00:30:46,520 --> 00:30:48,800 Speaker 4: So Carolyn, you've been very generous with your time today. 636 00:30:48,800 --> 00:30:52,120 Speaker 4: Thank you. We've loved this chat. I guess the AO 637 00:30:52,160 --> 00:30:55,360 Speaker 4: twenty twenty six is coming up quite soon, so I 638 00:30:55,360 --> 00:30:57,880 Speaker 4: guess What are you looking forward to about the summer, 639 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:01,080 Speaker 4: and yeah, scranslam on the calendar. 640 00:31:01,560 --> 00:31:02,200 Speaker 5: I'm excited. 641 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:05,840 Speaker 1: I'm always excited leading into the AO, but I think 642 00:31:06,280 --> 00:31:09,160 Speaker 1: from a medical perspective, I'm excited about our new offerings 643 00:31:09,200 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 1: that we were talking about, the mental health workshop and 644 00:31:11,480 --> 00:31:12,680 Speaker 1: our fertility. 645 00:31:12,200 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 5: Clinic, and I'm excited. 646 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:19,440 Speaker 1: It's almost a new era in tennis, so I'm excited 647 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:24,400 Speaker 1: to see how that plays out and always look forward 648 00:31:24,440 --> 00:31:30,200 Speaker 1: to seeing the rivalries on court. Yeah, so, and also 649 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:34,640 Speaker 1: the way that Melbourne embraces the Australian Open. It's each year, 650 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:37,440 Speaker 1: not just Melbourne Park and the AO, but the whole 651 00:31:37,440 --> 00:31:41,440 Speaker 1: of Melbourne seems to just come alive for the tournament. 652 00:31:41,520 --> 00:31:43,120 Speaker 5: So I'm excited about lots of things. 653 00:31:45,640 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 4: Well, Viv, we always love it when we get to 654 00:31:47,440 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 4: be joined by a guest actually inside Podlavor Arena, so 655 00:31:50,320 --> 00:31:52,280 Speaker 4: it was great to have Carolin there. And I just 656 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,360 Speaker 4: love that when she told us about her passions and 657 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 4: one of them being travel, how she's been able to 658 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:57,680 Speaker 4: incorporate that into her job. 659 00:31:58,040 --> 00:32:00,320 Speaker 3: Yes, and I did not expect to hear that she 660 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:02,160 Speaker 3: had cooked Pavlova for Mick. 661 00:32:02,120 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 4: Jagger, Absolutely not. We always get some great little nuggets 662 00:32:06,120 --> 00:32:08,440 Speaker 4: from our guests. So yeah, great again to be joined 663 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:11,120 Speaker 4: by Carolyn and we'll be back again next Monday with 664 00:32:11,160 --> 00:32:13,640 Speaker 4: another episode of the sit Down. But in the meantime 665 00:32:13,640 --> 00:32:15,680 Speaker 4: you can listen to breeze Ave and the team this 666 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:16,960 Speaker 4: Thursday on the Tennis. 667 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 3: Please subscribe to The sit Down so all our interviews 668 00:32:19,520 --> 00:32:21,560 Speaker 3: land in your podcast feed, and we'd love it if 669 00:32:21,600 --> 00:32:22,040 Speaker 3: you could. 670 00:32:21,880 --> 00:32:24,040 Speaker 2: Leave us a rating and a review. See you next 671 00:32:24,040 --> 00:32:25,440 Speaker 2: week now see the NVIV