Welcome to Meet the TA Family. In this series, we take a closer look at the incredible individuals that form the backbone of our triathlon squad. Beyond the rigorous training sessions and the thrill of racing, it’s about connecting on a personal level, building relationships, and embracing the camaraderie that makes us more than just a team. Meet the TA Family is an opportunity for us to celebrate not only the athlete within, but the person behind the sport.
I’ve always been a recreational swimmer. I wasn’t competitive growing up, but I always loved being in the water and did my first open swim at 11 years old which is when I truly found my love for swimming. Only in the past couple of years I’ve started to really put the work in as I try to achieve longer distances and faster times, where my next two goals are to break the 2 hours and 45 minutes for a 10km open water swim and do my first Rottnest Channel Challenge which is roughly 19km.
What other interests or hobbies do you have outside of triathlon training?
I have many! I’m in my third year at uni studying psychology and music which is something I am really passionate about. I work three different jobs as a lifeguard, school crossing supervisor and academic support worker as well as volunteering at an age care facility,
where I spend the day teaching older migrants how to read and write in English as well as play piano for them.
I’m also a guide for blind athletes, where I started with Achilles Australia and now also guide for Blind Football Australia. While I will never be running a race for myself, you’ll often find me in bright yellow at events like Run Melbourne, the Melbourne Marathon and the Trail Running Series guiding blind and vision impaired runners.
Because that’s not enough, I am also a regular clarinet player in a local orchestra and do fill in work as a freelance musician playing in heaps of different musicals and theatre shows across the state.
How has being a part of TA impacted your sense of community and belonging?
I used to be worried about how other people at the club would perceive me as someone who lives fairly far away from the TA training base, because attending every session is just not possible when you live over an hour away and petrol is very expensive! I thought I’d be judged as being a ‘lazy person’ because I only show up to one session a week, but I put in lots and lots of work at home to get to where I want to be. I’ve had a couple of trials with other clubs close to home, but none of them match up to the same environment here with
TA.
The reason I’ve stuck through is because I know that TA will always be there for me on race day, and it doesn’t matter how often I am physically there because the support I receive in person or online is incredible. I am grateful for the community that has welcomed me, and I know that when I can and do come along to new sessions, everyone will still treat me as someone who belongs.
What’s the most hilarious or embarrassing moment you’ve had during a training session or race?
It was a little scary and disappointing at the time, but I can laugh about it now. I’m pretty much blind without glasses (or contact lenses) to the point goggles can’t be made for my prescription. In one of my first open water swims before I learnt how to wear contacts, I totally lost my bearings and couldn’t see any of the buoys. I ended up swimming 350m off course (in an 800m swim) before the surf rescue found me and tried to point me in the right direction. Of course, I couldn’t actually see where they were pointing to, so I ended
up swimming in circles until they had to guide me the whole way back, but I refused to let them get too close to me – I was finishing the race by myself. By the time I got back to the shore everyone had left and even the finish line had been taken down. The next day I got fitted for my first pair of contact lenses.
Share a triathlon-related “guilty pleasure” you secretly enjoy, whether it’s a particular post-race treat or ritual.
I believe if you don’t treat yourself to a choccie milk at the end of a race you’re doing it wrong.
If you were stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you want to have with you?
I’m very practical! I would want a Swiss army knife, water filter and a massive sack of potatoes. Potatoes are very versatile (and yummy).
