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Olympic hopefuls inspired by ASPIRE opener

 

Olympic hopefuls inspired by ASPIRE opener

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AOC
Olympic hopefuls inspired by ASPIRE opener
Another important stage in the preparation of a successful and respected 2016 Australian Olympic Team commenced in Sydney on Wednesday night.

RIO ASPIRE #1: Another important stage in the preparation of a successful and respected 2016 Australian Olympic Team commenced in Sydney on Wednesday night.

With 254 days to go until the Opening Ceremony in Rio de Janeiro the first of nine ASPIRE #RoadToRio sessions was held with 70 athletes from seven sports (archery, canoecycling, equestrian, rugby 7s, sailing, shooting, triathlon).

The feedback from rookies through to experienced Olympians was so positive from the inspirational elements, to the detail on Rio preparations and the moving video package on the boycott of Moscow 1980.

It is a focus of the Australian Olympic Committee and Team Chef de Mission Kitty Chiller for athletes to understand what has happened in the past, the glory and the hardship, to ensure that the Australian Olympic tradition could continue from 1896.

The pressure on athletes to boycott in 1980 meant many stayed at home and missed the opportunity, while those who went were harassed.

Swimmer Lisa Forrest says in the video: “We were the ones that maintained our proud record when the chips were down and people were threatening to take our passports.”

2016 marks 120 years since the Australian Olympic legacy began with Edwin Flack back at the inaugural Games in 1896.

The current crop of athletes can be inspired by the 3,500 Australian Olympians that have gone before. The message being to Rio hopefuls to not take anything for granted and to show respect to those who fought for the proud Olympic tradition.

Seven-time World Surfing Champion Layne Beachley encouraged all athletes to “step outside your comfort zone and determine what your purpose is and what you are going to achieve.”

“At the end of your career do you want to look back and say ‘I wish I did or I’m glad I did?” Beachley asked.

Five-time Olympian and gold and bronze medallist Natalie Cook was the MC at the session and she was definitely someone in the room who can say ‘I did’.

Cook who has travelled to Rio over 25 times during her beach volleyball career was able to give insightful advice and encouraged plenty of questions from the floor when athletes were informed about the Village, venues, The Edge facility, team obligations, plus health and wellbeing.

World Champion sailor Will Ryan delivered with Cook an entertaining ‘what to do and not to do’ in Rio de Janeiro.

Chiller told the athletes and officials, “Leave no stone unturned to join the Olympic Family. Move from participation to performance excellence ready. Perhaps even podium ready!”

She spoke of all athletes and officials chasing that personal best performance that would result in a ‘life best experience.’

She reminded the Rio hopefuls of Kieren Perkins at Atlanta in 1996, Matthew Mitcham at Beijing in 2008 and Steven Bradbury at Salt Lake 2002 as Australian examples of what can happen when you never give-up.

 

"It was fantastic to get the second phase of our Road to Rio underway. We had a great group of athletes in the room with our two rugby sevens teams and sailors all primed for podium performances in Rio,” Chiller said after the session.

 

“The aim of these sessions, being to develop a One Team approach, is really paying dividends. The athletes are learning about Australia's proud Olympic history and what it means to be an Olympian.

It's so good to see the different sports mingling together now - this will only help them all at Games time, knowing other athletes outside their own sport and knowing they have the support of their team mates."

 

Chiller used the Australian rugby union team, The Wallabies, who finished runner-up at the Rugby World Cup as a great example of a Team that competed with humility, built momentum behind their performances, thanked their fans and made the country proud.

 

Wallaby Henry Speight who is fresh from the Rugby World Cup was at the ASPIRE session with the rest of the Sevens squad as he now chases his Olympic dream.

Men’s Sevens Captain Ed Jenkins felt the ASPIRE session was very valuable for his Team of Olympic debutants.

"It was amazing to hear from people who have been there previously to pass on their wisdom and advice to us. 

“Knowledge like that you know is great for athletes, especially for us in the seven's program we've obviously never been to an Olympic Games before so I think the more knowledge we can get from those senior heads is going to be great. 

“It was an amazing day all together."

Between now and April over 1,000 athletes and officials from all sports will attend one of these inspirational sessions. The final 2016 Australian Olympic Team is anticipated to be 450 athletes.

The goal of the Team is to be top five on the overall and gold medal tally, as well as being the best respected Team full of life best experiences from athletes and officials.

These are lofty goals but from the feeling in the room at this first ASPIRE sessions and the feedback from the athletes afterwards you would not write off the 2016 Australian Olympic Team from achieving it all.  

Andrew Reid
olympics.com.au

Learn more about ASPIRE and the full schedule here>>

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