Sylvia Jeffreys hosts Today Extra and will be part of Nine’s coverage of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
In a sporting event overflowing with colourful and inspiring stories, Queensland sprinter Shayna Jack emerged from the Australian swimming trials last week with one of the great tales of triumph.
Redemption was a sweet reward for the 25 year old who was ruled out of the Tokyo Games after unknowingly ingesting a banned substance. Her punishment may have been cut in half, but when the pinnacle of your sport only rolls around every four years, one missed opportunity could derail it all.
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Jack managed to rise above that crushing setback to book herself two individual spots in Paris, much to the teary delight of her famous barrier-shaking coach Dean Boxall.
But when she touched the wall, a mere bee’s you-know-what away from the 50 metre freestyle world record, another powerful story was unfolding just a few lanes away. Veteran sprint queen, Cate Campbell had officially lost her crown. It was her last shot at earning a spot on the Paris team, and she’d missed it by the kind of excruciatingly small margin that makes swimming such a cutthroat sport.
Despite Shayna’s blistering performance and hard earned success, the cameras stayed on Cate who couldn’t keep a lid on the emotions that were creeping out of her. Those of us watching at home with wet eyes then unlocked a new level of tears (flooding) when Cate’s rivals, one by one, swam over to the champion for hugs and support, offering congratulations on a stunning career and gratitude for paving the way.
At 32 years old, Campbell was always going to face the biological inevitability of being a professional athlete: at some stage a younger gun will go faster. But that reality didn’t stop her from digging in one last time. The Dolphins mainstay who first represented Australia as a baby-faced 16 year old in Beijing wanted to make history in Paris. And how could you not admire the commitment and determination to dedicate years of your life to a goal that could be dashed, as it was in the end, by one one-hundredth of a second in the 100m heats.
That really is putting it all on the (black) line, and that’s why it can be just as inspiring to watch someone strive as it is to see them succeed.
It’s why Cody Simpson had us glued to our sets as he plunged in for a chance to follow in his parent’s footsteps, or flippers, as professional swimmers.
Cody hit pause on a surging career in music to chase his goal, joining super coach Michael Bohl’s squad on the Gold Coast, where red carpets and riders quickly became a hazy memory. He put in the work, pushed his mind and shoulders to extreme limits, without ever knowing for sure if there’d be a prize at the end.
It’s worth remembering, unless you’re one of the lucky few who can attract generous sponsorship deals, swimming is not a lucrative sport.
Emily Seebohm – less than a year after having her first baby also took a chance.
I caught up with the new Mum only a few weeks postpartum when she was deep in the newborn bubble – a time when most of us mere mortals barely have the capacity to brush our own hair – yet, she’d already made the decision to go for gold again. She wanted to be the first Australian swimmer to compete at five Olympics, and prove that professional dreams don’t have to fade away after motherhood. So before long, the 32-year-old was back in the pool with the hope of reclaiming her 200 metre backstroke title.
But in the end, she was beaten to the wall, and a swim in Paris by four others, including her protege and biggest fan, Kaylee McKeown.
In a post to Instagram, Emily shared a beautiful picture of herself in the pool with little Sampson, and a caption which read, “I didn’t hit the big goal but I gave it my all and all that matters is showing him to always go for your dreams!”
https://www.instagram.com/p/C8QLW45yFRg/?utm_source=ig_embed&
Cody, Emily and Cate may not have been victorious on this occasion, but they’ve earned the admiration of anyone who’s ever held a dream and not found the courage to chase it. None of them will ever have to wonder what could have been if they’d just given it a go, and they’ll forever be celebrated for committing to the great Aussie tradition of “having a crack”.
So while we all want our Aussies to be showered in gold in Paris, don’t be surprised if the stories that grab you by the heart and pull tears from your eyes are less about winning than they are about trying.