Hosts Set The Scene

Magnus 0:00

Welcome to the Mastering Podcast. I'm the host Magnus Olsen and today I'm joined by my co-hosts Lucas Meadowcroft and Don Sanka. Welcome, boys.

Don 0:11

Mate, good to be here. I'm so looking forward to this one, can't we?

Magnus 0:15

It's gonna be an absolute cracker. Just before we start, what are you guys like at swimming?

Don 0:21

Mate, I have swam in the water though.

Magnus 0:25

Absolutely, mate. You can't run like you do on the 400 metres in the pool.

Don 0:30

I was talking about running in the rain after my story soon, but definitely not a swimmer.

Magnus 0:38

Yep, okay, that makes three non-swimmers in the room. Let's give it a bit of a sneak peek of who our guest might be.

Abbey 0:45

It's harder to make that than it is to make the Olympic final.

Don 0:48

Man, there's so many things that have not made sense for me in this podcast.

Abbey 0:51

I wish that's what I was saying about social media. I wish people could see what we did because they'd be like, what do you mean? Like.

Don 0:57

Is it both career yet?

Abbey 0:59

No, I have a lot of fire, but love to be on the Cobbo's Games team next year.

Don 1:04

Oh wow, so you're gonna have a crack.

Abbey 1:06

Yeah.

Magnus 1:16

Today we're joined by Australian swimming superstar Abby Harkin. A powerhouse in the pool and a master of bouncing back stronger. From the heartbreak of missing the Paris to winning medals on the stage, she's shown us that resilience is as powerful as talent. Today we'll hear her real story, and I've got a feeling we're about to hear a side of Abby we've never heard before. Welcome to the podcast.

Abbey 1:40

Thank you. Thanks for having me, everyone.

Don 1:41

Welcome, Abby.

Magnus 1:43

So we just touched on there. Tell us about that Olympic trials experience in Paris and how you cope with that mentally and physically.

Abbey 1:54

Um so it's over 12 months ago, it's just gone over the 12-month mark. Um it's challenging, and it still to this day is challenging. I think I um I went into that not underdone, but I had a lot of setbacks leading into that preparation. So for me, it was a big mental challenge. Um I thought I going from the heats to the final on that on that day that I um missed the team, I was pretty confident that I was not gonna make the team, but I thought I was gonna swim really well. Um and me, swimming well, I thought that was good enough to be on the team. But as you would probably know, the Australian swim team, there's so much depth in that team. When I missed the team, I think the biggest challenge was that my partner had made the team. Um and I was more so happy for him and gutted that I we couldn't be on the Olympic team together. Um it was very challenging because they left three days later. So I was pretty much just forced to figure out what I wanted to do. I remember finishing my race and I was in the swim down pool just being like, I just want to stop, I just want to quit. I actually just want to, I actually want to have a child right now. Like I just thought, what do I do next? Like you just don't plan for this to happen. Um, you just think your success just keeps rolling, or I guess that adrenaline just keeps going. Um, so I actually never really took a step back and I just kept thinking I've got to be the best version of myself. I've got to wake up every morning and still have a routine like I did when I was in my training program. Um and I actually feel like I still haven't really let go of that. Uh physically, uh, I think a lot of athletes struggle post um career because they think they've just always got to be this athlete. Um mentally yeah, it's draining. It's really draining. So and it still is. Like I think about I think about um that day, and I still get really emotional about it. Um, but I've had a lot of support and I guess I've kind of made myself other goals out of the pool that um I'm ticking off now. So yeah, it's been a challenge, but it's it's um it's taught me a lot.

Don 4:14

You you said post-coreer. We haven't seen you retire or any announcements that you have retired. Um is it post-coreer yet?

Abbey 4:25

No, I have a lot of fire in my stomach just to keep going. Um I think for me, post-games, a lot of people kind of were trying to tell me like they had post-Olympics. Post-Olympics, yeah.

Lucas 4:39

Yeah, not post-career.

Abbey 4:40

Not post-career, yeah. Um, I had a lot of people thinking that I was done. And I was more so listening to them rather than listening to what I wanted.

Don 4:51

Um so are you hearing that you're gonna make a comeback?

Abbey 4:54

I'd love to, yeah. I would love to. I would love to be on the Commonwealth Games team next year.

Don 4:59

Oh wow. So you're gonna have a crack.

Deciding To Continue And Rebuild

Abbey 5:01

Yeah, yeah. Yeah, thank you.

Don 5:04

Amazing.

Lucas 5:04

What I just noticed then is like this when Magnus asked you that first question, like your demeanor, like you felt the emotion was raw from last 12 months ago, and then the question was around next year, and you're completely changed. I saw that game. Yeah, went from like this, oh my god, my life's over. I can't wait to get into next year.

Don 5:23

I just felt like I went through an emotional rule of things in in three minutes. Yeah, three minutes or whatever. Yeah, that's so that's crazy. That's amazing.

Abbey 5:32

That's and I think like I go through that too. I go, what do I actually want to do? Like, I'm quite an emotional person. So I think about my success and my and I guess the downfalls and the hard times in sport, and I think that's probably what's giving me that fire to keep going. So it's about that balance of then going, I need to listen to what I want to do and just keep going. Yeah.

unknown 5:56

Yeah.

Magnus 5:56

All right. Let's um let's rewind the clock a bit. Um I'm intrigued just to hear a little bit of your backstory and how it all started, where you came from, because I think you're a little small town down the Hunter Valley, I believe. Yeah. So just share a little bit of that for us and what it was like up until the fame of the Olympics.

Abbey 6:17

Um well, my family has all been involved in sport and swimming. So I came from I was born in Newcastle and we moved up to the Hunter Valley when I was quite young. My family owned a swimming centre in Warner's Bay, so Newcastle. Um, my uncle is actually an Olympian as well. He went to 1974 Olympics. He competed in the 4x100 freestyle relay. How did they get it? Um I think that was actually their worst Olympics they've ever had.

Don 6:46

Yeah, no, but like it's just it's I've never heard of Australia being banned at swimming, so it's uh obvious question.

Abbey 6:54

Well, it was funny because at the time, 2021 Olympics, I we were I was a part of the most successful swimming team. And then my uncle would say, Well, great, I was a part of the most unsuccessful swimming team.

Lucas 7:05

So it's a bit of a bit of a laugh, but um what you're saying is swimming's in the family blood.

Training Under Dean Boxall

Abbey 7:11

Yes, definitely. My mum was on the Australian junior team. Um, she just missed the Commonwealth Games um when she was swimming. She stopped when she was very young. Um, so I trained uh down in Newcastle and would commute every day. It was about a 45-minute trip, um, morning night. My dad worked in Newcastle. I had a lot of support from family traveling those early mornings and late evenings as well. So um, and then I was very fortunate I went to boarding school in Sydney in my last couple of years of school. Um because my parents, I guess, saw a I loved swimming and I was very good when I was a junior swimmer. I would always win state medals. Um, I qualified for nationals when I was quite young. And um, but I didn't really know what I was doing. I kind of was like, oh, this is a bit of fun, like I'll just go along with it. And then I got the opportunity to go to boarding school and have a bit more of a school and sporting balance. Um that was pretty challenging because Sydney, New South Wales at the time didn't have a great um, I guess, program to help athletes then transition into senior sport post-school. Um, so then that's when I moved up to Brisbane and I've been here. This is my tenth year now. Um so yeah, I've been very fortunate to be. Uh I've swum at St. Peter's. I went to my I went to school uh for my last year of schooling. Um bit of disruption in grade 12, but yeah, I'm very happy where I am now.

Magnus 8:43

So it's St. Peter's, and that's obviously the famed location of uh Mr. Dean Boxell, one of our most passionate and intense coaches. What's it like training under him?

Abbey 8:55

It's a bit of like a a live wire, to be honest. You're kind of always just alert and there's always so much, so much going on.

Don 9:05

Um is he as passionate and crazy as you see him on TV, YouTube, anywhere.

Abbey 9:12

Yeah, that's I still remember I want every coach to be like that.

Don 9:15

I want my coach to be like that.

Abbey 9:17

That's I think if everyone was like Dean Voxel, if every coach was like Dean Vauxhall, then gosh, this country and this world would have some like pretty unbelievable athletes and people because that rubs off on you competing? Yeah, it's contagious.

Don 9:32

Oh, he's he's an amazing person as well, like as an individual. Yeah, because co good coaches can sometimes be very well, I don't want to say that, but yeah.

Lucas 9:43

It's true. Some of the best coaches in the world are actually pricks. Yeah, yeah.

Abbey 9:47

Um, he's very much a family guy. He's got two little boys, a beautiful wife. Um, he has so much time for them. He he puts that into the pool as well. So his passion and love and just energy is honestly like something you can't explain. And I still remember my first interaction with him. He was literally, his face was right in front of me. It was to the point where I had spit on my face, and I just kept wiping it. And you know when you get embarrassed when someone like accidentally spits or something, you're like, I don't want to do that. But that was Dean, and it was so intense that yeah, I know it sounds terrible. Like is that yeah, it was like that. And throughout my whole career, the last 10 years with him, that's exactly how he's spoken to me and to his athletes before going to a race. Yeah, and it it's actually comforting because you just know how much love and he actually believes in you more than you believe in yourself. So you know you're with the right person when when that's the case.

Lucas 10:48

Is that just you personally, or is that like everyone on the team? Does everyone have get the same vibe?

Abbey 10:52

Everyone. He's um right now he's got 10 athletes, he's got over, I think he's got over 10 athletes on the team that's competing in Singapore right now.

Don 11:02

Is that the most successful coach Australia had in single?

Abbey 11:06

Yes, I think he was on par with Michael Bowl. Yeah. Um, I think last year's Olympics was, yeah, I think we equaled the best um medals to come away from those Olympic games. That's amazing.

The Logic And Feel Of Breaststroke

Lucas 11:18

Yeah, let's double-click on that again then, if we can. Go through that scenario you went through 12 months ago. How was he in that process that you were then mentally trying to go, well, am I quitting? Am I going to do that? Yeah, how much of a farm coach playing that? Did he play in that?

Abbey 11:33

Um, that was probably the hard part because he had a massive job to do. His job was then to take his 10 athletes away to Paris and let them perform at their best. So for me, I reached out to him a few times and I just couldn't comprehend why this had happened. And I spoke to him thoroughly about it, but we both respected that. Well, I very much respected that this was not my time for his energy and because he had a lot of energy to give to these other 10 athletes. So he was there for me every step of the way, and he'd always be checking in on me, even on the nights of state of origin, because I'm a New South Wales supporter. So what those yeah?

Don 12:12

Oh, you are too. Yeah, I saw that too. I saw that what's going on here.

Lucas 12:16

Brainwash as a kid, I was born in Bankstown. Oh my god.

Don 12:20

Oh there you go. Brainwash born in New South Wales doesn't make you a blues fan. You should know that. Most of our blues. Brainwash Paramount is a state of origin.

Abbey 12:30

Yeah.

Don 12:30

So it's where you're born.

Abbey 12:32

Yeah.

Don 12:34

Hold on. Can I can I just ask one thing? This has always perplexed me. Um, you know, running is a natural thing, right? We've for millions of years humans have just stood up and learned to run, and we've been running. Swimming is weird, it's unnatural. What makes someone wake up in the morning or at some point say, Well, I'm really good at this, or get into swimming? What's what was that like as a kid?

Abbey 13:02

I think you definitely like for me, I've had it's been in my blood. So I guess I was put in the pool when I was a baby. Everyone does learn to swim, everyone does baby lessons, transition, squad, whatever. But I don't think it's more so I don't think it's talent. When you're young, I actually think you have to be driven to do that. It's hard, it's hard. It's hard. It's such hard work. And even from a young age, you have to have so much commitment. Um, but if someone said to me, you have to go run, like you were talking before about you can't swim, and but I literally am like a fish out of water. I cannot run. I'm currently doing social netfall, and I actually can't even oh you can. I can swim. So there you go.

Don 13:44

I can swim, I can't swim fast. That's still a different thing.

Abbey 13:47

Yeah.

Don 13:48

Um I cannot drown.

Lucas 13:49

Does that count?

Don 13:51

Yeah, I guess so. Yeah. Well, then we can all swim.

Lucas 13:53

That's uh that's a win. You're not you know uh you weren't born here, but like as Aussies, we have no choice because you get thrown into a pool, we get thrown into the ocean.

Don 14:05

So same sort of theme. It's a little bit more dangerous.

Abbey 14:08

Yeah, it's probably a bit more dangerous.

Lucas 14:10

So as Aussies, you definitely can swim. Uh, but it's like, do we want to swim? Do we enjoy swimming? It's a whole different conversation. Yeah.

unknown 14:19

Yeah.

Magnus 14:20

But there's swimming and then there's breaststroke, and that's something that Don continuously reminds me of, reminds all of us of, is that the 400 meters, his particular event, is the toughest on the athletic calendar. Where does breaststroke fit as far as the disciplines within the swimming strokes?

Abbey 14:38

Um I would I wouldn't say it's the toughest event. Um, I'd say it's the most technical stroke. Um I think you have to be pretty goofy in a way to be a breaststroker. Um I'd say the toughest event would probably be close to the four would be 400 met 400 individual medley, so it's a hundred metres of each stroke. Um breaststroke comes down to skill. So I found the harder you try, probably the slower you go. So you had to find a balance. But it was I spent years and years trying to figure that out, even to my very last race at Olympic trials.

Relay Mindset And Career Highs

Magnus 15:17

So when you mean the the harder you tried, so you mean if you're putting in more effort, but then your effort is sacrificing some of that um form, I guess. Is that what you're saying? So if you're not as technical, then you you're not gonna be as fast.

Abbey 15:34

Yeah. So like I think with freestyle, uh, it's across all strokes. You you have to be very technical about it. It comes down to the smallest like little things at the end of the day. Um I found that with freestyle you can probably just like thrash yourself through the water a bit and you could get angry.

Don 15:50

You feel fast when you're doing things. Yeah, exactly. I'm good at breaststroke, so but you feel like you're always slow. Yes, you can't go fast. I can't I can't figure out how to go fast in breaststroke. So how do you figure out how to go fast in breaststroke?

Abbey 16:05

Like it's Well funny you say that because my hundred metres at Olympic trials last year, my deep my coach Dean would always just say, trust your stroke, just trust your stroke. Because I would always get to a point where I was a swimmer who had quite a low stroke rate for a breaststroke. Um what does that mean? Does that mean you you breathe less or so with breaststroke you breathe every stroke, but meaning I took less strokes than most other people?

Lucas 16:31

So um but you're going further on every stroke?

Abbey 16:34

Does that mean you're educating us on breaststroke? Yeah.

Don 16:40

So you have a you have a stronger kick?

Abbey 16:42

Yeah, stronger kick, probably timing may have just been different to the others. Um and it's not necessarily worse or or good, like it it just depends what works for you. Um I would get a little bit overwhelmed and think I've got to start to rate up. So my last 50, I would lose the feel of the water and start to rate. And I would then look at data and say, Well, you took 22 strokes here and you came back faster, whereas this 50 you came you did 26 strokes and you went slower. So it's kind of it's real it's mentally challenging because it gets into your head and you think naturally to go faster you think you just gotta try more. But with breaststroke, it's not like that.

Lucas 17:26

And when you're competing with the other other athletes in the field, the they would have different, I guess, ways that they find that works for them. So then are you trying to compete with yourself, or you try and compete with them and you try to go, well, should I mimic them? Should I like do I do my own thing?

Abbey 17:40

Um Fortunate with breaststroke, I guess in that way you don't you don't see anyone else other than if you're in line because you're you're breathing forwards, other than on a turn when you're obviously on your side, but um you just have to stick to your race plan and stick to what works best for you and that's what you train for. Yeah.

Lucas 17:59

It's very individual.

Abbey 18:01

Yeah, very individual.

Magnus 18:02

So individual, and then you're also a relay swimmer. What are the mindset differences between the two for you?

Abbey 18:09

Um individually, you have a lot of your own pressure. Um you're obviously you're out there, you've got your own lane, you're you're kind of not worrying about anyone else. Um I think any swimmer would say that they'd prefer a relay swim over an individual swim purely because your adrenaline is just different. You've got the energy from the other girls. Um either way, you're swimming for your country. So it doesn't really matter if you're a relay or individual swimmer, but um, that's very important.

Don 18:43

That's very different to other sports. When I say other sports, it's track and feel, right? You would always sacrifice your relay to win your individual race. And and that's whether people admit it, admit it or not, you will see that time and time again. Whereas in swimming, it seems it's the other way around. You never ever see one of our best swimmers not swim in a relay.

Behind The Blocks: Team Culture

Abbey 19:08

I think they just try and most meets, most major meets are nine days or eight or nine days. So they really try and see how they can use different swimmers in the heat to then use that better, like faster swimmer at night. Um I think they'll always put individual swims first. Um most athletes will also say, I will select to swim my individual swim over a relay swim. But I think it's more that you want to be a part of that relay. You don't want to miss that opportunity because Australia is so dominant in those rate in those relays.

Magnus 19:42

Are you a relay runner as well, Don? Um, yeah, I am. So how do you find it? How do you find is there any mindset differences for you?

Don 19:51

Yeah, you're a lot faster. And for some reason, I always get a faster split in a relay. Like in the uh Masters World Championships, I ran two seconds faster in my relay lap um than individual. Yeah, so it's it's there is something, and and also you're you know, you're representing not just yourself, you're representing a team, and you feel like you're letting the team down. For some reason, I don't know what it is. It's just that adrenaline rush you get is very different.

Abbey 20:21

Everyone always lifts in a relay. You see people who just go, Oh my goodness, like where did that come from? So you just know that these people do have that potential to do that. But in a relay, you just see that energy.

Lucas 20:33

The perception that you see from uh obviously I'm a watcher of swimming, not a not a not in it. Um, you know, I think just being Aussie, right? It's like the only sport that we get addicted to in the Olympics. Like it's watching the Aussie swimmers. And what I feel like in the relay is the team is so much more connected and well together as the relay event compared to the individual. That there's some sort of vibe there. It's just like it's just it's a connection, it's yeah, it's a connection, and they'll just do whatever they have to do for each other in that in that particular race. Do you feel like that there?

Abbey 21:08

Oh, yeah, 100%. I look at every relay, even watching the world championships at the moment, just think like you could only just like imagine what like the call room would be like and like the energy behind the blocks, and yeah, it's pretty special.

Don 21:21

Kyle Chalmers swimmed.

Abbey 21:22

Oh, he's unbelievable. Seriously, if ever like that's that's showing proof of what it's like swimming in a relay. He dives into that pool third, and his mentality is I got goosebumps too much. I know seriously, watching him is like is crazy. He is an absolute legend and he's an amazing person too.

Don 21:42

Can I ask on that, like some of the best sporting moments that I remember are in Australian swimming relays or American swimming relay uh performances? What is the best relay performance you've been involved in, and what do you reckon the best relay performance that you have seen?

Abbey 22:00

Um big question. Yeah. World championships, it was actually the short course, 2018. Um, was my first senior team. And I remember that morning we swam the heat and we went into the final first qualifier. And I remember I was getting physio or something post-race, and I Dean came up to me and said, Where do you want to go into the relay? As in what position, what swimmer do you want to go? And I said, You can put me anywhere. I just do not want to go last. If you go last, you feel a lot more pressure. Yeah, you're the anchor, you have a lot more pressure. Um, and I just said, I do not want to go last, Dean, please. And then he put me last. Anyway, I remember I swum and it was the best swim I've ever done. Yeah, yeah. It was the best swim I've ever done. I remember that feeling being like, honestly, pressure is a privilege because I just swum out of my skin.

Lucas 22:52

Um, and so that was sitting on the blocks, like just shitting bricks, going, Why am I doing this? I'm last. Like, do I just want to run away? Like, how what were you feeling?

Abbey 23:02

Well, that's probably another story because I got on those blocks thinking, I don't know how many laps these girls have swum. Am I diving in now or am I waiting another two laps? And I'm looking up at Dean, who's in the crowd, going, Am I going now? I and I was looking around at the girls going, I don't know what I'm doing right now.

Magnus 23:17

What position were you in when you hit the water?

Abbey 23:20

We were I it was close between first, second, and third. So it wasn't like I could even see someone else go and then go, okay, where we're we're going now. So it was a matter of just anyway, we had to try and look at the time, figure out like, you know, when the girls were gonna touch. And then later that night we found out there was actually a lap counter in the top right hand corner. So that's probably a really big memory of mine that I'll always remember because it was also my first international medal.

Lucas 23:51

Um and you felt like it was a stitch up, yeah.

Abbey 23:55

But see, Dean knows me, Dean knows us best. Like he knew that I was gonna do my best swim if I was put last, and I had that pressure to perform.

Don 24:05

Amazing.

Abbey 24:06

Yeah.

Don 24:06

Can you share like the I I there's one more. I want to know what the best um real air performance of all time is that that in your opinion. Yeah.

Lucas 24:16

What's inspired you is probably the question. Yeah.

Abbey 24:18

Yeah.

Lucas 24:19

There's been a lot.

Abbey 24:20

Um there's been a lot. For me, oh yeah. Like Beijing, London, um, Rio, I guess, and then being a part of Tokyo was really special.

Magnus 24:31

Um Australia have got such strong relay teams, it's I can understand it's difficult to try and pick one of those.

Abbey 24:37

Yeah. I it is. I think for me at in Paris last year, watching the girls and the guys swim was pretty magical because I saw that other side of being an athlete. Um watching Jack, my partner swim at the Olympics was pretty special. Um, there's many memory like moments that I could just be like, gosh, you'd love to be a part of that team. Or that was pretty special for Australians for me.

Magnus 25:03

Can you take us behind the scenes? What's it like in some of those adventures from world championships or from the Olympics? What's something the public don't get to see? Um, we're actually weird.

Don 25:18

You know, when you watch it, it's it's all you guys are always together, you know, calm, connected. You you don't see the emotion until you've finished, and then all of a sudden, you know, Michael Klims or the Carl Chalmers, when he finished this one, the that emotions and and the real person comes on. We see that old Dean Boxhall going.

Abbey 25:36

Yeah.

Don 25:37

We get that up, but it's always before the racing teams like it's definitely not, it's not calm.

Load, Recovery, And Nutrition

Abbey 25:42

We've got a um like a team room, and that's always where everyone's getting ready and preparing for their racing and stuff. So that's always a pretty intense area. Um I guess like Olympics, everyone thinks that swimmers just go crazy post like Olympics, but in Tokyo we didn't have that opportunity to we didn't get to go to other events after we finished. We had to be out of the village within within two days.

Magnus 26:09

So it's the Japanese way, yeah.

Abbey 26:12

Well, no, it was it was COVID. It was COVID. So I think the I think I think the Japanese wanted everyone just to enjoy like Tokyo and go out and have fun, but we weren't able to. So I think some as once they're done go a bit crazy, but honestly, I think we all deserve it. Like you are so strict and so disciplined up until that point, and it's like you get all this emotion and adrenaline together and you just celebrate. So there's nothing really can pass out, yeah. Pretty much I had a great night's sleep on that last night of Olympics. Seriously, it was probably I think I was in bed by eight o'clock. Oh wow, but yeah, big name, yeah.

Magnus 26:55

So anyway, what about setbacks and injuries? We find that you know, getting to speak to a lot of athletes and that's can be quite defining, it builds a lot of resilience for them. Have you got um any major injuries or setbacks that you've suffered and what got you through?

Abbey 27:11

Um, I was very fortunate up until probably six months out from Olympic trials last year. Um, being a breaststroker, I had uh my knees and hips just aren't great. Um, and that was just repetition. Um, so I ended up having to have surgery on my right knee six months out from trials that I didn't want to have, and I kind of just said, like, if I don't get this, then what can I do? And they pretty much just said you won't be swimming breaststroke in six months' time. So I got um an aroscope done, so just a clean up. Um, and that was pretty much just to get me through to trials, and if I was to make the the team, it would get me through to that. Um so that was really challenging for me. I was out of I couldn't swim breaststroke for three months. I only started swimming breaststroke. It was the week of the world championships in 2024 in Doha. That was the same week I started swimming breaststroke and I competed. I swam individually quite I was very disappointed with how I swum. Um, and I think mentally that was really challenging, but I had to realise like I had not done any work. So that's when I did a bit more freestyle work, and my freestyle was great. Um, but breaststroke, yeah, it wasn't ideal.

Magnus 28:31

It's interesting. I never ever would have imagined that a breaststroker would have a knee problem.

Don 28:38

I was like, hold your knees.

Magnus 28:40

I actually find I actually find it funny when I hear swimmers that actually get injured because normally you hear people go to the pool to recovery.

Abbey 28:50

Well, swimmers' shoulders.

Magnus 28:52

Yes.

Abbey 28:52

Um they actually did a study on athletes on swimmers' shoulders to see this is what a normal shoulder looks like and this is what a swimmer's shoulder looks like. And ours are all just not like that that they're all stuffed up or anything, but a lot of athletes have some something going on in their shoulders.

Don 29:10

Um I've got to admit, I I never realized how how hard swimming is and how much of a uh toll you have on your body until I think it was Kate Campbell that started coming out and and sharing her journey. Um and that was a huge eye-opener because just like you, I've always related swimming as a rehab, not something that, yeah, when you say you've done your knee swimming, like there's no contact.

Lucas 29:36

There's there's just no, like it's it's like I was talking to Duncan about this because um as a dedicated marrow marathon runner, I got Duncan Upstrong. Yeah, Duncan Armstrong, I got um plentifasciitis, and so I essentially had to have 18 months off running. And Duncan was like, we'll go to the pool and do some rehab. And I was like, I've never swum in my life, like proper swim. Well I don't remember going out because uh Yeah, no, yeah. It's like here I am going to the pool to do rehab and knowing now I've got to do a knee reconstruction. Repetition, it's more overuse.

Abbey 30:07

Like we're doing between some athletes are doing between 10 and 14 kilometres a day in the pool, and that's just in the pool, let alone gym.

Social Media, Storytelling, And Docs

Don 30:14

Isn't it relaxing? You just um floating in the water.

Abbey 30:17

Everyone thinks that. I just think I wish I could jump in the pool and just be relaxed. It's a lot of things.

Lucas 30:22

Six months I did swimming. Oh my god.

Magnus 30:23

So it was it's the detoxments. When I jumped into triathlon for a bit, that was the thing I struggled with the most. At least look forward to the swimmer sessions, and I still can't swim.

Lucas 30:35

I literally take my hat off to you. It is it is extremely. I understand that's a good thing.

Abbey 30:46

It's repetition. So for me, it was just the repetition of breaststroke, and like you're it's such a unique stroke. Like you even your top Olympic like Olympic swimmers, if you say, and they're not a breaststroker, you say, Can you do a breaststroke kick? And they're like, No, like how do you get your feet or your knees like that? So it's very unique.

Lucas 31:03

Um who invented it? Because it is if you think about it from top down, it is really weird. This is what I'm talking about.

Don 31:09

Unnatural. Like, who gets in the pool and say, Okay, I want to swim like a dolphin. Yeah, or like a turtle or something. Like a turtle.

Abbey 31:15

True. Well, that's what they say when you're in learn to swim.

Don 31:18

Who came up with butterfly? Who came up like I don't know. I don't know. You know, the natural dog pedal makes sense. There's no, like, where did we come up with this stuff?

Abbey 31:26

Good question. I actually don't know. I've just copied others.

Lucas 31:29

Question for another podcast. Yeah. So I understand your hips. Let's go back to topic. You're I can understand your hips getting worn out because of that that movement, but your knees, what what part of the knee? Like, is the full like knee reconstruction? Like, what what happens in that?

Abbey 31:44

Um, so it was kind of just wear and tear all around my knee. So I had inflammation in my fat pad. I don't know if you've heard of a fat pad before, but that's pretty much the front of your knee and like a lot of fluid and inflammation in that. Um, that's just overuse. Um, I also had a little bit more of a so like bone bruising along like the side. Um, and then my um meniscus as well. I had quite a few tears in my meniscus. So yeah, as and as you said, like it's not so much that there's impact, like there's that actual, you know, contact and swearing it out. We have quite low bone density because there's in the water, you're supported by the water. I know that sounds silly, but with like an NRL player, it's just they're kind of conditioning themselves every day with that constant impact with each other.

Don 32:35

So does that mean you guys have to train running and do other things as well, or you don't have time? Because it, you know, every time I've sort of spoken to a swimmer, it's been like you like four o'clock in the morning, you start swimming. It's like it doesn't look feel like there's time to do anything else. How important is it for you to do the other stuff then outside of the pool?

Friendship, Adversity, And Camps

Abbey 32:55

So important. It's probably just as important as it is in the pool. Um, so our routine was we'd get to the pool, we'd do if you had an injury, you'd or or prevention or anything, you'd always do a bit of rehab or stability, core, um, and then we'd usually try and do a bit of like a routine as a group. So if it was yoga or a circuit, and then we'd jump in the pool and swim and do our sessions, and there was always a either a sprint, middle distance, or distance group. Um, and then Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday mornings, we always had gym. Um, and that was always pretty specific to what event you swum, I guess your body shape, and I guess what you could do in the gym. Um, athletes are pretty restricted with that because if you are injured, then there's a lot of movements that you can't do. Um, and then afternoons, you'd either get you'd either be on the bike, so cycling, or you'd be running. So a lot of the a lot of the girls. So you can run. No, I didn't run. I didn't run purely because of my knees. So I couldn't. Yeah, I wish I could because I would love to do probably triathlon.

Don 33:58

So, but yeah. Oh, that you might be good at it.

Lucas 34:02

So you keep you you said the word was many times. You want it competed in 12 months from now. So when do you start training again?

Abbey 34:08

I've been training. I just haven't been yeah, I haven't stopped. I haven't been in a I haven't been doing my nine swim sessions a week. Um, I've been trying to find a balance to enjoy the sport because after Paris last year I actually I hated the sport. Yeah. Um being like, like, why would I do this again? I don't have enjoyment in the sport.

Magnus 34:31

How much because it's it's a we're we're talking about milliseconds here. What did you what was the time that you missed out on?

Abbey 34:39

0.1. Oh god. So like ouch. Yeah, yeah. It was pretty, yeah, it was pretty tough. But I didn't put my put together my best swim, and I still to this day don't even know what time I swum. I I kind of just have chosen not to look at that.

Life Beyond The Pool: Real Estate

Don 34:55

Um that's the cost of being such a successful, you said the depth of that that team that we've got in in Australia. Like we were sort of struggling there for a little bit and we're back.

Magnus 35:07

You probably would have gotten most teams into the world based on that number, but you just didn't get into the Australian team. Yeah, I think it's hard to buy for a visa somewhere else.

Abbey 35:17

Well, it's harder to make a US right now, but yeah. Yeah, yeah.

unknown 35:20

True.

Don 35:21

Anywhere else.

Abbey 35:22

I think it's harder to make the um Australian team in the women's Hunter Freestyle relay. So they usually take well, because of our depth, they sometimes take top eight, but it's generally top six, depending on what other events athletes have made. Um it's harder to make that than it is to make an Olympic final. So that just shows you what the depth is like.

Don 35:42

What's a swimming culture like? What it's what's it it for us looking from the outside in, like it's a being an Australian swimming is a great opportunity because we've got the legacy, we've got that that um It's iconic.

Lucas 35:53

It's it is a best sport to watch in the Olympic times.

Don 35:56

How does it feel like being part of that culture?

Abbey 36:00

Um it's very like special. It's something that I guess we've all dreamed of from a very young age. Um our culture, we've done a lot of work on our team culture, which I think has shown in the last probably since 2019, there's been a massive push to get our team to be a team. Um and we and we are, and I think we're never perfect, but we're definitely on like the rise. So um again, it kind of comes down to being an individual swimmer and a relay swimmer. It's like when you're there as a team, you you you have to work with each other and respect each other and understand that everyone has different processes. Um, so as much as you probably see all the great things um of being on an Australian swim team, it it's challenging and there's a lot of different personalities, but everyone works everyone's working well together and it's definitely getting better.

Don 36:55

You want to keep the opportunities here, right? Because it's there. It's one of the biggest uh advantages of s for swimming in Australia is all of the good swimmers are here. So best coaches are here where streak and feel we have to go to Europe or to America to swim against or run against or compete against the run in the rain. Run run in the rain. We do that all the time. You know, you have to go to the other side of the world. Whereas, you know, every swim you you do, every competition you do, you're swimming against the best in the world. So that's I think you want to keep that opportunity there and you want to keep it confident. For sure.

Abbey 37:30

Because I guess at the end of the day, it's us setting us our team up for the next generation, especially leading into Brisbane 32. It's you know, I don't think I think there'll be some people who are on the team right now that will be in Brisbane 32. Um, but it's about creating that legacy to encourage these younger ones to come through to want to be a part of that team because it's honestly something you can't describe. Um and it's something you'll hold on forever. And yeah, it's it's a very proud moment.

Don 38:00

You know, swimming hasn't hasn't been without controversy. It's the latest one's been the the gender argument. What's your stance on it?

Abbey 38:11

Um Yeah, like it's it would be I'm obviously not against that, but to be competing against someone that is probably gonna be significantly stronger, um it it's pretty challenging. It'd be really hard to stand up on the blocks and and and accept that.

Don 38:33

There's a globally no there's an official um standing on it, right? They there's no ambiguity around that anymore.

Abbey 38:39

So that won't that won't go ahead. That that's already been spoken about um especially in the US college system. They've spoken about that quite openly.

Lucas 38:46

Um so I thought I heard there's gonna be a trans um event or some sort of is this like something that's happening or bubbling behind the scenes, like have a separate type of event that's for that purpose?

Abbey 38:56

I've heard that too. I don't know a lot of information on that.

Don 38:59

But I think there's gotta be an opportunity for that.

Abbey 39:01

I think there has to be an opportunity for that.

Education, Identity, And Brisbane 32

Don 39:03

I think everyone's gotta have opportunity to be able to be competitive and and put their best foot forward. But we don't we also don't want to take back, you know, years and years worth of women's rights and everything that we've fought for. And you know, it it is what it is. So you you just don't want to I don't want you know you you to train for years and years and then Yeah.

Lucas 39:27

Think I think then Don jumps on the blocks and uh and tries to win. Yeah.

Abbey 39:31

I think women's sport, especially right now, is definitely taking a massive like it's it's growing and it it's great. It's in a rate of Matildas just smashing them. It's just it's unbelievable to see what's happening in this space. Yeah. Um so I think it would be a massive step back if something like that did influence women's sport.

Don 39:52

We've gotta protect what we've sort of 100%.

Abbey 39:55

We've got to protect what they've create what we've created. Yeah. And I guess like that's what I was saying about what we're creating in this culture and what the athletics team's creating in their culture. It's really important for the ones coming through.

Magnus 40:08

Yeah. What about life outside the pool for you? What are some of your hobbies, habits? What do you get up to?

Don 40:16

Well So the this is uh this is a uh fun fact. Um so she's just um sold my house. So my house has been on the market. Congratulations! Abby was my um real estate agent.

Abbey 40:30

So I work alongside um a lady in Pig Tree Pocket, um, Chrissy Crummel, and I've been very fortunate that I've been a part of the process of selling Don's house, Don and Elise's house. Um and I'm so I'm studying a Bachelor of Um Bachelor of Business uh majoring in property. So I have a passion for real estate, and that's what got me uh working with Chrissy. Yeah, so I'm loving that. So I'm Chrissy's associate. So I guess that was probably another thing off the back of Olympics last year, is I wanted to have some sort of I guess I wanted to be busy because being an athlete, you're always busy and you're always wanting to do things. So I reached out to Chrissy and she was looking for an associate at the time. And so I've been working alongside Chrissy for six months now and loving it. Um I have a passion for post-Olympics as well. I got into cooking, so I'm loving doing a bit of cooking. Uh, I'm studying.

Lucas 41:28

Thermomix cooking or just regular cooking?

Abbey 41:30

No, I actually was looking at the thermomixes the other day, but no, I'm regular cooking. Yeah.

Lucas 41:36

I love my thermomix. Do you? I've never used one. It is it's it's a game changer. Is it?

Don 41:42

I'm traditional cook.

Abbey 41:44

Yeah, yeah.

Don 41:45

So, Abby, how did you get into real estate? Like you said, you had a passion for real estate. Like, how did you realize I want to?

Funding, Sponsors, And Pathways

Abbey 41:51

It was when my parents moved up to Brisbane. They were saying, Oh, we're gonna be moving house. And um, I was like, Oh yeah, cool. Like, I'll look on real estate.com and I started looking and I was like, I love looking at houses. So I didn't know if it was like more so just looking at beautiful homes, and I was like, this is what I would love to do. Um so I think that just carried through, and then when I finished school, I was like, I want to do a bit more of a property side of things, and it could be commercial, could be residential, could be development. Um, I'm unsure, and I still am, and I guess like I'm kind of just really new into this, so I'm just trying to get experience at the for the moment.

Lucas 42:27

Um But yeah, it was just a passion for homes and I think it's good that you found this so early on because a lot of athletes retire and go, what now? What do you do? And like we've had loads of these conversations and it's scary, and this has becomes you know, become depressive. So I think it's really good that you've found passion.

Don 42:46

I think certain sports do a lot better than others. I think swimming Australia and swimming queensland does a better job at that, making uh opportunities available and building those pathways. Um, how important was it for you to, you know, the education part of it? Like how has it played in your I don't want to call it transition because you haven't transitioned yet. So, you know, we've got to be. Yeah, we got we got Brisbane coming here. Yeah, so it's not a transition, but it's amazing that you've actually found a place to sort of get started on and you're doing your bachelor's. That's music to our ears. Yeah, that's what we want all athletes to be doing.

Abbey 43:24

Yeah, of course. Um I I've seen that side of things, and I and I really didn't want that to happen to me because I knew a lot of athletes that did finish swimming and they went through that phase where it was like, I haven't studied, I haven't worked throughout my career. They finish, they literally miss the Australian team, or they make the Australian team and they finish the Olympics or whatever major meet it is, and then they go, What now? So for me, I I I always thought about that throughout my career, and I'm a very busy person. Like I love doing things. I I couldn't just have swimming. Um, so I'd always want to be coming home after training and doing either study or cooking. Cooking or even gardening. I loved gardening. So I just became busy and I think it's so important to have that balance during your athlete career because honestly, when you finish, it actually is like you hit a wall and there's nothing else after that.

Don 44:24

Well, you build your personality around your identities around you know, this thing, especially for you guys when you spend so much time. And then what do I do next? If you haven't built already thought about building that identity, it's really tough. Beyond that, it becomes tough.

Lucas 44:40

I think the other thing that we've really learned this last 12 months with having all the athletes and Olympians on on this podcast is um what we've, I guess, I'm not sure about scientifically proven, but what we've understood is that if you have something outside of your sport, it actually makes you a better sports person. Have you noticed this going back into this next meet?

Abbey 44:57

Yeah, definitely. I think a happy swimmer is a far swimmer.

Quick Fire And Closing

Magnus 45:01

Um I think it's having something to take your mind off things as well. So you haven't just got a singular focus. I know some people they complain, I've got to work full-time, or I've got to this, and you're trying to do your sport. I think being able to prioritize your sport, but at the same time, like you said, have these other things going on. You've got your mind very, very occupied with your study, and then you're out there, and real estate we all know is quite a social and you're meeting a lot of people, so you've got all the boxes ticked.

Lucas 45:25

Yeah. It's a very happy time too, selling houses.

Magnus 45:28

It's a very good time to be selling homes. A friend of mine's a real estate agent and he's complaining about I said, well, if you have a look at the commission, the commission hasn't changed, and yet property prices are doubled in Brisbane. You don't have to work any harder and all of a sudden you get double the pay. Like, what are you complaining about? Tell them that, Magnus. And also you'll make it point. I'm I'm a licensed real estate agent, so I completely get it.

Abbey 45:51

There you go. See? The people you meet.

Magnus 45:54

Many hats. Everything but a spuma. But what I wanted to also touch on, and we did uh speak about this briefly off-air, is just nutrition. And what does that look like, particularly when you're in full training mode? What do you eat and then recovery? What's that look like? And what are you doing right now?

Abbey 46:11

Um you treat your body as when you're an athlete, you fuel your body um with obviously good food. Um Because you must be chewing through some calories.

Magnus 46:23

Like how many hours of training that you're doing in the pool? So you must you eat a lot?

Abbey 46:28

Um, I think you struggle to eat a lot because you are spending so much time exercising and and training, you struggle to fit in like a big breakfast and then fueling for that afternoon session, you have to try and fit in a big lunch and have enough carbohydrates to get you through that. So it's not necessarily about your three big meals, it's about fitting in those snacks and and eating through training and working out what actually works for you. Um, I became a little bit I overthought it, I think a little bit in the end. And I I not that I overthought it, but I was so conscious of everything I was putting into my body and ensuring that it was like perfect. I became a bit of a perfectionist. So, but honestly, we're burning so many calories. It wasn't good, and I think injury, all that sort of stuff became made me become a perfectionist because I had I felt like I was behind. So everything I did, I'd say, Oh, but I did that better last week, so I've got to do that again. Or or I was, you know, everything had to be in line, or what I ate for breakfast on the morning I on the morning I swam well, I'd have to do that again. So it's a mind thing as an athlete. It really does become about just believing that you are doing the right thing and that the process.

Don 47:46

How much is diet part of the performance scale in it when it comes to if you if you if you had to put it?

Abbey 47:53

Um it's it's definitely a big chunk.

unknown 47:56

Yeah.

Abbey 47:56

But I don't think you have to have you don't have to have a uh it's not like you have to go and have oats and berries and yogurt for breakfast and you've got to do this for lunch and this for dinner. It's just more about fueling your body. So I think your diet is understanding your own body important. But just having making sure you've got that that you're replenishing all everything you've lost in the pool.

Don 48:22

Did you have a dietitian? Did you have a dietitian to manage all of that and digital?

Abbey 48:26

Dietician, nutritionist that guided us and to say you need to be having this amount of carbohydrate story session. You need to be having a gel or a Powerade or even like jelly snakes just for a quick carb intake when you're in training and you can't get you know a whole bottle of powers down or something.

Lucas 48:44

How often do you get your bloods taken to compare?

Abbey 48:47

Um Not often. It was actually more so you'd get your bloods taken to work with like if you were getting sick or if you were kind of feeling drained or your iron was low or something. So yeah, it was it was it was frequently, but it wasn't as often as you probably thought. Yeah. Yeah.

Don 49:05

Um one of the biggest things I've noticed is nutritional trends seems to be driven by social media, right? That's gotta be.

Lucas 49:14

You mean products, you mean selling everything online?

Don 49:16

Everything. Like the the you know, there's so many experts on how much does social media play in you know, in in sports these days? Because it's just not just nutrition, it's everything else.

Abbey 49:28

Yeah.

Don 49:29

As well, that's around social media.

Abbey 49:32

Um, a huge amount. Like it I think a lot of athletes actually started getting a few more, like um a bit more content creators to come in and capture our training schedules and and see what we were doing in the pool because I think it's a big space to show people what we are doing, and we can't do you know, a day in the life of an of an athlete because we'd be in the pool and we don't have time to set up a camera or time to do this. So it was quite it was enjoyable getting content. Um, and that just shows other people and to encourage other athletes to to see what we did in the pool and outside of the pool. Um, but in terms of like nutrition and all that, like I wouldn't be going online to look at what an influencer's eating to then try and help me in the pool because I have to ask, when you're running, you you have gels.

Lucas 50:23

When you're swimming, do you also stop and have gels? Yeah. Like, how does this work?

Abbey 50:28

So we have like we do different stuff.

Lucas 50:29

Do you see a different stroke and you're having a gel on the way?

Abbey 50:32

We stop at the end of the pool. Like our sessions aren't just like swimming laps continuously, it's it's different sessions, like different sets. So just say we had like four one hundreds or whatever, like you'd stop after four ones and you'd have like a little break. And especially in summer when the pool got so hot, you'd just have to make sure you're you're sweating so much, like without even realizing.

Magnus 50:52

You're sweating in the pool. In the pool. Absolutely. That's the worst time, middle of summer, swimming in an outside pool. It's disgusting. Awful.

Don 51:00

Man, there's so many things that has not made sense for me in this podcast. You get you injure your knees swimming, you're sweating like swimming. Are we talking about the same thing here?

Abbey 51:10

Yeah, I know. It's honestly like I wish that's what I was saying about social media. Is that I wish people could see what we did because they'd be like, what do you mean?

Don 51:19

Like you you do 6K in the water or this is the thing, like they're the kind of things that people would probably be interested in.

Abbey 51:26

Yeah, yeah. So I would love to.

Magnus 51:28

Don't let real life like social media is not real life. What do you mean?

Lucas 51:34

I don't know if this is this is something that's happening, but what I loved about their Matilda's journey was the documentary they did. Is there any opportunity in your sport for a documentary? Is there a conversation around this? Because that just that allowed not just women's sport, but obviously being boxhill can mega documentary.

Don 51:48

Yeah, that's what I mean.

Lucas 51:49

Like oh, 100%.

Abbey 51:50

Like, did you see like I had a react from someone in the world? They did one with um Ian Thorpe, Cody Simpson, um maybe Kyle Chalmers.

Don 52:02

Yeah, okay.

Abbey 52:03

Um, and there was a female as well, I think Bronte Campbell. They did a they did, I think it was Amazon. Amazon Prime did it a couple of years ago. And it just shows them their journeys, them going to training, what they did.

Don 52:15

Um wasn't for over very well. You've got to do your research on this. Come on.

Abbey 52:19

No, but like I think there should be more. Like, I think it I think oh Dean could make something unbelievable.

Don 52:24

But there's stuff there.

Abbey 52:26

Like, yeah, honestly, like I think it's such a great example.

Don 52:29

One of the most impressive things I've seen is um um a post by Bronte Campbell where she was exercising underwater with weights.

Abbey 52:36

Oh, yeah.

Don 52:37

That I couldn't breathe watching it, it was crazy. Like, if you guys haven't seen it, watch it. She she's got this video of her training underwater, and like what you guys can do is superhuman and it's uh unnatural. Yeah, and that's where I think it becomes so difficult. Like and um, some of the emotions that you have to go through, like uh um Shana Jack, like that was an emotional roller coaster. That how was that? That was your era as well. Yeah, how hard was that?

Abbey 53:04

That was challenging. She's one of my best friends, so I rode that journey with her. You know, she obviously had a very um challenging time going through everything, but she was, you know, she didn't let herself down. And like, as in, she didn't she knew what she was standing for.

Don 53:22

Um, and I'm so proud of the way she managed it and fought all the way to the end. Yeah, we could all see, and it's yeah, I'm I'm so glad.

Abbey 53:31

Yeah, she's very, very strong in that manner, and I think that's what makes her an amazing athlete too.

unknown 53:36

Yeah.

Lucas 53:37

Looking forward to the next uh training. Camp for yourself then?

Abbey 53:41

Yeah. Well, actually Shana's in Perth at the moment with her partner who's on the Australian hockey team. But Shana and I are usually roomies when we go on camp. So um, yeah, we I would love to go back on a camp and be with the team again.

unknown 53:54

Yeah.

Magnus 53:54

So is that what's next?

Abbey 53:56

Um, I've got to kind of figure out what is next because it it's just depending on what the squad's doing towards the end of the year. And we usually try and do a yearly um training camp in Thailand, and they do sometimes go down south or over to America and do um altitude as well. So um, yeah, there's a lot of opportunities to travel.

Don 54:15

So you've got real estate, um, you're working with Chrissy. Talking about female empowerment, do you have any guys working in in no, we don't, but it's actually just worked out like that.

Abbey 54:25

And it and everyone always says that, like, why don't you have guys working with you?

Don 54:28

And she's like, I don't think you need no to be honest, it's a it was a breath of fresh air. The the the the the there was no real estate sales pills. There's like it was very different experience. I actually bought my house from Chrissy and I went back to her to sell it because the experience of buying was so good.

Abbey 54:49

She's such a like she actually reminds me of Dean in the way she's just so passionate and so loyal to people and just cares so much about people. Um and she'll go above and beyond as well. So um, yeah, I'm absolutely loving working alongside her. I'm learning so much. So yeah.

Don 55:07

And project 32. What's um I I've I've heard a bit about that. Um you're involved in that?

Abbey 55:15

Yeah, I was actually the foundation athlete for it. So I we kicked that off in April 2024, so just before Olympic trials last year, obviously hoping to make the Olympic team. Um, but it's pretty much just about helping athletes become a part of a of a space to still be an athlete as well as having these networking opportunities um leading into Brisbane 32 um and give them the opportunity to, if they've got a passion for real estate or whatever, you know, accounting or something, can and giving you a bit of guidance to say, hey, I know these people, like let's let's go tee you up with these people or have a sponsorship sort of thing there. Um so I was very fortunate to be a part of um working alongside UNU recruitment. Um, and yeah, I've it's been unbelievable. They actually gave me an opportunity last year, and it was at the same time I said to Chrissy that I'd start working full-time with her, and um, they didn't really have work for me in a way, but they was they had made they had an opportunity for me to go and do a few hours in their office a week. And I just I felt terrible because I was like, you're helping support me, but I feel terrible because I've actually just been given a job. And they're like, no, this is what it's all about. Like, we want you to be able to succeed in the pool as well as create opportunities away from the pool.

Lucas 56:40

There's this big disconnect uh between Australia, the US, and the rest of the world around I guess, individual sponsorship versus group sponsorship versus different sports. How has that affected you put to push you to go and get a job in real estate and what like has that made a big effect on your life personally because you don't have that income?

Abbey 57:00

Yeah, we've been very fortunate that we do have Hancock prospecting behind us, um, which is which is Mrs. Gina Reinhardt. Um she loves athletes and she hasn't just supported swimmers but multiple other sports in Australia. So we've been very fortunate that that's given us the opportunity to be an athlete and put all that energy into being the best and representing Australia. Um, but it's definitely something that you have to think about because you know we're all old enough now that we want to move out home and we want to buy a place and study and whatnot. And so it's definitely it's impacted us hugely.

Don 57:36

Amazing. So even if you're an elite athlete at the top of the game, like the swimming, which you get the eyeballs, you still struggle. Wow, there you go. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Magnus 57:46

Alrighty, we've run out of time, so we're gonna jump into the quick fire questions. Are you ready?

Abbey 57:51

Ready.

Magnus 57:52

What's the weirdest superstition or ritual you have before a race?

Abbey 57:57

Always eating a red snake.

Magnus 58:02

Who's the biggest character on the Dolphins team?

Abbey 58:04

Um pre-Matthew Temple.

Magnus 58:08

Which is the most used app on your phone?

Abbey 58:10

Pre-realestate.com.

Magnus 58:14

What comes naturally to you?

Abbey 58:16

Um probably knowing people's like energy, understanding people's energy.

Magnus 58:24

Do you secretly love the 4 30 a.m. starts for swimming?

Abbey 58:28

No, but I think I've thrived off them.

Magnus 58:32

If it wasn't for swimming, what other sport do you think you'd dominate? Running.

Abbey 58:38

Tennis.

Magnus 58:40

One word to describe Dean Boxel.

Abbey 58:43

Passionate.

Magnus 58:44

Worst advice you've ever received.

Abbey 58:48

To quit swimming.

Magnus 58:49

Who's your all-time hero?

Abbey 58:52

My granddad.

Magnus 58:53

What makes you cry?

Abbey 58:56

Seeing other people achieve things that they probably didn't believe they could.

Magnus 59:00

Which moment in your career would you hit replay on if you could relive it?

Abbey 59:05

Making the Tokyo Olympic team.

Magnus 59:07

If swimming had walkout songs like boxing, what would be your track?

Abbey 59:13

Um I don't think I'd have I don't I haven't really thought of that, but a song for me that really does I always think about is Mirrors by Michael Jackson, because it was a song I listened to before I made the Olympic team.

Magnus 59:26

And what's one thing the public doesn't know about you?

Abbey 59:30

I want to go on the block.

Magnus 59:33

And last question what's a must-have tribute to be a true master?

Abbey 59:39

Relentless belief.

Magnus 59:41

Love it.

Don 59:42

You know then they don't build anything on in the on the block, right?

Abbey 59:45

They don't build anything?

Don 59:46

No.

Abbey 59:47

No, I know. Chrissy, Chrissy and I really want to go on it. So two of you.

Don 59:52

Oh, okay, that'll be spoken about it.

Abbey 59:55

So, oh, we would love it. But someone's got to look after her business, she says. So I think we'd be great.

Don 1:00:02

Yeah. So I think yeah, that that'll be good marketing.

Abbey 1:00:06

So yeah, it's I would I've always just want to go on it. My partner doesn't want to do it with me because we're probably with Chrissy. Yeah, probably. Chrissy and I, we would have a great time.

Magnus 1:00:15

Sure you would. Thank you so much for your time. We know how busy you are. Appreciate all your insights, love your energy, and uh keep up all that great work and all the best in your uh in your um comeback.

Abbey 1:00:27

Thank you. Thanks so much for having me.

Lucas 1:00:29

It's not a comeback when you have never left. So all the best. Looking forward to following your journey.

Abbey 1:00:35

Yeah, thanks, really appreciate it. Had a great time.

Lucas 1:00:37

Cheers.

Magnus 1:00:38

Hope you enjoyed this exciting episode of the Mastering Podcast. If you got value from today's conversation, hit that subscribe button now and share this episode with a friend. Until next time.