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DIVING DEEP WITH SPW OLYMPIANS Some days you come to school and learn Maths. Other days, you turn up and get the chance to speak one-on-one with a group of Olympic superstars, or, at least, you do if you’re a St Peters student! KEL SEY BRICKNELL
communications officer
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f you missed the Olympics in July (we’re not “My head was pretty calm,” Ariarne said, sure how!), you might not have heard about surprising everyone. “I was actually just all the Old Scholars and current St Peters enjoying watching the racing on the TV students competing in Japan. From Pita screen in there. But I was also just trying Taufatofua (2000), who represented Tonga to stay relaxed and not worry too much.” in Taekwondo, to our nine St Peters Western Ariarne confessed that, before a race, she (SPW) representatives—Madi Wilson (2011), tries not to think too much, especially about Abbey Harkin (2016), Eve Thomas (2018), her race. For her, it’s all about conserving Ariarne Titmus (2018), Mollie O’Callaghan energy and keeping her nerves in check. (2021), Mitch Larkin (SPW), Meg Harris Similarly, for Mollie, pre-race distraction is a (SPW), Elijah Winnington (SPW) and St Peters big thing. Swimming Head Coach, Dean Boxall, the “I like to talk a lot, especially in Marshalling” College really did have a lot to cheer for! But while we were cheering, we were also mindful Mollie shared with Year 5 student, Chelsea. “Different people have different ways of of all the questions our Olympians were coping, but leading up to it, I like to distract fielding. Rather than asking them to repeat myself with random things, like talking and themselves upon their return, we decided to fidgeting.” change things up a bit. At the start of Term 4, we asked four Years 5 and 6 students to interview a group of our St Peters Swimming Olympians. Chelsea George, Zahra Olowoniyi, Isabella Lau and Luke Aldridge, all budding swimmers themselves, jumped at the chance to talk to their heroes. They spoke to Abbey, Eve, Ariarne, Mollie and Dean, and conducted an incredible interview. So, how did it start? With Isabella asking Ariarne what’s the most important thing to do when you race.
“I think it is to worry about yourself,” Arnie shared. “So, when you’re racing, really stick to your plan…don’t worry about what other people are doing, just worry about yourself.”
Watch: Upper Primary students interview SPW Olympians/Old Scholars.
Plus Ultra | November 2021
On the other end of the scale, quite obviously, is the famous energy of Dean Boxall and our students didn’t shy away from asking him all about it either! “Do you get as excited for other people swimming as you did at the Olympics?” Zahra asked him. “Absolutely,” Dean said. “Have you seen me at QGSSSA?” Dean told Zahra to keep an eye out for him when she starts competing at the annual QGSSSA Swimming Championships in Year 7. There, he said, she’ll be able to spot him running up and down the side of the pool for every race.
Eve continued with similar advice when asked “We got fourth in a race when we thought we by Luke how she measures success. might’ve got eighth,” Dean said, reflecting “I think, in the pool, you can only compare on his last QGSSSA Championships. “I think I yourself to yourself,” she said. “So, in terms jumped up and down as much as I did when of success, it’s about bettering yourself. For Arnie won her Gold!” me, I measure my PBs and that kind of thing, Dean’s level of excitement for his sport is no rather than going off someone else’s.” surprise when you consider the sacrifices he’s The students then sought advice on race made throughout his career. When Chelsea preparation, with Zahra asking Ariarne asked what one of the toughest decisions what was going through her head in the he’s made as a coach has been, he confessed Marshalling Room before her 400m Freestyle that it was letting go of his family a little bit. against Katie Ledecky.
