On 13th August we were very lucky to receive a visit, talk and b/k demonstration from Australian World University Games Team member and Bronze medal winner Hayley White. Top points to remember from her talk:
Set goals -long and short. The weekly goals are what get you through the tough times. Weekly goals can be as small as working on your streamlines for that week.
Swimming with her team and her friends keeps her going. It makes her want to be the best Individual. This way she can contribute to being a good team member.
She has always paid attention to skills and technique. From the very beginning as a 4 yr old. This has paid off now in her older years.
Dry land has been a huge part of her training and believes its been a huge key to her strength in the water.
Hydration is also a huge key to performance success both in training and racing. During a session Hayley drinks approx 1 – 1.2 litres of water and or powerade depending on intensity of session. She carries a 2litre water bottle with her all day long and sips on it until gone.
Time management is huge for Hayley. She must juggle 10 pool sessions, university, work, 3 gym sessions plus Physio and massage and sleep time and social time. Hayley prepares her life down to each day for every day of her year. This helps her stay on top of her energy and progression and not be run down and anxious.
Nutrition – everything in moderation. Protein shakes including a concoction of spiralina, almonds, banana and milk help her with recovery. Eating during long and tough sessions is important.
Loving swimming has been the best part. During tough times and times when others were reaping rewards – her passion and team mates and love of the water got her through.
Hayley was a butterflier before puberty and became a back stroker after. Message don’t specialise too soon.
Hayley started out doing 3 sessions as a bronze level swimmer and gradually increased to her now 10. She averaged 8 – 9 during her school years.
Hayley found moving from the coastal town of Kingscliff to the big city very daunting and draining. Swimming kept her going and helped her make new friends that she considers some to be her best and will be lifelong friends. Swimming training and swimming competitively has given her so much more than an ability to swim fast. It helped her through tough times and has made her so much more resilient.
To deal with nerves at a race she talks a lot to others in Marshall to distract her from over thinking. She has a clear race plan and knows exactly what she is doing behind the blocks. This gives her confidence and helps with nerves. She says her hard work has helped her with confidence behind the blocks. Also she is glad the nerves are there as this is the part that suggests she is ready and she finds them a bit of a buzz. She says if you are not nervous then maybe think about quitting as it might mean you no longer care.
Bk tips
On start
Feet shoulder wish apart
Feet level – not track
Knees shoulder width apart
Back straight and flat
Eyes look over the block
When lunge back thrust hips up and squeeze but.
Flick feet on entry
Break out –
dolphin kick until begin catch
Don’t rush first 2 strokes as have enough velocity out of break out
Settle into stroke
Short course racing – turns
100m – 12 – 14 kicks off wall.
200m 5 – 8 kicks off wall. Best not to be Oxygen debted during 200m as have to do 7 turns.
I hope you enjoyed Hayley’s visit – if so we will try to do this more often.
Leanne