MODERN PENTATHLON: Modern pentathlete Marina Carrier will make history this year at the second summer Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, China.

The 17-year-old from North Sydney will be the first ever Australian female to compete in modern pentathlon at a YOG.

“I couldn’t feel more honoured,” the young star said of her achievement.

But the story behind her amazing success is really quite extraordinary.

Last year Carrier qualified first in Oceania at the Asian Championships in Kazakhstan, having only been involved competitively in the sport for less than a year.

According to Carrier, she was introduced to the multi-disciplinary sport in 2010 when her family moved to England.

“We were checking out schools in the area, and at Plymouth College we were being shown around by the boarding master. Halfway through the conversation he turned to me and said: ‘So, you're Australian are you? You do all that running shooting stuff don't you?’. It turned out he was talking about pentathlon, and from that moment I was hooked,” the teenager explains.

Carrier picked up the sport the very first day of school in England and competed over there.

However when she returned to Australia a year later she dropped the sport to pursue school sports like soccer, hockey, water polo, tennis and athletics.

But then in May last year Carrier received an unexpected call from Australian Olympian Ed Fernon who was keen to help her rediscover her talents here in Australia.

“It is incredibly difficult to train for Modern Pentathlon in Australia as there are no programs in place and no Modern Pentathlon coaches so I was keen to help Marina navigate through many of the difficulties that I experienced training and competing in Australia,” the 2012 London Olympian said.

“Marina is a tremendous all round athlete. She is a fantastic runner and a solid swimmer and she is also left handed with an unorthodox style which is fantastic for one hit epee in Pentathlon.”

Since then Fernon has been an ongoing mentor for Carrier.

The pair train together and Fernon even travelled to Kazakhstan to support her in the YOG qualifier.

“His determination and drive is something I'll always look up to and aspire to have,” Carrier said.

“Marina has showed great focus and determination in reaching her goal of competing at the Youth Olympics and if she can continue this in the longer term she certainly has the potential to make it to the Olympics,” Fernon said.

Carrier, like many other youth athletes heading to Nanjing, is very lucky to have the support of an experienced Olympian.

“You get really great advice, he’s been there, he’s done it, he knows what he is doing and it’s just a really good bouncing board to sand your ideas off and just get that advice and that bit of guidance which at this point you really need,” the young star said.

“We've spoken a lot about tactics and technique during training but when it comes to big competitions my main advice has been to stay in the present and commit to her task,” Fernon added.

Carrier has taken upon this advice and is not getting ahead of herself despite her excitement.

“I often have high expectations for myself and how I want to perform on the day,” Carrier said.

“Doing a PB and being a stronger and faster version of me now is the challenge I'm setting myself.”

Apart from training up to three times a day, seven days a week, the New South Welshman is also studying for the HSC and aspires to pursue a career in Science after school.

“Some sort of science degree would be fantastic,” the SCEGGS Darlinghurst student said.

 “I’m absolutely obsessed with David Attenborough; I have been since I was five when I watched ‘Walking with Dinosaurs’ and ‘Life in the Undergrowth’ about ten million times.”

In China, besides scratching up on her school notes, Carrier will be focusing on the running component of her event.

“My favourite is probably the run. It's the discipline where I can just relax and enjoy it,” she said.

“Marina will be among the top runners in the events so if she can start the start well in the fence she will have a good day,” Fernon added.

Overall as someone who has represented his country at an elite level, Fernon says the best advice he can give Carrier and the rest of the 2014 Australian Youth Olympic Team is to make the most of the experience.

“The Youth Games are a fantastic opportunity for quality competition and a tremendous stepping stone to give young athletes more experience before moving into senior competitions,” the 26-year-old said.

“It is a tremendous honour to represent Australia so enjoy it!”

The YOG will take place between 16-28 August. Modern Pentathlon will be contested on Days 6-10 of the Games at the Nanjing International Expo Centre and Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre.

 

Laura Judd

olympics.com.au

@AUSOlympicTeam