JUNE 2020, A panel of three (3) Olympic and Commonwealth Games Athletes shared their Olympic Journey with The Central Coast Academy of Sport Winter Sports Programs via a ZOOM online question and Answer evening.
The panelist’s consisted of:
Nicole Hackett – Triathlon 2000 Olympics and Commonwealth Games 2002 Bronze Medalist
Nicola McDermott – High Jump 2018 Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist and Tokyo Olympics 2020 Qualifier
Kirk Palmer – Swimming 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay 2008 Beijing Olympics Bronze Medalist, 2017 4 x 200 Short Course World Record Holder.
A wealth of information from these 3 inspiring athletes – all having a different story to tell about how they reached the pinnacle of sporting achievements and the hurdles they have had to jump along the way to achieve their success.
Nicole was asked how did you help yourself if you didn’t do your best performance and replied “ Every race, weather a good performance or not I analyzed and worked out what I could work on, and from that race to the next that is what I would focus on in training is the areas I didn’t perform well in. Even if I did have an amazing race there is always an area to improve on, if you look at that you will constantly improve.”
When asked how Nicola dealt with the challenges that COVID had presented in preparation for the Tokyo Olympics that has been postponed for a year, Nicola responded “Physically the work is easy. For me the biggest hurdle is staying passionate and excited for the Olympics without overthinking it. Trying to stay balanced is the most important”
Kirk was questioned regarding how he managed training when school work load increased: “It is important to understand you won’t be a sportsperson your whole life. You have to find other interests, and study as well. It helps your swimming to be well balanced – training, study and have friends. My parents made sure I put education first until I finished school”.
Programs and Communications Manager Robyn Low-Hart said of the evening: “The night was a great success. The Winter Sports Athletes had so many questions to ask, they were engaged and wanted to find out more about how the panelists managed different situations. A key take home from across the panel was the ability to train locally for as long as possible, understanding nutrition, mental skillset to overcome undesirable outcomes, balance of school and sport and the importance of Injury Management and Prevention, all of which are components within CCAS Sports Programs!”
