GYMNASTICS: If Olivia Vivian is selected to represent Australia at the Rio 2016 Olympics she’ll probably be the only dual Olympian who wears work boots to team preparation sessions.
The 25-year-old is the proud owner of the recently opened Perth café ‘Leaky Tap’.
Named after her late father, it’s a passion she’s been able to combine with her other love – gymnastics.
“Like most sports we have to do something outside of it,” she said.
“I’ve put myself in a position to set up a café. It’s very different, it has a plumbing and tradie theme in honour of my father who passed away in 2013, and he was a plumber.”
Asked if she finds it difficult to combine hours of training with managing a business, Vivian believes she has found the right balance.
“I like to think I’ve had many years of experience that I don’t need to learn skills as much, it’s more maintenance and keeping in shape,” she said.
“Right now the focus is just keeping a certain fitness level. We have national championships in May which will be the first qualifier for the World Championship team.
“Closer to that date we’ll get some routines together, do the State Championships and local competitions.”
Vivian was 19-year-old when she made her Olympic debut as part of the women’s artistic gymnastics team at the Beijing 2008 Games. Seven years on she’s now vying for selection for Rio.
She says the Rio Games are an exciting prospect for all athletes, because it will be the first time the Games have been held in South America.
“I think a lot of athletes have gone ‘oh it’s Rio’. I think it’s something really awesome to aim for,” she said.
“I think having an Olympic Games dream for so long it’d be really cool to make it as a dual Olympian, but at the same time I think I’m more experienced now and knowledgeable and know that with gymnastics this year is the most important,” she said.
The West Australian is keenly aware Australia needs to perform well at this year’s World Championships to qualify spots for the 2016 Olympics.
“We have to make the top 12 to make it to Rio. So right now we take it year by year and focus on this year’s World Championships to make sure we can take a team to Rio because you don’t want to qualify one individual spot, we want to take a whole team, so six girls can share that Olympic dream.”
After spending two years at Oregon State University in America, Vivian now sees herself as a veteran of the sport.
“It’s funny because in Beijing I was the oldest gymnast on the team so obviously after my time in America coming back that hadn’t changed,” she said.
“I actually feel a lot better now than I did back then. It gives you a sort of different role. I don’t look so much to just be an individual and focus on me, as an older team member you try and help the younger ones get up to a certain standard. You’ve gone through a lot of different experiences, to try and share that.”
At the Beijing Olympics Vivian was part of the successful team that finished sixth overall, with her best individual performance being 20th on the uneven bars.
She says stepping onto the Olympic floor in her Australian leotard is the highlight of her 11 year career so far.
“One of the top moments has to be going out in the green and gold representing Australia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and having such a strong and newbie team. Having us all compete so successfully as a new team and finish sixth, which I think to date is still the best Australia has ever come in the Olympic Games, as a team for the Women’s Gymnastics,” she said.
Vivian will compete at the Australian Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne on 18-30 May.
The event doubles as selection trials for Australian team for the World Championships, held in Glasgow this October.
Annie Kearney for olympics.com.au
