An Olympic Dream Comes True for Tess

Competitive, determined and truly inspirational, past student Tess Lloyd (2013), Australian Sailing Victorian Female Sailor of the Year 2021, made her Olympic debut at this year’s Tokyo Games in the Sailing 49er FX team. Here she reveals some highlights of her experience representing Australia on the world stage, during a pandemic. What did you enjoy about competing at the Tokyo Olympic Games? I loved being there, representing my country, Australia! It has been a dream for a very long time and a tough, long journey, so I was so happy to finally be there on the start line! After everything that was going on in the world, I felt extremely grateful to be there and doing what I love. I also loved the experience because it was the pinnacle of sport, lining up against only the best in the world! What were the challenges due to COVID-19 restrictions in the Olympic Village? I was actually not staying at the Olympic Village with all the other athletes. My sailing was based in Enoshima, which was about two hours away from Tokyo, so I was staying at a sailing village with just sailors and had to stay in my ‘bubble’. It was a bit of a shame that I was not able to meet other amazing athletes and experience the Olympic vibe but again, all the athletes and I were just so happy to be able to compete. What was your most memorable experience and why? First day of racing was the most memorable. It was a windy day on the water and it was just such a nice feeling of excitement and relief that the Games had officially started for me. We also had our best results on day 1 of our regatta. I also really loved seeing all the Japanese volunteers each day as I got off the bus. They were just so excited to have all the athletes in their country and they were so welcoming! They always put a smile on my face, and the Japanese culture is just amazing! Was it strange travelling during the pandemic? Yes, very strange! I am so used to flying all the time for training and competition but the flight to the Games was a first in a while. We just had to be super careful and follow all the Olympic team protocols. What advice would you give to Star students about making their Olympic dream come true? Believe in yourself! There will be many challenges along the way like there are for most athletes, but you just need to keep believing in yourself. If it were easy, everyone would do it! Goal setting is also super important. Short and long-term goals are necessary, as it is a long voyage, but an amazing and rewarding journey!

Top: Tess Lloyd (Left) with 49er FX teammate Jamie Ryan.