Welcome back

It has been another eventful couple of weeks for me. We are in the depths of our hard training phase which is stressful to say the least, but I am producing some great training times which is always encouraging. We have our State titles in about 2 weeks, so that will be another opportunity to fine tune our race strategy. Although we will be racing pretty tired and without rest, the way I have been training has given me confidence in my ability to race fast.

So, in the lead up to Beijing, one question that is being asked repeatedly is what the impact on athletes' performances the pollution is going to have. The Australian Olympic committee is dedicated to getting the best out of its athletes, so our sports science teams are working hard in conjunction with Australian Olympic medical teams to work out ways to deal on an individual basis with the obstacles that are going to face us next August. From my perspective, Beijing could also be a challenge due to my asthma; however the stories coming out of China are that they are going to dramatically reduce pollution levels in the lead up to the games, which would be a huge relief for many. I currently take medication to control my asthma, which keeps my lung function at the same level as a non-asthmatic and helps me breathe like a ‘normal' person. As an athlete, we have a strict drug testing scheme in place, so we have to get our doctors to fill out extensive paperwork explaining what medication we are taking, so our international governing body (FINA) knows what should and should not be in our systems when we get drug tested. Also, in the lead up to every Olympic year, asthmatic athletes must undergo a full asthma screening to determine the severity of their condition. The medication I currently take is usually very effective, however sometimes an attack is simply unpreventable.

For example, on Monday of last week I had a pretty serious asthma attack. It was the worst one I have had which was a very scary experience. Anyone who has asthma knows that the inability to breathe is one of the scariest feelings there is. I had to be put on an oxygen mask for a period of time and had to control my effort level in training for the next few days while my lungs and body recovered. Thankfully I was able to get to see a great doctor who switched around my asthma medication to help me recover. Now I have started to monitor my lung function on a day to day basis in order to prevent another attack happening. Asthma is something that many athletes have to deal with, and unfortunately sometimes it does get the better of you, but with the right medication and support system around you, dealing with it can become a lot less stressful.

On a lighter note, last Friday I had the pleasure of being invited to co-host a charity quiz night with my training partner, Melanie Schlanger. The night was hosted by Clinical One and the charity we were raising money for was "House With No Steps". HWNS is a great charity that provides quality support services for people with disabilities who have complex behaviours. They are committed to making the most of people's abilities, and encourage family involvement by providing information, advice, and a sense of security. They give people with disabilities economic security and access to job opportunities, encourage them to participate in community life and support them in their leisure time activities.

We went out to a House With No Steps location in Morayfield and had a look around the facilities, which was a great way to see the inner workings of a charity. To be honest, I feel as though the general public becomes detached from charity work unless we have a direct connection with a particular issue and we do not truly understand how many organizations are out there dedicating their precious time to a particular cause. However, after visiting the house and talking with the workers there, I have a new found appreciation for how hard HWNS works and how passionate they are about helping people with disabilities.  

Overall, it was such a fun night and we raised almost $4,000 for HWNS. Also, it was the first time I had MC'd an event, which was a great introduction into something I would like to do more often. Having graduated from university with a degree in communication, a career that involves public speaking is something that I would love to pursue post swimming.

Well, until next time,

"If you're going through hell, keep going."  ~Winston Churchill