Fuji Xerox Australia Sponsorships

The last month has had a few surprises, a lot of working and back to uni. The biggest thing was being told that I am to be added to the Australian Swim Team for the 2007 Duel in the Pool.

It is a small, but big, swim meet only 2 days after the World Champs has finished. It is to be held in Sydney and is a specialised meet – AUSTRALIA vs USA. This will be the third ‘Duel’ in history. Every 2 years since 2003, we go head to head with the USA’s best. There are 3 people from each country per event but only the top 4 placing’s gain points for their country.

In previous years, Australia hasn’t done so well and it has been held over in the States, but hopefully this time, being in Sydney and having the Australian crowd support, we might be able to step up. The Women’s team won in 2005 but overall we still copped a bit of a flogging as the USA have so much depth and versatility to their team. But this time, things could get interesting! It was a nice surprise to be added, as I will be able to catch up with my friends who would have just finished competing at the World Championships, and it has given me something to train for in the next couple of months.

In other happenings, I was invited to the opening night of the new Cirque Du Soleil performance ‘Vareki’ which I am so looking forward to attending. I went to their last performance here in Australia in 2004 and was absolutely blown away with the things these performers can do.

I also just finished filming a special with some others athletes for the Discovery Channel. It is a report into the different workings and training methods of certain athletes in the lead up the Beijing Olympics. Athletes from all over the world are featured, so I guess it is quite an honour to be included. The interviewers loved the Facilities of the AIS, and the new pool came up looking amazing!

Apart from that, work is busy at the moment. I am helping some of the senior staff with a review of sports so a lot of my time is taken up entering data but it’s still interesting… And back to uni as well! I am studying chemistry this semester, and have never done anything like it before, so I’m sure there will be days where I will struggle, but I enjoy learning none the less. The other subject I am studying is something called ‘truth, belief and science’ and it looks into things like Urban legends and how they came to be, along with scientific fact that may support or condemn them, so it is a little interesting.

Well that’s about all, so until next time…

Alice