Q: At what age did you start swimming?
A: I started swimming when I was 6 years old.
A: I started swimming when I was 6 years old.
Q: Was your first club Waterborn. If not at which club did you start your swimming career with?
A: No. My first club was Linrand.
Q: How many years have you been at Waterborn? You obviously enjoy the vibe? Tell us a little on this?
A: For about 5 years. I look forward to training and I like that our sets aren’t boring. It’s easy to enjoy training when the people around you enjoy it as well.
Q: Do you believe that it is good to train on all these juices the market offers? Do you take multi-vitamins?
A: I don’t think that the juice you take will make you any faster but I do drink 32GI for galas and training. I take vitamins every morning.
Q: Do you follow a specific diet during the season, hard training and then adjust this prior to race days? What nutritional aspects do you think are important for a swimmer to know.
A: I eat healthily throughout the year and I drink lots of water. I eat more when we’re training hard and my portions are smaller going into big galas because we’re not training hard. I hardly ever eat junk food or drink fizzy drinks.
Q: How do / did you cope with both school academics and the time required to train each day?
A: I try and get most of my homework done at school so that I can go to training and not worry about work. I’m also a fast worker so I get through it quickly.
Q: What do you think makes you a stronger person? Who / what has helped you?
A: I think losing or not reaching a goal makes me stronger. When you lose you pick yourself up and get stronger so that you can win.
Q: What are your swimming strengths? What are your swimming weaknesses? What have you done to try and build on your weaknesses?
A: My main strength is Breaststroke. My main weakness was fly but I spent the winter working on fly and its getting better.
Q: When did you realise that you could achieve a higher level of success?
A: At about the beginning of grade 8 I started training hard and I was dropping lots of
time. Also when I got selected for the S.A youth team to go overseas.
Q: What makes you want to succeed at swimming at the highest level – what drives you to want to be one of the best?
A: I like being the best at what I do and I think succeeding in something is a great feeling.
Q: Is there a specific time of the year that you find the workouts most challenging and when is this?
A: The end of the year when we get out of winter training up until Seniors the following year. The sets are longer and harder.
Q: When you are in the midst of a challenging workout what goes through your head –what do you think about or tell yourself?
A: I tell myself that the pain isn’t going to last forever.
Q: Can you think of a moment in your swimming career that was not fun (or did not feel like anything positive could come of it) when it happened, but looking back, taught you something that has helped make you a better swimmer?
A: About 3 years ago I wanted to quit swimming because I used to get so stressed and nervous to race and to train that I didn’t want to do it any more. Now I can control my nerves and that makes me race better and makes training more enjoyable.
Q: Have you ever been drug tested – what was the experience like?
A: No I haven’t.
Q: What is it about swimming or you that keeps you in the pool?
A: I love the sport and it is rewarding if you work hard.
Q: Any message you have for up and coming swimmers?
A: Don’t swim for any one but yourself. If you don’t want to do it, there is no point.
Q: What Music is on your IPOD? Who is your favourite artist?
A: I have lots of different kind of music. From some old stuff to song they would play on radio. I don’t have a favourite artist but I like OneRepublic, Hot Chelle Rae and 30 Seconds to Mars.
Q: What’s your favourite food-treat?
A: I love popcorn. I also love jellybeans but I don’t get those very often.
Q: What movies do you prefer? Name some of them.
A: I enjoy fantasy type movies like Harry Potter.
Q: Do you watch much TV – do you have a favourite programme?
A: I don’t watch a lot of TV because I am busy most of the time but I like shows like Hawaii Five-0, CSI and The Mentalist.
Q: Do you prefer to read books or magazines. Favourite author / magazine
A: I prefer books. I like lots of authors, P.C Cast, Lauren Kate and Pitticus Lore. One of my favourite books is The Host by Stephanie Meyer.
Q: Do you follow international swimming?
A: Yes. I like to know how fast the top swimmers are swimming so that I have something to work towards.
Q: What do you think about before races?
A: I always go through my race in my head before I have to swim it and before the actual race I try to clear my mind and relax and not worry about what’s happening around me.
Q: What are your goals for the next 2 to 4 years?
A: I want to get my times as close to Olympic qualifying times as I can and I want to be selected for the National Senior Squad.
