NSW State Gymnastics Championships

6 years ago I retired from Level 10 Artistic Gymnastics and chased my Olympic Snowboarding Dream… Now im back in Gymnastics and have Qualifyed for the
2014 Australian National Gymnastics Championships!

The day the Australian Olympic Team was officially selected I rang my gymnastics coach (Bill Parsons at NSW Academy of Gymnastics) and told him I made the Olympics and to register me again for this years Level 10 State Trials in hopes of qualifying for the Australian National Championships end of May.

4 Years ago I had a Shoulder Reconstruction and my surgeon told me I would never do a handstand or hang on a bar again…Well I just love proving Doctors wrong and showing them just how super human I can be.
After arriving home from the Olympics I only had 1 month of solid training before State Trial 2, I felt prepared and couldn’t wait to be back in my red and white leotard with glitter hair!

STATE TRIAL 2
Starting the competition out with 2 falls on bars wasn’t how I planned my comeback to begin, followed by a fall on beam I thought 3 falls in a competition was enough. I went to floor all fired up and stuck my routine with only a few messy landings.
Vault was always my strongest apparatus and my main focus for the competition was to win Vault and thats exactly what I did! I stuck both my vaults and got to walk away with the best vault of the day.

STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
2nd Vault, 6th Bars, fell both days on Beam, 5th Floor and 5th Overall.

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Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School

SCEGGS (Sydney Church of England Girls Grammar School)

 
 

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Yowie Bay Public School

While visiting Yowie Bay Public School I was inspired by the young primary school kids singing Advanced Australia Fair in Aboriginal.

Inspiring the young primary kids to try their best and not give up on their dreams!

 

 

 

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Danebank High School

Such a fun day back at my kindergarten school Danebank.
My first presentation to a high school and spending time with the PE classes!

 Thank you Melina Andrew for the great interview and being my person tour guide and body guard!


            Year 10 PASS Class                                             Danebank Principle


 Miss Martel was part of my first snow trip.            Gymnastics Team Mates


Snow Sports Team                                             Family Members

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Lugarno Public School

Lugarno Public School was the only school i visited before i was selected on the Olympic Team, I was very excited to go back and share my Olympic experience with the kids that had followed my journey leading up to the games.

 

The kids loved my Olympic Dream Inspirational video and the ski and snowboard twins were lucky enough to go home with a signed olympic poster of me!

 

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Nicole Fitzsimons Foundation – Colourful Ball

Thank you to the Nicole Fitzsimons Foundation for such a great night in honour of Nic.

 

The foundation raises awearness for the dangers of riding moterbikes in South-East-Asia where Nicole’s life was taken. Congratulations Kate and your family on the succeses of the foundation so far and i hope you reach as many Australians you possibly can.

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Brighton Le Sands Public School

Thank you to all the amazing students I got to speak to at Brighton Le Sands Public School. I hope you were inspired in some way by my story and video.

 

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Olympic Halfpipe Competition

Today is the day. I am living my olympic dream, representing Australia in the Halfpipe!
No nerves, just pure excitement to show the world what I can do for Australia.

 

I was bib number 10 in the First heat, meaning I was 10th to drop. Training went really well and I was feeling confident to land my runs in the comp.

QUALIFICATION
In my first run I did one of the biggest michaelchuk’s (Backflip on heelside wall) I had ever done and landed a little bit low in the transition loosing some speed and I just couldn’t get back on my line and finish a good run. Lucky we get 2 runs.

 

Standing at the top of the pipe strapped in and ready to go for my second run all I thought to my self was I am at the Olympics in Sochi it doesn’t matter that I am coming last after first run, I am here, I made it.
Knowing I had already made my olympic dream and was sitting last after first run I had nothing to lose and just gave my second run all I had. I landed my run and was overly excited I just couldn’t stop smiling.
Going into the Olympics I had a goal to make the Semi-finals and finish in the top 20. Sitting infront of the camera waiting for my score know matter what it was I was so happy with my performance after landing a run and giving it all I had.
The score came up as 57.25 and I was in 8th position with 9 going through to semi-finals. I was so happy to have made the semi-final and acheive my goal at the olympics.

 

 

SEMI-FINALS
Unfortunatly I fell both runs in semi finals and finished 18th at the Olympics.
I had acheived my Olympic dream, Made the semi-finals and finished in the top 20 in the world. I have never felt so proud to represent Australia and having my family there suporting me in Sochi made it all so much better, absolutly nothing could have taken the smile off my face that day.

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Olympic Athlete Village

The Olympic Village was awesome. Being able to eat, sleep and hangout with all the athletes in one place that was only for us was pretty special. Knowing that everyone there was the best in their country and being part of that was just an amazing feeling.

 

 

Australia had its own building right infront of the Olympic Rings which was great as we could climb them whenever we wanted!

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Olympic Training

We had 3 days of training before putting on that olympic bib and showing the world what we can do.

  

The pipe wasnt in the best condition it could have been but thats part of being a good halfpipe snowboarder and adapting to the conditions you have to compete in.

Having had competed in the test event exactly a year ago i was already familiar with the mountain Rosa Khutor and the halfpipe, so i was able to go to training and just concentrate on getting used to the conditions and getting a feel for the pipe so i was ready in 4 days time.

 

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