1 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: Growing up, Grace Brown was quite the runner, but injuries 2 00:00:09,360 --> 00:00:11,960 Speaker 1: and some motivation from her dad led her into the 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:15,160 Speaker 1: world of cycling. She captured hearts when she became the 4 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:18,200 Speaker 1: first Australian woman to meddle in the road time trial, 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: winning gold at the Paris Olympics, then winning the Cycling 6 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: World Championships just two weeks later. Two amazing feats made 7 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,680 Speaker 1: even more admirable considering it was only eight years earlier 8 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,479 Speaker 1: she was thinking about starting her cycling career. Welcome to 9 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:35,879 Speaker 1: the Female Athlete Project. My name is Sophie and I'm 10 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: the producer here at TEETHAP. This week we catch up 11 00:00:38,840 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: with Olympic cyclist Grace Brown to discuss her rapid rise 12 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:45,120 Speaker 1: to the top of road racing, which all started when 13 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: she joined a local cycling group. Chloe and Grace chat 14 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,120 Speaker 1: all things from competing at the Tokyo Olympics with a 15 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: broken shoulder to making the decision to retire on your 16 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:58,400 Speaker 1: own terms, even when sometimes it means letting down your fans. 17 00:00:58,840 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 2: We hope you enjoyed this. 18 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 3: Episode, Grace Brown. Welcome to the Female Athlete Project. 19 00:01:03,240 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 2: Thanks Chloe. I'm a clutted to bee. Yeah, I'm very excited. 20 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 3: I just met you at bottom of the stairs and 21 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:09,440 Speaker 3: I said to you, I really feel like I know 22 00:01:09,560 --> 00:01:13,040 Speaker 3: you because we're we're longtime supporters of your amazing work 23 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:14,759 Speaker 3: on a bike, so it's nice to meet you in person. 24 00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:17,399 Speaker 2: That's really cool because like, cycling's a bit of a 25 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 2: niche in Australia, and yeah, being on a like more 26 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:25,000 Speaker 2: general sports podcast feels like an honor. 27 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 3: Oh thanks, you would take that, We would take that. 28 00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 3: I like it. You're pretty sleep deprived. You've been up 29 00:01:31,720 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 3: till two thirty in the morning, was it commentating? 30 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, we cut broadcast at two thirty and then yeah, 31 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,040 Speaker 2: back to the hotel. I had to I had to 32 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,000 Speaker 2: record some a podcast for SPS, like before I went 33 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,880 Speaker 2: to sleep. Oh, because there was Stuart nine this morning. 34 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 2: So yeah, that was probably not the best quality work 35 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 2: I've done. 36 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 3: But so you did the live commentary, got back to 37 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 3: the hotel, recorded for a podcast, then went to bed. 38 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was like it's a three minute pop cast. 39 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 2: Those okay quick, but it still requires me to gather 40 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 2: my thoughts. Yes, yeah, gosh, you've done well. The time 41 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 2: in life is brutal. I would never do this. 42 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 3: I love that we're going to get to that, But 43 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 3: let's rewind. Can we go back to the start. Can 44 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,880 Speaker 3: you describe yourself as a little kid. 45 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:24,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, so I was the only girl amongst three boys, 46 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:31,320 Speaker 2: and I just remember my childhood being like really adventurous, 47 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 2: like always just getting stuck in with what the boys 48 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 2: are doing, climbing trees, like dumping off things, doing flips 49 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,880 Speaker 2: into the pool. My the brother just older than me, 50 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 2: was like the sporty one in the family, so he 51 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,720 Speaker 2: just made me play with him all the time. I 52 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:53,840 Speaker 2: remember even playing footy with the Teddies. They were like 53 00:02:55,200 --> 00:03:04,079 Speaker 2: the ball we had like we just had in the bedroom, 54 00:03:04,160 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 2: like all the Teddies like on the field and they'd 55 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 2: be like kicking the ball to each. 56 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,280 Speaker 3: Imagination I like that YouTube one v one or YouTube 57 00:03:15,600 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 3: teddies who couldn't move. 58 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 2: We each have a team of Teddies. 59 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 3: That's great. I like that. 60 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:25,239 Speaker 2: Yeah, but yeah it was. It was a really good childhood. 61 00:03:25,240 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 2: I grew up in Country Victoria, in Camperdown, so we 62 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:32,480 Speaker 2: got a lot of free reign just to go and 63 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:33,440 Speaker 2: explore life. 64 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:36,640 Speaker 3: How good were ball sports or team sports on the raidar? 65 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,600 Speaker 2: I played them, but I was never like very good 66 00:03:41,640 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 2: at them. I yeah, dabbled in most sports. I quickly 67 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 2: decided that ball wasn't my thing because that's really big 68 00:03:52,360 --> 00:03:55,400 Speaker 2: for girls in country towns. Yes, and I just hated 69 00:03:55,400 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 2: all the rules and the stopping a bit. 70 00:03:58,040 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 3: Yeah. 71 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 2: So I played foot with the boys until I was 72 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,440 Speaker 2: told that it was too rough and I had to 73 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 2: do something else. And then I played hockey for a 74 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 2: bit and I just ran around pretending I was doing 75 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:14,280 Speaker 2: something because that wasn't very good. 76 00:04:14,640 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 3: It's always always commuter. 77 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:19,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, But like running was the sport that I was 78 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 2: good at as a kid, and that like took me 79 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,200 Speaker 2: through basically until my twenties. 80 00:04:25,600 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 3: Yeah, because I hadn't realized this that it was wasn't 81 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,680 Speaker 3: until twenty sixteen that you got on the bike, is 82 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:34,720 Speaker 3: that right? Yeah, And before we actually get to that part, 83 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:36,159 Speaker 3: tell us a little bit about the running. 84 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. So I think I made like the Victorian cross 85 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 2: country team in grade four or grade five, and that 86 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,480 Speaker 2: was just I don't know, by accident. I'd like I 87 00:04:48,560 --> 00:04:52,599 Speaker 2: remember making the team and then like calling the state 88 00:04:52,680 --> 00:04:56,480 Speaker 2: coach and being like, so do I have to train 89 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:58,440 Speaker 2: for the national championships? 90 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:00,560 Speaker 3: Like one of must I was to do? 91 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,800 Speaker 2: And then I would do like these two k runs 92 00:05:04,440 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 2: just around the. 93 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 3: Block when you could run two k for cross country. 94 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:12,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, so d it was cool, but that was good 95 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,520 Speaker 2: for the first year, Like I think I came seventh 96 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 2: at nationals, Okay. Then I rocked up the next year. Ye, 97 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:21,880 Speaker 2: and everyone else had worked out training okay, and I. 98 00:05:21,880 --> 00:05:24,000 Speaker 3: Was on the back footwork training. 99 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 2: No, I hadn't. So yeah, I sort of went backwards 100 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,760 Speaker 2: bit for a couple of years as everyone else got serious, 101 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,400 Speaker 2: and then I finally finally clued on and like got 102 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: a little bit more involved. Joined an athletics club with 103 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:46,039 Speaker 2: my accident. Yeah, also was running, competing on the track 104 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:50,880 Speaker 2: in middle distance, so yeah, I kept doing that until 105 00:05:50,960 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 2: my early twenties. 106 00:05:52,839 --> 00:05:54,919 Speaker 3: And how on earth did cycling come along? 107 00:05:56,960 --> 00:05:59,599 Speaker 2: Yeah. With the running, I was like I was good, 108 00:05:59,640 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 2: but of a never like top top runner, and I 109 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:11,280 Speaker 2: think it was. Yeah. In twenty fifteen, I decided like, okay, 110 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,920 Speaker 2: I really want to try and get better. So I 111 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: was increasing my mileage and just getting riddled with injuries. 112 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 2: So yeah, a couple of stress fractures in my tiviers 113 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 2: and then one in the head of my femur, and 114 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 2: I was the process coming back. You have to do 115 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:37,280 Speaker 2: like water running, like it's really brutal. Yeah, so I 116 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,800 Speaker 2: was like, I'm not doing this again. I literally was 117 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 2: just like I'm not running anymore. 118 00:06:42,680 --> 00:06:43,200 Speaker 3: Okay. 119 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:48,919 Speaker 2: Yeah, And my dad had been trying to get me 120 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 2: into cycling for ages, and I was like that's the 121 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 2: lame sport, Like I don't want to wear a helmet 122 00:06:57,080 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 2: and like wear like brod. I was, but yeah, I 123 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:03,839 Speaker 2: think at this point I was like, all right, I'll 124 00:07:03,880 --> 00:07:06,480 Speaker 2: give it a go. And yeah, I bought a bike 125 00:07:06,800 --> 00:07:10,960 Speaker 2: and I just found a group to ride in ride 126 00:07:10,960 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 2: within Melbourne and got cooked pretty quick. 127 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:21,920 Speaker 3: Okay, okay, And so when you're starting out, like what 128 00:07:21,920 --> 00:07:23,600 Speaker 3: what kind of thing were you doing with that group? 129 00:07:24,560 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 2: So I was going, I don't know, if you know 130 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 2: Melbourne Beach. 131 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 3: Road like I used to live in Elwood. 132 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 2: Is that a lot? Yeah? Exactly. Every morning on Beach 133 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 2: Road there's like bunches of cyclists sort of just smashed 134 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 2: it down there. So I joined this group and they 135 00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:47,440 Speaker 2: just go hard, and I'm like, I'm really competitive, so 136 00:07:47,880 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 2: I just wanted to wanted to win. I wanted to 137 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 2: beat everyone. So yeah, that just fuelled me to rock 138 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,720 Speaker 2: up morning after morning and like get better and better. 139 00:08:00,480 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 2: And I started racing the club Crits in Melbourne and yeah, 140 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,320 Speaker 2: it just sort of snowballed, like I just wanted to 141 00:08:08,920 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 2: keep it's cool, Yeah, taking it to the next level. 142 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 3: And what were you, like, is this rookie coming in 143 00:08:15,120 --> 00:08:19,400 Speaker 3: who obviously had a very like fit baseline, I would imagine, 144 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 3: but it's very different demands in terms of like the 145 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 3: physical element. 146 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think it took me like a few months 147 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:33,080 Speaker 2: to build the muscle strength to cycling, because yeah, I 148 00:08:33,120 --> 00:08:39,040 Speaker 2: had the cardio, but yeah, there's like the strength. But 149 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:42,560 Speaker 2: then also like the technical side that surprised me. 150 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:43,080 Speaker 3: Yep. 151 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 2: I thought cycling was just like another endurance sport. You 152 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 2: just get on and have a crack. Who goes the fastest, 153 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 2: But yeah, riding a bike is quite technical, especially when 154 00:08:56,520 --> 00:08:59,880 Speaker 2: you're doing it at speed. So just like learning those 155 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 2: hills took a bit of time. But I don't know, 156 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,559 Speaker 2: I'm just the sort of person that throws myself in 157 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,320 Speaker 2: the deepened and yeah these if I swim, Yeah yeah, 158 00:09:09,360 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 2: so I just got in there and had a crack 159 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:17,640 Speaker 2: and yeah, I don't know, I picked it up relatively fast. Yeah, 160 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 2: but it's still like a scary sport even for me 161 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 2: now even now, Yeah, I still get scared on that because. 162 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,520 Speaker 3: Of doing it around drivers and things or being on 163 00:09:28,559 --> 00:09:29,400 Speaker 3: the bike itself. 164 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, well the traffic's like one thing. Yeah, that's something 165 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 2: that you can't control. So occasionally you get a bit 166 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:41,960 Speaker 2: spooped by a vehicle. Yeah, but yeah, definitely in races, 167 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 2: like sometimes you're just on the edge of like you 168 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:49,560 Speaker 2: know what you and your bike can do. Like in 169 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 2: terms of cornering, it's like being in the bunch around 170 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 2: other riders. 171 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yeah, brutal, but those of us who don't 172 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 3: actually have a great understanding of it. When you're talking 173 00:10:02,559 --> 00:10:04,679 Speaker 3: like the technical skills that you had to learn, can 174 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 3: you give us like a very high level breakdown for 175 00:10:07,280 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 3: the rookies of what that actually involves. 176 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 2: I think, like just bike handling, so cornering, yeah, knowing 177 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,720 Speaker 2: how to break like most normal people don't know the 178 00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,800 Speaker 2: nuances of breaking a bike, and like the front versus 179 00:10:22,800 --> 00:10:26,240 Speaker 2: the rear break, Like if you break, you know, you 180 00:10:26,320 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 2: have less traction on your rear wheel, so if you 181 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 2: break really hard with your rear you'll skid out yeap. 182 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 2: And then just like I don't know, being physical with 183 00:10:37,800 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 2: other riders around you, so like it's quite yeah, physical sport. 184 00:10:45,040 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 2: Like in racing you will be like elbowing and like 185 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:53,800 Speaker 2: shouldering other riders, and like you're not just in your 186 00:10:53,800 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 2: own little bubble. You're like, yeah, right next really close 187 00:10:58,040 --> 00:11:01,200 Speaker 2: to other riders and if you you hit a wheel, 188 00:11:01,920 --> 00:11:05,160 Speaker 2: if you hit a wheel or something, then you crash. 189 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 2: So like just there's a lot going on. Yeah, So 190 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 2: I think the technical side is just becoming really like 191 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 2: at one with your machine that you're in control of. 192 00:11:17,040 --> 00:11:20,440 Speaker 3: Is that part of your strategy, like the elbowing and shouldering, Like, 193 00:11:20,520 --> 00:11:22,480 Speaker 3: is that part of something that you actually have to 194 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 3: practice still being stable or is it just kind of 195 00:11:24,920 --> 00:11:26,040 Speaker 3: what comes with race day. 196 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think most people would practice it at some 197 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 2: point because, yeah, if you just come into a race 198 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:38,440 Speaker 2: and suddenly someone's like leaning on New York Wealth, Yeah, 199 00:11:38,559 --> 00:11:41,400 Speaker 2: you see people freak out in those situations and then 200 00:11:41,480 --> 00:11:44,559 Speaker 2: might get all like wobbly and yeah, yeah that goes 201 00:11:44,600 --> 00:11:48,320 Speaker 2: downhill pretty quick. You need to like absorb these things 202 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:53,120 Speaker 2: and just like relax on the bike. But it's not 203 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,640 Speaker 2: like constantly like that. It's definitely like if you're a 204 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 2: sprinter doing like a bunch sprint, and like that's a 205 00:12:01,120 --> 00:12:04,600 Speaker 2: really necessary skilled okay, because you want to be at 206 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:06,720 Speaker 2: the front, you want to go through like small gaps. 207 00:12:06,720 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 2: So that requires, yes, brushing up against other people. Yeah, okay, 208 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:17,199 Speaker 2: I'm not a sprinter, so I didn't have to do that. 209 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 2: I really at a high level. 210 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:23,720 Speaker 3: Yeah okay, So twenty sixteen, you're on the bike. Was 211 00:12:23,760 --> 00:12:27,560 Speaker 3: there a moment from when you started where you thought like, 212 00:12:27,960 --> 00:12:30,120 Speaker 3: oh I could have a crack at this. 213 00:12:32,480 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 2: Yeah. It's hard for me to go back into my mindset. 214 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 2: My husband always says, oh, you like started out on 215 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 2: the bike and you already like had plans to become 216 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,480 Speaker 2: an Olympian. I'm like, I'm pretty sure. I just I 217 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,720 Speaker 2: just was like trying it out and seeing where it went. 218 00:12:49,240 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 2: But yeah, just my nature, like I I wanted to 219 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:58,040 Speaker 2: improve like every time I got on the bike, and 220 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:02,480 Speaker 2: I wanted to be yeah as good as like the 221 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,560 Speaker 2: best girls in Australia and up there. So I think 222 00:13:05,600 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 2: I like I entered the National Championships maybe six months 223 00:13:12,480 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 2: after on the bike, and I didn't do very well, 224 00:13:17,160 --> 00:13:20,520 Speaker 2: but it was like that race, I think I got dropped. 225 00:13:20,559 --> 00:13:23,560 Speaker 2: I didn't finish, but I saw where I needed to 226 00:13:23,640 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 2: go to be competitive with the top girls. And after 227 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:32,840 Speaker 2: that was when I got my first coach and I 228 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 2: was like, okay, I'm coming back next year and I'm 229 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:40,920 Speaker 2: going to do well. So yeah, it must have been 230 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:44,200 Speaker 2: then when I was like, yes, stet my target on 231 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 2: where I wanted to go in the sport. 232 00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:48,760 Speaker 3: I like that. A theme has almost been like winging 233 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:51,920 Speaker 3: it a little bit with your training until you're like, oh, actually, 234 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:54,520 Speaker 3: if I got someone who knows what they're doing to 235 00:13:54,600 --> 00:13:56,840 Speaker 3: help me, I could go all right at this. 236 00:13:57,160 --> 00:14:01,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, pretty much. I never really thought about that theme before, 237 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 2: but yeah, that must be. 238 00:14:03,720 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 3: Must be. It served you well. It served you well. 239 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 3: So within three years, if we've got that right, you 240 00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:15,520 Speaker 3: won the Australian time Trial Championship within three years of starting. 241 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:20,520 Speaker 2: Yep. Oh yeah around about that. 242 00:14:20,600 --> 00:14:25,000 Speaker 3: I can't let's go that general area of time. 243 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:25,640 Speaker 2: Yep. 244 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 3: That's retty bloody impressive. 245 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, that was the fast progression. And I think 246 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:40,080 Speaker 2: the year before that actually I came third in the 247 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 2: road race at the Nationals and that was like a 248 00:14:43,160 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 2: real moment where I was like, yep, I can I 249 00:14:47,000 --> 00:14:50,240 Speaker 2: can be up there. But yeah, when I won the 250 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 2: National time Trial Championships, that was my first year. I 251 00:14:54,720 --> 00:14:58,240 Speaker 2: just signed professional with the Australian outfit Mitchell and Scott, 252 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:02,640 Speaker 2: so yeah, that was pretty momentous, and I think they 253 00:15:02,800 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 2: thought that I was like, I said that I wanted 254 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,520 Speaker 2: to win that race, and they were like, oh yeah mate, 255 00:15:11,000 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 2: They're like, you give it a crack, you do what 256 00:15:13,960 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 2: you need to do. And then I won and they're like, 257 00:15:16,520 --> 00:15:21,360 Speaker 2: oh right, yep, yeah, okay, she's pretty good. That's great, 258 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:22,800 Speaker 2: that's very cool. 259 00:15:23,560 --> 00:15:27,600 Speaker 3: And well, before we chat Olympics, I think, well, lots 260 00:15:27,640 --> 00:15:30,600 Speaker 3: of people might think, like, enemy is velodrome type racing, 261 00:15:30,640 --> 00:15:32,360 Speaker 3: but can you give us a breakdown of what road 262 00:15:32,440 --> 00:15:33,920 Speaker 3: racing looks like in the Olympics. 263 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:37,680 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the easiest frame of reference for most 264 00:15:37,680 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 2: people is the Tour de France yeap. Obviously, yeah, not 265 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 2: all the racing is like those tours where it's consecutive 266 00:15:45,800 --> 00:15:48,880 Speaker 2: days back to back, but the women do race the 267 00:15:48,920 --> 00:15:52,240 Speaker 2: Tour de France, and that's the style of racing that 268 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:56,320 Speaker 2: we do, and the Olympics is two events. We do 269 00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:00,640 Speaker 2: one day road race, so that was I think like 270 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:03,520 Speaker 2: one hundred and sixty k for the Olympics. And there's 271 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 2: the individual time trial, which is yeah, basically just riding 272 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:11,800 Speaker 2: solo against the clock and the fastest wins. 273 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:15,000 Speaker 3: When was Tokyo on your radar? 274 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 2: Yeah, Tokyo is interesting because I thought, I think in 275 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 2: twenty nineteen, I was speaking like I was still really rookie, 276 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 2: and I sort of thought, maybe I can, like I 277 00:16:37,520 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 2: am a little bit on the team. And I remember 278 00:16:40,160 --> 00:16:47,240 Speaker 2: talking to one of my teammates, Amanda Spratt, just sort 279 00:16:47,240 --> 00:16:49,800 Speaker 2: of like testing the water, like, oh, you think maybe 280 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:53,520 Speaker 2: I can like even consider trying to be on that team, 281 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,360 Speaker 2: and she's like, oh, yeah, maybe, like keep working hard. 282 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 2: I think she was a bit more positive than that, 283 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 2: but like, yeah, it was this really like you're on 284 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 2: the edge. And then twenty twenty, like the original timeline 285 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:19,360 Speaker 2: for Tokyo, I I don't think I would have made 286 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:19,760 Speaker 2: the team. 287 00:17:19,920 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 3: Okay. 288 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 2: I was sallid, but like not like outstanding amongst the 289 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:32,880 Speaker 2: Australian riders. And it really took like COVID and that 290 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:41,159 Speaker 2: period of just yeah, uncertainty, the mate of Rise to 291 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:43,879 Speaker 2: the Top. I came back after the break in racing 292 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:50,080 Speaker 2: and just like started winning races in Europe and yeah, 293 00:17:50,400 --> 00:17:53,879 Speaker 2: being in the top ten like time and time after after, 294 00:17:54,800 --> 00:18:00,679 Speaker 2: and eventually I was the only rider or one of 295 00:18:00,760 --> 00:18:04,480 Speaker 2: two writers that made the qualification criteria okay to be 296 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:09,159 Speaker 2: like selected. Yeah, at the Olympics, so yeah, it's really 297 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,760 Speaker 2: weird to think, like if COVID hadn't happened, Yeah, maybe 298 00:18:13,800 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 2: I wouldn't have gone to the Tokyo Olympics. 299 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:20,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, what was your mindset like during COVID, because like 300 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:22,879 Speaker 3: as an athlete, it was pretty rough, Like even when 301 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 3: the Olympics were first postponed, like there were just so 302 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:26,840 Speaker 3: many question marks around what it was going to look like. 303 00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 3: I don't know what it looks like for you guys 304 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:30,399 Speaker 3: from a funding point of view, but I was playing 305 00:18:30,440 --> 00:18:32,480 Speaker 3: rugby seven's at the time, and like I remember getting 306 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 3: a call from my coach he was like, I don't 307 00:18:33,800 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 3: even know if we can honor your contract, like you 308 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:39,120 Speaker 3: might not get paid. There was like so many question marks. 309 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:41,760 Speaker 3: What was it that was driving you during that period 310 00:18:41,760 --> 00:18:42,120 Speaker 3: of time. 311 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 2: Yeah, So when COVID hit, like I was in Europe. 312 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 2: I remember being in Belgium and just like the news 313 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:54,240 Speaker 2: coming through and I was like, where's my ticket out 314 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:56,760 Speaker 2: of here? Like that okay, Like I am not getting 315 00:18:56,760 --> 00:19:00,760 Speaker 2: stuck in Europe during a world pandemic, Like no one 316 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 2: knew what was going to happen. So I got out 317 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 2: of there pretty quick, came back to Australia before it 318 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:12,840 Speaker 2: really like went down in Australia, so I didn't have 319 00:19:12,880 --> 00:19:16,160 Speaker 2: to quarantine that time, good, which was a relief. Yeah, 320 00:19:17,800 --> 00:19:22,600 Speaker 2: and yeah, I don't know, like I think I was 321 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:27,119 Speaker 2: just sort of relaxed about it in a way, like 322 00:19:27,760 --> 00:19:33,960 Speaker 2: I gave myself a break and then yeah, just started, 323 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:38,240 Speaker 2: you know, enjoying the routine of not having much else 324 00:19:38,320 --> 00:19:42,240 Speaker 2: on and it like gave me space to just work 325 00:19:42,280 --> 00:19:45,000 Speaker 2: on a few things that I hadn't had time to 326 00:19:45,040 --> 00:19:48,200 Speaker 2: work on before, So I sort of enjoyed it in 327 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:55,040 Speaker 2: a weird way. And then racing resumed in Europe in 328 00:19:55,080 --> 00:19:59,760 Speaker 2: like July, so I got an exemption to leave a 329 00:20:00,119 --> 00:20:03,399 Speaker 2: there and go back to Europe at that point, just 330 00:20:03,440 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 2: as Australia was really like going into bad, now. 331 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:12,160 Speaker 3: You got to escape well played, so. 332 00:20:12,080 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 2: I got like a fun bit where everyone was making 333 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:20,600 Speaker 2: sour though and like Butcher and yeah, before like it 334 00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 2: got grim. But at the same time, like during that period, 335 00:20:25,160 --> 00:20:29,639 Speaker 2: our like professionally we get paid a salary, and my 336 00:20:29,760 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 2: team was one of the teams that decided to like 337 00:20:33,560 --> 00:20:40,639 Speaker 2: dock the salaries. So yeah, financially it was wasn't great, 338 00:20:41,280 --> 00:20:45,400 Speaker 2: but it only lasted a couple of months, so yeah, 339 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 2: it didn't affect me too much in that way. But still, 340 00:20:50,680 --> 00:20:54,920 Speaker 2: like all this uncertainty sort of plays into anxiety and 341 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,639 Speaker 2: going back to Europe. Like I was really stressed about 342 00:20:58,640 --> 00:21:01,560 Speaker 2: going back to Europe and not being able to come 343 00:21:01,600 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 2: back to Australia as I usually do in the off season. 344 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 2: So yeah, that was like a and and the team 345 00:21:11,800 --> 00:21:15,440 Speaker 2: wasn't guaranteeing that they would help us come back to Australia. 346 00:21:16,400 --> 00:21:18,479 Speaker 2: I was scary, really scary. 347 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 3: Wow. 348 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:23,200 Speaker 2: But yeah, I don't know how I like like that 349 00:21:23,280 --> 00:21:28,879 Speaker 2: all didn't affect me in my racing because I was 350 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,400 Speaker 2: talking to a teammate who went through the same thing 351 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 2: at the same time, and she's like, I couldn't perform 352 00:21:34,880 --> 00:21:38,320 Speaker 2: after that at all because she just absorbed all the 353 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 2: stress so much. Yeah. It's really weird how sometimes it 354 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 2: gets to you and sometimes it doesn't. Because I was stressed, 355 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 2: but then yeah, you just get into the racing and 356 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 2: I don't know to it somehow, but yeah, I I 357 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,879 Speaker 2: somehow like came came out of that was like really 358 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 2: good form and just started performing. 359 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,959 Speaker 3: How did you feel going into the Tokyo Olympics. 360 00:22:11,480 --> 00:22:16,520 Speaker 2: I was so desperate just to get to the start line. Yeah, yeah, 361 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 2: because it was still COVID. I think like every time 362 00:22:20,359 --> 00:22:23,080 Speaker 2: she could test, it's like this could be this could 363 00:22:23,119 --> 00:22:28,719 Speaker 2: be the end of my Olympic dream. Yeah. And then 364 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:35,080 Speaker 2: I'd also crashed in the race just before and hurt 365 00:22:35,119 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 2: my shoulder and I thought it was just like a 366 00:22:38,600 --> 00:22:43,760 Speaker 2: intuisional like something with the tissue, but I got an 367 00:22:43,840 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 2: mira and it was actually a fractured They had my 368 00:22:47,440 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 2: humorous and when I found out that, I was like, 369 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:55,040 Speaker 2: someone's going to take my dream away from me. I 370 00:22:55,119 --> 00:22:59,159 Speaker 2: was really scared that that. Yeah, like there's all the 371 00:22:59,200 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 2: COVID stuff and then this was, you know, the nail 372 00:23:03,240 --> 00:23:08,160 Speaker 2: in the coffin. But yeah, thankfully the Australian team sort 373 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,000 Speaker 2: of rally behind me and they're like, it's your choice. 374 00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:13,879 Speaker 2: If you want to race with a broken shoulder, you 375 00:23:14,000 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 2: can as long as you like can manage the pain. 376 00:23:19,680 --> 00:23:22,359 Speaker 2: So yeah, I went to Tokyo and race. 377 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 3: How many weeks beforehand was that? 378 00:23:25,840 --> 00:23:28,720 Speaker 2: That would have been three weeks before. 379 00:23:29,560 --> 00:23:30,840 Speaker 3: That's painful. 380 00:23:31,280 --> 00:23:34,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, it was really painful and I like did 381 00:23:34,960 --> 00:23:38,720 Speaker 2: extra damage to it. Racing good. 382 00:23:38,960 --> 00:23:43,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, what was first road race or time trial? 383 00:23:43,160 --> 00:23:47,560 Speaker 2: Yeah? The road race and that I struggled in the 384 00:23:47,640 --> 00:23:49,680 Speaker 2: road race, like I think a bit of the pain 385 00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,720 Speaker 2: also the heat, Like I'm not so good in like 386 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:56,720 Speaker 2: really hot human conditions. So I struggled in the road 387 00:23:56,800 --> 00:23:59,280 Speaker 2: race and didn't perform like I wanted to. That was 388 00:23:59,320 --> 00:24:03,239 Speaker 2: really hard. But the time trial has always been like 389 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:08,439 Speaker 2: my pet event, so I really just had to like 390 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:11,879 Speaker 2: flip it and like get over the fact that I 391 00:24:11,920 --> 00:24:17,280 Speaker 2: hadn't performed in the first race. Yea. And yeah, no 392 00:24:17,480 --> 00:24:20,440 Speaker 2: that i'd like trained at that event specifically. 393 00:24:21,280 --> 00:24:24,959 Speaker 3: Yeah, do you go from getting on the bike in 394 00:24:25,119 --> 00:24:27,159 Speaker 3: twenty sixteen for the first time, then you're at the 395 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 3: Olympics in twenty twenty one at this point and you 396 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:33,240 Speaker 3: miss out on a medal by seven seconds. You finish 397 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 3: fourth in the time trial yeap, which I imagined that 398 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:39,679 Speaker 3: was brutal to comprehend missing out on a medal, But 399 00:24:39,800 --> 00:24:42,320 Speaker 3: were you just so proud of yourself? Yeah? 400 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:48,040 Speaker 2: I like I wasn't disappointed at all with fourth. I 401 00:24:48,080 --> 00:24:52,639 Speaker 2: think like I hadn't let myself I kind of remember 402 00:24:52,680 --> 00:24:55,120 Speaker 2: what my aim was, but like I definitely didn't think 403 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:56,919 Speaker 2: that I was going to be on the podium. Yeah, 404 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:01,320 Speaker 2: So being so close like that was the exciting. And 405 00:25:01,560 --> 00:25:04,160 Speaker 2: in the time trial, we have like a hot seat 406 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,919 Speaker 2: because you're waiting for riders to come in. So I 407 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 2: was like sitting in the third position hot seat and 408 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:14,359 Speaker 2: being like, oh my god, like maybe I'm coming away 409 00:25:14,400 --> 00:25:17,639 Speaker 2: with a metal Like that was just blowing my mind. 410 00:25:18,160 --> 00:25:22,679 Speaker 2: But then there was the excruciating moment when an Evander Bregen, 411 00:25:22,720 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 2: I think she was the final rider to finish, and 412 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:32,479 Speaker 2: she was coming towards the finish line and in the 413 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:36,719 Speaker 2: like graphics on the screen, it goes from like being 414 00:25:39,560 --> 00:25:43,040 Speaker 2: like a negative, so she's she's like this far off 415 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:47,000 Speaker 2: third and then it just like flipped and she'd like 416 00:25:47,760 --> 00:25:50,120 Speaker 2: beaten me by a couple of seconds. So you see 417 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,320 Speaker 2: it like counting down as she comes to the line. 418 00:25:53,560 --> 00:25:59,040 Speaker 2: So yeah, I just had my friends smashed watching that. 419 00:25:59,160 --> 00:26:01,560 Speaker 2: But at the same time, I'm like, I don't know, 420 00:26:01,600 --> 00:26:03,560 Speaker 2: half an hour earlier, I hadn't ever even thought that. 421 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:06,439 Speaker 2: I'm sure it was such a roller coaster. 422 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:12,760 Speaker 3: How did your training and preparation then change in the 423 00:26:12,840 --> 00:26:14,440 Speaker 3: lead up to the next Olympics. 424 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:19,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the big thing was like then like 425 00:26:19,720 --> 00:26:24,320 Speaker 2: seeing what I could do and knowing that I the 426 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:26,720 Speaker 2: potential I had, and believing that I could go after 427 00:26:26,760 --> 00:26:31,680 Speaker 2: a gold medal. Like it's quite like I've always seen 428 00:26:31,800 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 2: other athletes being like, yeah, I'm going for a gold medal. 429 00:26:34,119 --> 00:26:36,440 Speaker 2: I'm like, cool, that's audacious. 430 00:26:37,200 --> 00:26:39,920 Speaker 3: I love that for you. You do that over there? 431 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:46,359 Speaker 2: Yeah, Like it was scary for me to like say 432 00:26:46,400 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 2: those were and yeah, believe that I could do it, 433 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:56,720 Speaker 2: but I actually knew physically that I could. Uh so yeah, 434 00:26:56,760 --> 00:27:01,200 Speaker 2: from from Tokyo until Paris. Then became this project of 435 00:27:01,240 --> 00:27:06,159 Speaker 2: like what do we have to do to yeah, be 436 00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:09,680 Speaker 2: in the absolute best position to win in Paris? 437 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 3: Can we talk about that fear of saying something like 438 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 3: that out loud? What where do you think that came from? 439 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:22,760 Speaker 2: M I don't know. I think it's some of it's 440 00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:25,200 Speaker 2: because like I've come to the sport late, I think, 441 00:27:25,840 --> 00:27:31,359 Speaker 2: and I feel like I missed the right of passage 442 00:27:31,440 --> 00:27:39,600 Speaker 2: in a way, like yeah, like there's so many riders 443 00:27:39,600 --> 00:27:42,000 Speaker 2: that have been doing it since they were kids, and 444 00:27:42,240 --> 00:27:45,800 Speaker 2: like I just saw them in and suddenly like, so 445 00:27:45,880 --> 00:27:52,000 Speaker 2: I want a gold medal. Yeah. I don't really like 446 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:56,800 Speaker 2: thinking that I have imposter syndrome. But it's like I 447 00:27:56,880 --> 00:28:02,840 Speaker 2: don't know a hint of that maybe and yeah, just 448 00:28:03,119 --> 00:28:06,320 Speaker 2: I don't know. Tall poppy syndrome in Australia as well, 449 00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,199 Speaker 2: Like actually saying that you're the best at something is 450 00:28:10,960 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 2: a bit awkward. 451 00:28:13,200 --> 00:28:14,879 Speaker 3: And so do you think a big part of that 452 00:28:14,920 --> 00:28:17,160 Speaker 3: training Obviously you worked out what you needed to do 453 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:19,639 Speaker 3: physically to put yourself in the best position, But do 454 00:28:19,680 --> 00:28:21,800 Speaker 3: you think a component of that training was like, Okay, 455 00:28:21,800 --> 00:28:24,800 Speaker 3: well you actually have this amazing physical capacity to do it. 456 00:28:24,840 --> 00:28:26,720 Speaker 3: You actually have to get on board with believing that 457 00:28:26,720 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 3: you're going to do it as well. 458 00:28:28,320 --> 00:28:35,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, Like, and it was a process because after Tokyo, 459 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 2: like the next few World Championships, I was on the 460 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 2: podium like it was third. Oh no, I was second 461 00:28:45,560 --> 00:28:48,960 Speaker 2: in Wollongong, and then second in Glasgow the two years 462 00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:50,120 Speaker 2: before Paris. 463 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:50,560 Speaker 3: And. 464 00:28:53,400 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 2: Both of those were like quite close as well. Yeah. 465 00:28:57,800 --> 00:29:02,040 Speaker 2: And in Glasgow, which is the year before Paris in 466 00:29:02,080 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 2: twenty twenty three, I lost by five seconds and during 467 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:09,080 Speaker 2: the race, like I was in this point where I 468 00:29:09,120 --> 00:29:14,080 Speaker 2: was really hurting, like you yeah, on your absolute limit, 469 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:18,680 Speaker 2: and I remember thinking like I'm not going fast enough, 470 00:29:18,720 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 2: like I'm not in this race at all. Yeah, I 471 00:29:21,320 --> 00:29:23,800 Speaker 2: might just give myself a little bit of a break here, 472 00:29:24,200 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 2: like like because what's the point if I'm losing anyway? Yeah, 473 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,840 Speaker 2: Like I'd just be a bit kind of myself. I 474 00:29:30,880 --> 00:29:35,240 Speaker 2: will ease off for a little bit, And like that 475 00:29:35,400 --> 00:29:41,120 Speaker 2: was such a learning okay for me because when I 476 00:29:41,160 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 2: got to the line and I was like five seconds, 477 00:29:44,840 --> 00:29:48,760 Speaker 2: I could have hurt myself more, and one I didn't 478 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 2: believe in myself. So yeah, I worked a lot on 479 00:29:54,760 --> 00:30:00,440 Speaker 2: that sort of mental dialogue for Paris and just being 480 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 2: like you are strong, you can win this, and every 481 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:09,560 Speaker 2: second counts, like don't let go of a single second 482 00:30:09,560 --> 00:30:09,960 Speaker 2: out there. 483 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:13,960 Speaker 3: I love that. That's a pretty full on statement. I 484 00:30:14,040 --> 00:30:18,960 Speaker 3: could have hurt myself more, but like that that is 485 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,440 Speaker 3: the nature of your sport, right, Yeah, Like it's it's 486 00:30:22,480 --> 00:30:25,240 Speaker 3: different to a ball sport where there's like kind of 487 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 3: obviously there's like ebbs and flows in what you do, 488 00:30:27,920 --> 00:30:30,840 Speaker 3: but pretty much you're going out there to see who 489 00:30:30,840 --> 00:30:32,280 Speaker 3: can hurt themselves the most. 490 00:30:33,040 --> 00:30:39,680 Speaker 4: Yeah, it doesn't sound very healthy, not exactly, but like 491 00:30:39,800 --> 00:30:44,440 Speaker 4: how with you, Like how do you even practice something 492 00:30:44,520 --> 00:30:44,880 Speaker 4: like that? 493 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:50,440 Speaker 2: Yeah? Well, in training, Like, yeah, training can be if 494 00:30:50,480 --> 00:30:53,960 Speaker 2: you've trained properly, then the race should be easier. Yeah, 495 00:30:54,000 --> 00:30:57,080 Speaker 2: And that's what happened for me in Paris, Like I 496 00:30:57,160 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 2: went really deep in my training and practiced that mental 497 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:07,040 Speaker 2: challenge of pushing myself when it was really really uncomfortable 498 00:31:07,080 --> 00:31:11,280 Speaker 2: and I wanted to stop. So then when I got 499 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:13,800 Speaker 2: to race day and you do like your taper and 500 00:31:13,880 --> 00:31:19,320 Speaker 2: like everything, so you like it's perfect. Then you go 501 00:31:19,440 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 2: out there and you yeah, you go after you to 502 00:31:23,560 --> 00:31:26,800 Speaker 2: like tap targets and you're like, wow, this feels like 503 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:33,280 Speaker 2: way easier. Wow, And yeah, like I was. I was 504 00:31:33,320 --> 00:31:36,840 Speaker 2: super lucky that on the day of my race in Paris, 505 00:31:36,920 --> 00:31:42,400 Speaker 2: like I just felt invincible and like I I did 506 00:31:42,440 --> 00:31:44,680 Speaker 2: it without the suffering that time. 507 00:31:45,480 --> 00:31:49,920 Speaker 3: That's huge. You won an Olympic gold medal without suffering. 508 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:53,120 Speaker 2: Well yeah, I mean there was a lot of suffering. 509 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 3: Yeah, we need to clarify with the day of to 510 00:31:57,600 --> 00:31:58,000 Speaker 3: do that. 511 00:31:58,240 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 2: Yeah, it was one of those like those moments where 512 00:32:03,600 --> 00:32:06,360 Speaker 2: you're just like watching yourself in third person and you 513 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:13,000 Speaker 2: just like you're like, who is that down? Like, yeah, 514 00:32:13,120 --> 00:32:16,120 Speaker 2: it was. It was really cool. Like I just felt like, okay, 515 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,560 Speaker 2: I need to lift and I was just like I 516 00:32:18,600 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 2: can go harder. 517 00:32:19,640 --> 00:32:19,960 Speaker 4: Wow. 518 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:21,200 Speaker 2: Yeah. 519 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:26,240 Speaker 3: What when during your training when there is that voice, 520 00:32:26,240 --> 00:32:29,040 Speaker 3: because I think everyone really has that voice, whether or 521 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,320 Speaker 3: not you're competing to try and go to the Olympics 522 00:32:31,400 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 3: or whether you're just like going out for a run 523 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:35,600 Speaker 3: around the block. People always have that voice of like 524 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 3: you could slow down a bit, come on, like pull 525 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:39,840 Speaker 3: it back a little bit, be a little bit kinder 526 00:32:39,840 --> 00:32:42,560 Speaker 3: to yourself. What was your voice? What were you saying 527 00:32:42,600 --> 00:32:44,920 Speaker 3: back in those training sessions where you were suffering. 528 00:32:47,480 --> 00:32:53,400 Speaker 2: I was telling myself that, like I'm meant to be hurting, 529 00:32:53,520 --> 00:32:58,200 Speaker 2: like this is what it's meant to feel like, and yeah, 530 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:02,120 Speaker 2: this is what I need to do to I was 531 00:33:02,160 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 2: thinking about. I was always thinking about the race and 532 00:33:09,280 --> 00:33:14,400 Speaker 2: and those five seconds, like like you can this. This 533 00:33:14,520 --> 00:33:19,040 Speaker 2: pain is temporary, yep, and you can do it. And 534 00:33:19,320 --> 00:33:22,440 Speaker 2: when you cross the line and you've given your absolute best, 535 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 2: like it will all be worth it. 536 00:33:23,880 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 3: Yeah. How on earth did it feel to stand on 537 00:33:27,640 --> 00:33:29,840 Speaker 3: the podium have a gold medal put around your net? 538 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:33,280 Speaker 3: You were the first Australian gold medalist over there, and 539 00:33:33,320 --> 00:33:36,240 Speaker 3: you actually really like led the charge for the Aussie 540 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,640 Speaker 3: women in particular, you just dominated over there. 541 00:33:38,800 --> 00:33:39,840 Speaker 2: I loved that narrative. 542 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:45,680 Speaker 3: We wish that quite hard. How did that feel to 543 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:47,880 Speaker 3: be the first, well to have an Olympic gold medal, 544 00:33:47,880 --> 00:33:49,280 Speaker 3: but to be the first to do it in Paris 545 00:33:49,280 --> 00:33:49,640 Speaker 3: as well? 546 00:33:50,240 --> 00:33:54,160 Speaker 2: Yeah, that was really cool. Like there's not many moments 547 00:33:54,240 --> 00:33:57,040 Speaker 2: in my career that I've like truly had goosebumps, but 548 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:01,360 Speaker 2: standing like that moment where I stood up onto the 549 00:34:01,360 --> 00:34:08,719 Speaker 2: podium and the Australian anthem played, and like my brothers 550 00:34:08,920 --> 00:34:12,440 Speaker 2: couldn't get into like the podium area, so they'd found 551 00:34:12,440 --> 00:34:17,680 Speaker 2: this boat on the scene, Like there was a couple 552 00:34:17,719 --> 00:34:21,080 Speaker 2: of hundred meters away and I could hear them. They 553 00:34:21,120 --> 00:34:23,680 Speaker 2: were they'd had a few drinks and I could hear 554 00:34:23,680 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 2: them yelling so loudly. I was like this, Yeah, it 555 00:34:27,239 --> 00:34:30,000 Speaker 2: was just like everything that it should have been. It was. 556 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:36,680 Speaker 2: It was awesome. But yeah, also knowing that I was 557 00:34:36,719 --> 00:34:40,600 Speaker 2: like the first medal for Australia, I felt like that 558 00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:43,840 Speaker 2: was it was just like pride, I guess, like and 559 00:34:46,040 --> 00:34:53,240 Speaker 2: being yeah, the impetus for the athletes afterwards, Like even 560 00:34:53,280 --> 00:35:00,239 Speaker 2: in the village after my race, Brontie Campbell came back 561 00:35:00,280 --> 00:35:04,640 Speaker 2: from her swimming that day and she was like, oh, man, 562 00:35:04,840 --> 00:35:07,319 Speaker 2: like I needed a break from like the pool, and 563 00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:09,120 Speaker 2: I went to the pub across the road and I 564 00:35:09,160 --> 00:35:12,640 Speaker 2: watched your race and it was so inspiring. I was 565 00:35:13,360 --> 00:35:17,440 Speaker 2: just like an athlete like that, saying that she was 566 00:35:17,480 --> 00:35:24,080 Speaker 2: impacted by my performance. That was epic, Like that was 567 00:35:24,160 --> 00:35:27,400 Speaker 2: probably one of the coolest sents, Like you just you 568 00:35:27,520 --> 00:35:31,760 Speaker 2: realized like the impact outside of your own little bubble. 569 00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:35,120 Speaker 3: I love that you touched on your family because I 570 00:35:35,120 --> 00:35:37,920 Speaker 3: think that was every time I reflect on Rio for me, 571 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:41,040 Speaker 3: like all I think about is like looking. I always 572 00:35:41,040 --> 00:35:42,520 Speaker 3: get a motion when I talk about this bit looking 573 00:35:42,520 --> 00:35:44,680 Speaker 3: into the stands and seeing I could see my family. Sorry, 574 00:35:44,719 --> 00:35:46,320 Speaker 3: they weren't on a boat hundreds of meters away, but 575 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:49,080 Speaker 3: I could see them, and that to me, like sharing 576 00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:53,080 Speaker 3: that joy with them is like the greatest part of 577 00:35:53,080 --> 00:35:53,640 Speaker 3: that memory. 578 00:35:53,760 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 2: Oh yeah, one hundred percent. And especially after Tokyo where yes, yeah, 579 00:36:00,320 --> 00:36:03,840 Speaker 2: my family couldn't be there, and then in Paris it 580 00:36:03,880 --> 00:36:07,000 Speaker 2: was like my mom, my dad, my husband were they 581 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:10,080 Speaker 2: were able to like watch the podium side. I saw 582 00:36:10,160 --> 00:36:13,920 Speaker 2: them and that was yeah, that was beautiful. But and 583 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:19,319 Speaker 2: then like, well my brothers were there as well, and yeah, 584 00:36:19,440 --> 00:36:22,000 Speaker 2: I think in the end for me, that's like what 585 00:36:22,640 --> 00:36:28,120 Speaker 2: gives the result more significance because it's shared. I knew, 586 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:31,920 Speaker 2: like see the joy of all the people that have 587 00:36:32,120 --> 00:36:34,680 Speaker 2: been on the journey with you that like they've been 588 00:36:34,680 --> 00:36:38,719 Speaker 2: there in the really hard times and they've Like I'm 589 00:36:38,719 --> 00:36:41,879 Speaker 2: pretty sure my parents were more exhausted than me after 590 00:36:41,960 --> 00:36:45,240 Speaker 2: my time trial because they were like literally on every 591 00:36:45,239 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 2: pedal stroke with me, Like so, yeah, they get so 592 00:36:49,640 --> 00:36:52,960 Speaker 2: emotionally wrapped up in it, but it's beautiful, Like yeah, 593 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,839 Speaker 2: and I love that I can give that back to them. 594 00:36:56,120 --> 00:37:04,319 Speaker 3: That's really really cool. Yeah, Olympics done, you've got You've 595 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,160 Speaker 3: still got World Champs. When did your retirement decision come 596 00:37:08,200 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 3: into your mind? 597 00:37:10,440 --> 00:37:16,680 Speaker 2: And was on the cards for a while, Like, I 598 00:37:16,719 --> 00:37:21,600 Speaker 2: think coming late into the sport, I you know, I 599 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:26,560 Speaker 2: never like had this dream in life to be a 600 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:31,120 Speaker 2: professional cyclist. So my first year I was like, Okay, 601 00:37:32,000 --> 00:37:34,960 Speaker 2: I've got this contract. I'll just see where it goes, 602 00:37:35,200 --> 00:37:38,759 Speaker 2: see if I enjoy it. And then every year was 603 00:37:38,800 --> 00:37:43,120 Speaker 2: like a decision to continue rather than like an expectation 604 00:37:43,239 --> 00:37:47,520 Speaker 2: of this is what I'm doing every year from now on. Yeah, 605 00:37:48,440 --> 00:37:53,640 Speaker 2: and yeah. The whole time, my husband has like stayed 606 00:37:53,640 --> 00:37:58,240 Speaker 2: in Australia while I've raced overseas, so it was always 607 00:37:58,360 --> 00:38:00,600 Speaker 2: really hard at the start of every sea to leave 608 00:38:00,640 --> 00:38:07,719 Speaker 2: Australia and go back and start the racing. And I think, yeah, 609 00:38:07,800 --> 00:38:12,399 Speaker 2: i'd already sort of the start of twenty twenty three. 610 00:38:12,440 --> 00:38:14,239 Speaker 2: I was like, this is really I don't know how 611 00:38:14,239 --> 00:38:18,920 Speaker 2: many more times I can do this, And yeah, basically 612 00:38:19,520 --> 00:38:21,719 Speaker 2: had a conversation with my husband and we're like, we 613 00:38:21,760 --> 00:38:28,480 Speaker 2: need an endpoint, so we said twenty twenty four, going 614 00:38:28,520 --> 00:38:35,520 Speaker 2: all in, really leave no stone unturned, and then that 615 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:39,160 Speaker 2: can be it. So yeah, I had that in my 616 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:44,080 Speaker 2: mind for quite a while. I told my team early 617 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:48,840 Speaker 2: in twenty twenty four, and then I announced publicly I 618 00:38:48,920 --> 00:38:52,680 Speaker 2: think in June, so it was just before the Olympics, 619 00:38:53,760 --> 00:39:01,120 Speaker 2: and yeah, I think a lot of people were surprised, like, yeah, 620 00:39:01,280 --> 00:39:03,360 Speaker 2: they don't really understand all the things that are happening 621 00:39:03,360 --> 00:39:05,719 Speaker 2: in your life, like outside of the sports. I was like, 622 00:39:05,920 --> 00:39:10,000 Speaker 2: why would you retire when you obviously, yeah, have so 623 00:39:10,160 --> 00:39:14,880 Speaker 2: much still ahead of you in sport. But yeah, I 624 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:20,040 Speaker 2: was I was really content with my career, like whether 625 00:39:20,120 --> 00:39:25,719 Speaker 2: I won Olympics or World Championships or anything, like, I 626 00:39:25,840 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 2: felt like I'd achieved some pretty cool things and like 627 00:39:28,840 --> 00:39:32,120 Speaker 2: had a great opportunity racing over the other side of 628 00:39:32,120 --> 00:39:35,239 Speaker 2: the world. So yeah, I was ready to call it. 629 00:39:37,600 --> 00:39:40,959 Speaker 2: And I think having twenty twenty four as my last 630 00:39:41,040 --> 00:39:44,520 Speaker 2: year meant that I really like did a lot of 631 00:39:44,560 --> 00:39:48,560 Speaker 2: the one percenters that I wasn't really like the sacrifices 632 00:39:48,600 --> 00:39:50,840 Speaker 2: that I wasn't willing to do every single year of 633 00:39:50,880 --> 00:39:55,520 Speaker 2: my career. So yeah, it did allow me to like 634 00:39:55,680 --> 00:39:56,520 Speaker 2: level up in a way. 635 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:00,279 Speaker 3: Yeah, Okay, it's almost that you knew that probably some 636 00:40:00,320 --> 00:40:01,879 Speaker 3: of the pain and suffering was going to be more 637 00:40:01,920 --> 00:40:04,080 Speaker 3: short lived than knowing you're going to ride for another 638 00:40:04,080 --> 00:40:05,640 Speaker 3: ten years or something exactly. 639 00:40:05,680 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 2: And just like the it's not so much the training, 640 00:40:09,040 --> 00:40:12,200 Speaker 2: like I've always trained hard and got the best out 641 00:40:12,239 --> 00:40:14,880 Speaker 2: of myself in that like big aspect of it, but 642 00:40:14,920 --> 00:40:21,680 Speaker 2: it's like those one percent more lifestyle like yeah, making 643 00:40:21,719 --> 00:40:24,320 Speaker 2: sure that you're eating the right food all the time 644 00:40:24,480 --> 00:40:30,319 Speaker 2: and like doing your gym and physio consistently like all 645 00:40:30,400 --> 00:40:33,239 Speaker 2: fun things. All that stuff just mentally drains me so 646 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:35,920 Speaker 2: much that like I can only do it for a 647 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:41,600 Speaker 2: short period of time. So I was like, okay, yep, Olympics, 648 00:40:42,080 --> 00:40:46,000 Speaker 2: you don't want to like question yourself after this. There's 649 00:40:46,239 --> 00:40:49,719 Speaker 2: going to be no what if. So yeah, I was 650 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:52,600 Speaker 2: able to like actually pull my socks up and do 651 00:40:52,680 --> 00:40:53,760 Speaker 2: it some of the one percent. 652 00:40:54,640 --> 00:40:57,399 Speaker 3: I want to chat about that public perception piece because 653 00:40:57,400 --> 00:41:00,160 Speaker 3: I think I remember seeing the discussion around and it 654 00:41:00,200 --> 00:41:02,359 Speaker 3: kind of reminded me of the Ash Barti story right 655 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:06,120 Speaker 3: where it's like, I think a lot of Australian spectators 656 00:41:06,160 --> 00:41:09,200 Speaker 3: when we have a successful athlete, there's a level of 657 00:41:11,600 --> 00:41:13,960 Speaker 3: i don't know, almost like ownership over your career in 658 00:41:14,040 --> 00:41:18,240 Speaker 3: this expectation that you should continue because Australians love winners. 659 00:41:18,520 --> 00:41:19,480 Speaker 3: Did you battle that? 660 00:41:20,000 --> 00:41:22,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely. I felt like I was letting a lot 661 00:41:22,200 --> 00:41:28,279 Speaker 2: of people down. And yeah, all the fans that had 662 00:41:30,280 --> 00:41:35,439 Speaker 2: almost like the newer fans, it was, I was letting 663 00:41:35,480 --> 00:41:38,440 Speaker 2: them down more because like they'd only just started, like 664 00:41:38,600 --> 00:41:42,360 Speaker 2: only just got on the bandwagon, and now I'm leaving 665 00:41:43,320 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 2: and you can't you can't leave us, Like who are 666 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:52,239 Speaker 2: we going to cheer for now? And yeah, you do 667 00:41:52,440 --> 00:41:56,840 Speaker 2: feel a little bit owned by the band base in 668 00:41:56,840 --> 00:42:00,960 Speaker 2: a way, like like suddenly, just because you good at something, 669 00:42:01,239 --> 00:42:06,520 Speaker 2: you owe it to people to continue doing that. And yeah, 670 00:42:07,080 --> 00:42:10,760 Speaker 2: I struggled with I was really nervous about telling people 671 00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:14,360 Speaker 2: that I was stopping, because yeah, you don't want to 672 00:42:14,360 --> 00:42:19,719 Speaker 2: disappoint people, but yeah, in the end, like it's not 673 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:22,960 Speaker 2: a good enough reason to continue just to keep them happy. 674 00:42:23,239 --> 00:42:26,360 Speaker 3: Yeah, I have an immense amount of respect for you 675 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:29,640 Speaker 3: actually making that decision and sticking through because I think 676 00:42:29,640 --> 00:42:31,560 Speaker 3: sometimes I don't know if you've had this experience as 677 00:42:31,560 --> 00:42:35,279 Speaker 3: an athlete, like I think when it is hard, I know, 678 00:42:35,360 --> 00:42:38,120 Speaker 3: for me, the lines of blurred around sometimes my drive 679 00:42:38,239 --> 00:42:40,440 Speaker 3: to do it is like it's kind of it helps 680 00:42:40,960 --> 00:42:44,040 Speaker 3: having more so like your close network rather than just 681 00:42:44,080 --> 00:42:46,839 Speaker 3: the fans and things. But that's a part of it, right, 682 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:49,200 Speaker 3: I know for me, like I've loved sport because of 683 00:42:49,239 --> 00:42:51,360 Speaker 3: them coming along in the journey. So for you to 684 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:53,920 Speaker 3: say no, like this is me, I'm not I'm not 685 00:42:53,960 --> 00:42:56,280 Speaker 3: continuing to do it just to keep you guys happy. 686 00:42:56,760 --> 00:43:02,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, But like my close network, it wasn't difficult because 687 00:43:03,640 --> 00:43:06,279 Speaker 2: they all loved following me, but they wanted me back 688 00:43:06,280 --> 00:43:10,799 Speaker 2: in Australia more. Yes, so, and they saw how hard 689 00:43:10,840 --> 00:43:14,240 Speaker 2: it was, so they like I didn't have to explain 690 00:43:14,320 --> 00:43:19,560 Speaker 2: anything to them, and even my team like they would 691 00:43:19,560 --> 00:43:23,680 Speaker 2: have loved me to continue, but they like knew what 692 00:43:23,760 --> 00:43:28,080 Speaker 2: i'd yeah, what I'd sacrificed to be there. So when 693 00:43:28,680 --> 00:43:34,520 Speaker 2: when I told my team manager, he was like, it's okay, 694 00:43:34,760 --> 00:43:39,480 Speaker 2: like let's make this year your best year yet. Yeah, 695 00:43:39,520 --> 00:43:42,360 Speaker 2: and yeah he's like I have a lot of respect 696 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:45,120 Speaker 2: for him because he is one of the only team 697 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:47,759 Speaker 2: managers that I've worked with that like really values the 698 00:43:47,840 --> 00:43:51,400 Speaker 2: human side of the athletes and not just like we 699 00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:56,239 Speaker 2: want you to perform. So yeah, that was nice to 700 00:43:56,320 --> 00:43:57,680 Speaker 2: have that backing. 701 00:43:58,000 --> 00:44:02,560 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's awesome. So take us two World Champs final 702 00:44:02,600 --> 00:44:04,280 Speaker 3: event of your career. 703 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:07,719 Speaker 2: Yeah, I had some small races after that, but in 704 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:11,319 Speaker 2: my mind it was like, okay, the last hurrah. Yeah, 705 00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:15,400 Speaker 2: and yeah it was. It was a pretty cool event 706 00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:21,319 Speaker 2: because I'd obviously won the Olympics, so I was now 707 00:44:21,440 --> 00:44:27,719 Speaker 2: like a favorite for World Championships, but not I think 708 00:44:27,800 --> 00:44:31,560 Speaker 2: some of the media like didn't know if I could 709 00:44:31,760 --> 00:44:35,840 Speaker 2: do it there as well. Like Paris was very specific 710 00:44:36,120 --> 00:44:39,200 Speaker 2: in the course. It was flat, it was like a 711 00:44:39,239 --> 00:44:41,680 Speaker 2: lot of corners, and it was wet. A lot of 712 00:44:41,719 --> 00:44:45,080 Speaker 2: my competitors crashed, So there was this aspect of like, 713 00:44:45,160 --> 00:44:47,880 Speaker 2: oh Grace sort of got lucky. 714 00:44:48,760 --> 00:44:49,120 Speaker 3: Whoa. 715 00:44:49,719 --> 00:44:52,840 Speaker 2: Yeah, not not from everyone, but there was like a 716 00:44:52,920 --> 00:44:56,800 Speaker 2: question mark overall, like did she win her and square 717 00:44:56,960 --> 00:45:03,799 Speaker 2: or was it just because of the conditions. So then, yeah, 718 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:07,360 Speaker 2: I felt like I really wanted to win World Championships 719 00:45:07,400 --> 00:45:13,920 Speaker 2: just to like put that to bed. And I the 720 00:45:13,960 --> 00:45:16,040 Speaker 2: problem was I didn't like I wasn't able to have 721 00:45:16,080 --> 00:45:20,799 Speaker 2: the same like dedicated preparation that I'd done for the Olympics, 722 00:45:20,800 --> 00:45:26,240 Speaker 2: so I was sort of just racing off my coat tails. 723 00:45:26,280 --> 00:45:29,920 Speaker 2: At that point, I'd gone from the Olympics race the 724 00:45:30,120 --> 00:45:35,640 Speaker 2: Tour de fronts Thumb and that was really hard, and 725 00:45:35,680 --> 00:45:39,400 Speaker 2: then I just had to recover and race World Championships. 726 00:45:40,000 --> 00:45:45,160 Speaker 2: But like, going in knowing that I was capable of 727 00:45:45,800 --> 00:45:47,960 Speaker 2: a gold medal in the Olympics gave me like the 728 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:52,359 Speaker 2: absolute belief that I could win that race too, And 729 00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:57,000 Speaker 2: it was much closer. I got to the first time 730 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:02,160 Speaker 2: check like six seconds ahead of Demi, who was in second, 731 00:46:02,480 --> 00:46:05,360 Speaker 2: and then the next time checked, she was nine seconds 732 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:10,040 Speaker 2: ahead of me. So I at that moment my like 733 00:46:10,239 --> 00:46:13,719 Speaker 2: radio contact from the car behind. They just said, oh, 734 00:46:13,800 --> 00:46:17,839 Speaker 2: you've got some time to make up, like no more 735 00:46:17,840 --> 00:46:21,759 Speaker 2: detail than that, Like, so I was just like. 736 00:46:21,680 --> 00:46:22,879 Speaker 3: I don't you don't even know how much. 737 00:46:22,920 --> 00:46:25,640 Speaker 2: I don't know how much time. All I knew was 738 00:46:25,680 --> 00:46:28,520 Speaker 2: that I had to bury myself in the last twelve k's. 739 00:46:29,600 --> 00:46:33,320 Speaker 2: It's a long way, It felt like a long way 740 00:46:34,800 --> 00:46:38,839 Speaker 2: to make up that difference, and I so, yeah, I 741 00:46:38,920 --> 00:46:42,760 Speaker 2: was just like riding that was way harder than the Olympics. 742 00:46:42,760 --> 00:46:44,600 Speaker 2: So all the mental training that I'd done for the 743 00:46:44,640 --> 00:46:48,160 Speaker 2: Olympics came into play the World Championships and I was 744 00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:52,080 Speaker 2: riding being like literally the sentence going through my head 745 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:54,200 Speaker 2: was like, you can be world champion, you can be 746 00:46:54,360 --> 00:46:58,600 Speaker 2: World champion, and I was just yeah, I really went 747 00:46:58,840 --> 00:47:04,440 Speaker 2: deep and ended up winning by sixteen seconds, so oh. 748 00:47:04,600 --> 00:47:07,240 Speaker 3: That's a big gap of nine seconds down. 749 00:47:07,440 --> 00:47:11,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, so flipped it by twenty five, which was yep. 750 00:47:11,280 --> 00:47:12,160 Speaker 2: I went hard. 751 00:47:12,239 --> 00:47:17,520 Speaker 3: Olympic champ and World champ and retiring like a couple 752 00:47:17,560 --> 00:47:20,920 Speaker 3: of small events afterwards, but retiring on your own terms. 753 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:23,440 Speaker 3: Who on earth get to fairy tale like that? 754 00:47:24,120 --> 00:47:28,839 Speaker 2: Yeah? I feel a bit like, yeah, I don't know, 755 00:47:29,080 --> 00:47:32,240 Speaker 2: Like there were moments where I was like, am I 756 00:47:32,320 --> 00:47:37,840 Speaker 2: just like writing my own story here? Like socially, someone's 757 00:47:37,880 --> 00:47:39,920 Speaker 2: going to come in and like turn this on its 758 00:47:39,920 --> 00:47:42,239 Speaker 2: head somewhere, Like it just felt it a little bit 759 00:47:42,480 --> 00:47:50,600 Speaker 2: too perfect. But yeah, it was amazing. It was like 760 00:47:51,160 --> 00:47:56,600 Speaker 2: hard though, as we've like Bead were already about, yeah, 761 00:47:56,719 --> 00:47:59,480 Speaker 2: the media and the fans and stuff like definitely after 762 00:47:59,680 --> 00:48:03,799 Speaker 2: World Championships, I got a lot of that sort of 763 00:48:04,320 --> 00:48:08,360 Speaker 2: discourse about like how can you possibly retire as world champion. 764 00:48:08,440 --> 00:48:13,439 Speaker 2: You owe it to the sport to continue, So yeah, 765 00:48:13,440 --> 00:48:20,080 Speaker 2: there was a bit of guilt and also yeah, also 766 00:48:20,400 --> 00:48:22,719 Speaker 2: like my competitors being like, do you know how much 767 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:27,520 Speaker 2: money you could earn next year? Like all these things, 768 00:48:27,560 --> 00:48:29,640 Speaker 2: and you're like, no, I have, like I know why 769 00:48:29,680 --> 00:48:31,840 Speaker 2: I've made the decision and I need to stick by it, 770 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:40,040 Speaker 2: and all the accolades like yetwear off if you, like, 771 00:48:40,120 --> 00:48:44,920 Speaker 2: I could have signed another contract and then yeah, it 772 00:48:44,960 --> 00:48:47,120 Speaker 2: would have. I would have been like a couple of 773 00:48:47,160 --> 00:48:53,520 Speaker 2: months into this year and been like it's again the 774 00:48:53,640 --> 00:48:55,279 Speaker 2: shine rubs off. 775 00:48:56,400 --> 00:48:57,120 Speaker 3: Yeah wow. 776 00:48:57,360 --> 00:48:58,000 Speaker 2: Yeah. 777 00:48:58,040 --> 00:49:00,000 Speaker 3: How's your experience into commentary? 778 00:49:01,960 --> 00:49:05,640 Speaker 2: Yeah? Good, I love it. It's fun. I like, I 779 00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:10,360 Speaker 2: like talking about lacking and and I feel like I'm like, 780 00:49:11,600 --> 00:49:14,560 Speaker 2: it's a nice way to sort of be still feel 781 00:49:14,600 --> 00:49:19,640 Speaker 2: like you're involved in the sport but not hurting myself. Yeah, 782 00:49:20,239 --> 00:49:25,640 Speaker 2: just making myself tired in the middle of that. But yeah, 783 00:49:25,760 --> 00:49:31,160 Speaker 2: I really enjoy it. Like I never really thought that 784 00:49:31,160 --> 00:49:35,240 Speaker 2: that would be the path that I would take after sport, 785 00:49:35,360 --> 00:49:39,480 Speaker 2: but yeah, now I just want to do more. 786 00:49:39,960 --> 00:49:42,759 Speaker 3: That's really cool. A question I ask everyone on this 787 00:49:42,880 --> 00:49:46,040 Speaker 3: show is what is your favorite failure? 788 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:53,120 Speaker 2: Yeah? I have a lot that I could say to this, 789 00:49:53,719 --> 00:49:59,879 Speaker 2: but I think it would have to be failure running okay, yeah, 790 00:50:00,719 --> 00:50:05,000 Speaker 2: if I yeah, if I'd like continued in that, I 791 00:50:05,000 --> 00:50:10,279 Speaker 2: would have just been I think mediocre. But because I 792 00:50:10,400 --> 00:50:15,760 Speaker 2: really failed, like my body failed, then I found cycling 793 00:50:16,040 --> 00:50:22,160 Speaker 2: and yeah, we're all right. Yeah and that. Yeah, that's 794 00:50:22,200 --> 00:50:24,880 Speaker 2: been a journey. It's been a good journey. Yeah. 795 00:50:24,920 --> 00:50:29,160 Speaker 3: Absolutely. And to wrap us up, you actually recently received 796 00:50:29,160 --> 00:50:30,360 Speaker 3: an order of Australian Medal. 797 00:50:30,640 --> 00:50:31,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I did. 798 00:50:31,440 --> 00:50:32,520 Speaker 3: How was that? 799 00:50:32,520 --> 00:50:36,919 Speaker 2: That was really cool? Yeah, I guess all Australian god 800 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:42,680 Speaker 2: bellas receive an Order of Australian Medal, but it's it's 801 00:50:42,719 --> 00:50:47,600 Speaker 2: like different to winning the medal. It's like Australia saying 802 00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:52,879 Speaker 2: that we value what you did get there, and also 803 00:50:53,080 --> 00:50:59,600 Speaker 2: like the impact that it has on the public. That 804 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:04,480 Speaker 2: was definite, something like after winning the Olympics that I 805 00:51:04,520 --> 00:51:07,480 Speaker 2: didn't anticipate that much, just like how much it means 806 00:51:07,480 --> 00:51:12,359 Speaker 2: to so many people. And now yeah, people come up 807 00:51:12,360 --> 00:51:15,879 Speaker 2: to me and you know, tell me where they were 808 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:17,879 Speaker 2: when they were watching my race and how it made 809 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:21,920 Speaker 2: them feel and how proud they are of me. And 810 00:51:21,960 --> 00:51:25,680 Speaker 2: that's really nice thing to hear when you feel like 811 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:33,040 Speaker 2: you've been doing this sort of selfish pursuit. Yeah, yeah, 812 00:51:33,120 --> 00:51:33,800 Speaker 2: I love that. 813 00:51:33,800 --> 00:51:36,560 Speaker 3: That's a nice way to an thank you. Thanks so 814 00:51:36,640 --> 00:51:38,760 Speaker 3: much for your time today and for sharing your story. 815 00:51:38,760 --> 00:51:40,800 Speaker 3: It is quite an incredible story, so it's been a 816 00:51:40,840 --> 00:51:41,839 Speaker 3: real honor to have you on. 817 00:51:42,080 --> 00:51:44,719 Speaker 2: Well, thanks for having me on. It's yeah, it's been 818 00:51:44,760 --> 00:51:47,080 Speaker 2: really great to talk and I've listened to your podcast 819 00:51:47,160 --> 00:51:48,560 Speaker 2: for a while now, so thanks. 820 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:49,440 Speaker 3: Yeah. 821 00:51:49,480 --> 00:51:51,000 Speaker 2: I was excited to get the implight. 822 00:51:52,480 --> 00:51:54,879 Speaker 3: Thanks so much for listening. If you got something out 823 00:51:54,880 --> 00:51:57,360 Speaker 3: of this episode, I would absolutely love it if you 824 00:51:57,360 --> 00:51:59,399 Speaker 3: could send it on to one person who you think 825 00:51:59,520 --> 00:52:03,600 Speaker 3: might enjoy. Otherwise, subscribe, give us a review, and make 826 00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:06,160 Speaker 3: sure you follow us on Instagram at the Female Athlete 827 00:52:06,200 --> 00:52:09,680 Speaker 3: Project to stay up to date with podcast episodes, merch drops, 828 00:52:09,680 --> 00:52:13,480 Speaker 3: and of course, news and stories about epic female athletes.