>> Jane-Anne: I can remember watching the Sydney Olympics and seeing all of these girls
out in the field and how amazing they were and you always wished that in any
sport you could be an Olympian.
>> Simon: I remember when I was 14 and I went to the Sydney Olympics
and my cousin played for the Kookaburras and won a bronze medal.
And that was probably the first day that I thought that's something that I really want.
>> Amie: It's just amazing that it could be a possibility that I will be going and
representing my country at the biggest sporting event in the world.
>> Steve: It's very pressurising and that's that pressure, it's what drives you to personal
bests and national records.
>> Katherine: I don't take too well to
failure or anything like that. I think that comes from being competitive athlete.
You've learned to like the wins more than the fails.
Jane-Anne: My work ethic on the field and my ability to communicate to a team of
players is probably one of my strengths and that's what's got me here today,
rather than the whole amazing skillfulness. Definitely there's a
physical load on yourself because of that step up you have to take in an Olympic
year because every other team in the world's doing it, you start running more k's,
doing more skill development and the body definitely takes a toll.
And you always think "When am I going to have a day where I'm not sore?"
I think it's just know what your limits are and always be pushing them. Whether it be at
uni or on your sporting field it's all about testing yourself and not
underestimating your ability. Just because someone else can't do something
doesn't mean you're going to be in that same category.
>> Steve: I'm quite tenacious and determined and competitive, I don't like losing.
I handle losing. We're all very driven towards reaching our potential but when
you do start to attain really good numbers you start to know what you're
capable of and to me that was probably something that provided the most pressure.
You get to that stage and you're like "Oh what now, I'm going really fast."
Well you're gonna have to do that in your race,
you know that, you know. So your bar gets raised and if you don't achieve
that in the race, just gutted, disappointed.
>> Katherine: I find that I really enjoy challenges and I rise to the occasion when there is a challenge.
But I also think that the failures do fuel me, fuel me to become a better person.
When I was 15, I started experiencing clonus which is basically when your
muscles start to spasm uncontrollably.
From there on I was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. After I was diagnosed
I kept swimming because I found that I loved it, I found that I love this side
of swimming I didn't really actually know. It was a whole new world, it opened up me to
the side of disability swimming and what it means to be a person with a
disability and how to overcome obstacles and discrimination.
>> Simon: I'd like to think I'm a really good teammate. I'm honest and vulnerable but when I get
on the field I'm ferocious and unforgiving
but I think you need that tenacity to be able to impact the contest.
I think there's a real expectation that the Kookaburras will win everything including
a gold medal. And I always laugh when I read newspaper articles that state
this is how many gold medals we're going to win.
People who sit in their offices and write these articles have no idea how
difficult it is to win a gold medal. And I think when a team comes together
the connection is so strong that not only do we know what one another are
going to do, we carry it out.
One life lesson, or one... it's more of a sporting lesson, but it's
"Don't count you games, make your games count." You can apply that to life.
"Don't count your days, make your days count."
>> Amie: So our routines are really hard and before I go
into it I just say to myself, "You know, be brave.
Be brave enough to be tired and exhausted and keep pushing, don't be scared to get
half way through the routine be dead."
I guess it's different from other sports because in another sports you want
to swim your best, do your best and show yourself off. In synchro if you show
yourself off to the point that you stand out,
that's not what makes a good team.
When we're all on that same page, when our energies all come together
that's when we have an amazing swim, and you can feel it as you swim, you can feel
the person next to you is doing and thinking the exact same thing.
I say stick with it, stick with your dreams
make sure you have fun along the way that is the most important thing,
as long as you enjoy it and do what you what you love, then you will be successful.
>> Jane-Anne: You always wish you're going to be an Olympian and you always wish you're
going to represent your country at the Olympic Games.
>> Steve: I'm out to win but at the same time I've a huge amount of respect for my competitors.
>> Katherine: I want to come out of that race thinking that I did everything I possibly could to do
that race the best that I could.
>> Simon: I always said medals don't define who I am but I'd love to win a gold medal for
the country, for everyone who's come through the squad
in the last four years and for all those family and friends back home.
>> Amie: Before we go on to swim we say "We're Australian.
We've just got to go out and be proud to be Australian."
And you just kind of get a fire inside of you.
It feels amazing.