Taking to the pool in the 200m backstroke in Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 as well as winning gold and silver medals in the 1990 and 1994 Commonwealth Games, Anna is a 20 year athlete advisor and performance life coach veteran at HPSNZ and its predecessor organisations.
She shares her memories from an illustrious career in the Olympic pool and as an advisor to subsequent generations of high performance athletes.
HPSNZ
Tell us about your Olympic experiences.
Anna
There was a lot of excitement and anticipation as I went into my first Olympics in Barcelona in 1992.
Heading into the Games I fully expected to medal. I was ranked third in the world and had set a world short course record in the 200m Backstroke at the World Cup earlier in the year.
However, I got sick at the altitude training camp prior to the Olympics and never quite bounced back. Then on the day of the 200m Backstroke at the Olympics I got a massive ear infection and was advised not to compete. But of course I did. I gave 100% but had to settle for 5th place. I guess it is one of my biggest regrets not going into those Games healthy and being able to see truly what I could achieve.
My 1996 experience was affected as I battled chronic fatigue. Again I gave it my all but my performance was way below my best to place 6th in the final.
HPSNZ
Of all the experiences, what was the most memorable one?
Anna
A real standout memory for me was Barcelona. It was incredible – an amazing carnival atmosphere. Everyone was so happy, there was cheering, dancing, music, singing, clapping, chanting everywhere we went including inside the stadium, at the pool and on the streets. My family was there too which added to the excitement.
This contrasted totally with 1996 Atlanta which seemed very commercial and in comparison centred around TV rights. And of course there were the bombings and bomb threats constantly in the background. I had finished my competition when the bombing hit mid way through the Games and with more free time our movements getting around the city were totally affected.
HPSNZ
Given what you know now, what, if anything, would you have done differently in your Olympic / Paralympic campaign?
Anna
Trained hard but more importantly trained smart so that I could enter the Games healthy and in peak performance shape to give myself the best chance. This is what we now know is one of the medal winning behaviours.
Training for the 200m backstroke event included lots of endurance, aerobic and anaerobic threshold work. What I didn’t do was listen to my body. Training smart included checking my resting heart rate and knowing when to rest or push on but I always chose to push on back in those days.
I was really lucky because my coach Brett Naylor was ahead of his time. He was a fantastic coach who started doing Case Management meetings before they were understood to be important. He ensured my support team met regularly so we were all on the same page and I was tracking well.
HPSNZ
How different do you think the Olympic experience is today from when you competed?
Anna
Completely different and on a larger scale. There are more athletes, more media and the impact of social media is huge. These are all things today’s athletes need to navigate as well as the competition itself.
HPSNZ
How does your experience as an Olympic athlete contribute and help you in your current role with HPSNZ?
Anna
In my role firstly as an Athlete Career & Education Advisor with the old Academy of Sport South Island and now 10 years as a Performance Life Coach (previously Athlete Life Advisor) for HPSNZ I can completely empathise with athletes.
I understand the importance of juggling life as an athlete as well as the need for a life outside, and the need to work towards setting yourself up for life after sport with study or work. In addition, I understand the importance of working with athletes on their routines and habits that support their wellbeing as well as their performance.
HPSNZ
If you were to give a current Olympic or Paralympic athlete one piece of advice for their Paris 2024 campaign, what would it be?
Anna
Work hard, work smart, back yourself, enjoy the process and enjoy the experience.
