Choreographer / coach Anastasia Umeh-Lees posted some photos and commentary on Australian Team preparation for the Olympics. You can’t see those unless you “friend” Stacy on Facebook, but here are a few highlights.
… the Australian Women’s Gymnastics Olympic team Preparation camp in Canberra. I REALLY enjoyed my time with the team, leading up to Beijing. The girls and coaches gelled so well as individuals, teammates and friends, and to be honest, this held them in good stead when they were faced with some difficult situations in Beijing. …
The Australian WAG Olympic team named late JulyEveryday of my 4 weeks with the Aussie girls was filled with hard work, focus, great gymnastics and new experiences. It was an honor to support the Aussie team however I could!
Everyone was incredibly focused upon helping get this group of girls ready for the competition of their lives. And the girls daily rose to the occasion by hitting routines, sticking dismounts and remaining cool under pressure while being bombarded by many distractions in an attempt to prepare them for the onslaught of cheering and the like in Beijing.
It was a really professional and dedicated environment, where everyone was working together towards a common goal, and enjoying the process. Training sessions would often zoom by, without us realizing the passage of time. What a treat!
However, it wasn’t always work, work work. There additional activities that added to the preparation experience! These included:
Hearing a talk by 1 legged, speed skier, Michael Milton
Watching the So You Think you Can Dance, live tour & meeting the dancers …
Travelling to the opening night of Dralion in Sydney
Australian Swimming legend, Petria Thomas came to dropped by to give a few hints about approaching the Olympic experience.
Pistol shooter, Suzy Balogh, shared her Athens journey with all of us!
And…many video sessions arranged by Peggy, watching documentaries of inspirational stories of past Olympians, who related their tales of overcoming hardship and sporting triumph. These sessions really helped up all put our daily experiences in the gym into a great context! It was moving stuff! Thanks for all the extra effort, Peggy!
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