AIS 40th anniversary

I discovered gymnastics when I was a baby as my parents bought an old picture theatre in Belmore, Sydney, and turned it into a Gymnastics Club. It’s still there today. My parents never forced me to do gymnastics, I just played around the gym a lot which was my choice. One of my idols was my older brother, Blaise, who was also on AIS scholarship in 1986. I really liked his style when he was performing basics and routines.

I remember having a meeting with Warwick Forbes who was then the AIS Gymnastics Head Coach. I was 13 and I remember him saying to me that if I wanted to go to the Olympics, the AIS would provide me the best place to achieve this goal.

I had a lot of fun even though we didn’t have air conditioning in the gym or in Ressies.

A memory that has stuck with me was on my first weekend on scholarship. We were playing cricket in the Ressies quadrangle and the Oarsome Foursome joined in and played with us. That made me realise that top athletes were just normal people and that I could aspire to be successful in my sport. Especially considering that their backyard cricket was not that crash-hot.

Another memory was getting off the big 24-seater bus right out the front of Lake Ginninderra College where I and the other AIS athletes went to school. It was so embarrassing. I was in the same year as Lauren Jackson and other tall athletes. So I used to hide behind these giants so I wouldn’t be seen getting off the bus. Believe me, most of the AIS athletes felt embarrassed getting off the bus … except the football players for some reason.

The AIS provided me a great environment where I could train with the best gymnasts in the country and be supported by great coaches, physiotherapy, and medical support, while also having a strong emphasis and support on education. It was awesome living with other athletes from other sports and gaining an understanding of different sports. We all shared the same goal to be successful in sport. I really believe that I would not have been able to achieve half of my results without the AIS.

My proudest moments were: Competing in the all-around final in front of my friends, family and home crowd at the Sydney 2000 Olympics; winning three gold medals in one day at the Commonwealth games Manchester 2002; winning Australia’s first World title in Gymnastics, on the High bar at in Aarhus Denmark in 2006.

Environment. Team. Olympics/Paralympics

John Waser who then worked in Athlete Career and Education really encouraged and supported me to get a degree. I choose to do a bachelor degree in Primary Education. Even though I’m not teaching now it really gave me focus outside of sport. Also my degree gave me a great deal of knowledge and skills that I use in my day-to-day life. Therefore, I’m always really grateful for the opportunities the AIS has provided me.

I recently started a new role as Records & Information Manager in Governance & Business Improvement (G&BI). I work in a great, supportive team that always pulls together and goes the extra length to get things done. In my new role I am looking forward to being one of the first government organisations that will manage information in office 365. Now that I think about it, I enjoy being the first at things … like my Gymnastics career.

Yes I’m still involved in Gymnastics. I coach at national/state camps, judge at national/state events and I am Project Coordinator on the National Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Commission. I also train at my daughter’s gym in the Adult Class regularly at the Gungahlin Gymnastics Club to prepare for Gymnastics Master competitions.

I’ve always loved playing and watching sport. My parents were into sport and played competitive tennis. I grew up on a farm just outside of Canberra, hence my love of equestrian. I also spent many hours playing backyard cricket. I discovered netball at school and also enjoyed doing Little Athletics on a weekend.

My pathway for netball was playing for the school team, then Belconnen district from which I was selected in ACT teams from u/17s to Opens. At Nationals, I was selected in under-age Australian squads and from there offered an AIS scholarship.

I was extremely honoured to be offered an AIS scholarship, especially playing for the ACT which doesn’t get a lot of representation compared to the netball powerhouses like NSW, VIC and SA.

My first memory was being blown away that so many athletes were living on Ressies, training hard to achieve at their sport. Being in a team with a group of girls from all over Australia was pretty awesome too.

I went on to meet and become friends with athletes from various sports and it was always very exciting when some of the big athletes of the time were visiting like Matt Shirvington, Kostya Tszyu or members of the Aussie Cricket team. Though he wasn’t on Ressies at the time, it was also quite daunting bumping into Alexander Popov at the pool!

We used a video recorder to review games which took a while if you were trying to get to a specific section!

I made lifelong friends and we still meet every five years to catch up and reminisce. I met my husband there (swimmer Regan Harrison) and through us, my sister Di met her husband (Grant McGregor, also a swimmer). Tours to Singapore, the UK and Jamaica were amazing and really contributed to my skills as a netballer and growth as a person.

Other good memories include the AIS ball, dining hall pancakes, following other athletes’ progress at national competitions and nights hanging out with my teammates in our common room singing away. Recovery ice-baths in wheelie bins were definitely not a good memory.

I worked pretty much full-time for a credit union, so the day was very hectic. Normally 6.30am training (weights, proprioception or a swim session), work before 9am then back just in time for a court session 5-7pm, dinner and bed. Repeat.

AIS life felt like home with our house parents, Reg and Bev. Gaye Teede was our head coach and Sue Hawkins and Lisa Beehag assistant coaches. Laurie Fisher was the manager of Ressies and it’s great to chat when I see him around town. John Boultbee was the AIS Director and I always remember the passion and support he showed all AIS athletes.

Without the AIS, I definitely wouldn’t have achieved what I did in netball. Playing for the ACT, which often has low representation, I would have really struggled to make it to the National League.

The AIS gave me the opportunity to progress to a more elite team, gave me so much experience and the chance to be selected to play for the Queensland Firebirds. I was proud that I was able to play four years in the National League (Queensland Firebirds and Sydney Sandpipers). I was also very proud to be an invitee to the Australian Open team on a few occasions – definitely a highlight being an Australian Camp at the AIS on Australia Day 2000.

Excellence. Elite. Team.

Living and training at the AIS made me a much more disciplined person and installed in me a strong work-ethic. When I retired from playing, I completed my deferred degree and the skills gained at the AIS certainly contributed to me being a better student. Though I enjoyed working in finance, being at the AIS highlighted to me that I really wanted to work in sport as I know how great sport is for people at all levels of life.

I work part-time in the Ministerial and Government team at Sport Australia. Though I assist the team with the crazy inbox as required, my main focus at the moment is on a few different projects to help automate and streamline our processes and reporting. It is a great team to be a part of with very supportive, professional and knowledgeable workmates and it provides a broad understanding of the Australian Sports Commission.

Yes! I still compete in eventing and I also enjoy running. After a 15-year absence, I have loved playing netball again in a team with several ASC ladies. I am also really enjoying watching my children play sport and I might even start a bit of netball coaching again now that my daughter is old enough to play.