If you’ve ever watched an Olympic race, it looks simple. A few minutes of effort, and it’s over. What you don’t see is everything that leads into that moment. I didn’t grow up as a standout athlete. Below are some reflections I’ve had off the back of two Olympic campaigns.
At 14, I tried paddling with a few mates who were far more talented than me. On my first day, I fell out of the boat… a lot. Each time, I had a choice. Go back to the shed and put the kayak away or climb back knowing I’d probably fall out again. About 14 more attempts later and I started to figure it out. That was my first real lesson: Talent can get you started, but resilience keeps you in it.
Learning to Handle Pressure
As I developed from club level paddling to high-performance sport, everything became more intense. Selection wasn’t guaranteed. Results were public. And someone was always pushing for your seat. I actually struggled with pressure. I’d train well, then underperform when it mattered. Before big sessions, I’d feel so anxious I could barely eat. Some days I’d even be sick before getting on the water. What changed wasn’t my fitness, it was my approach. I learned to: Focus on what I could control. Let go of needing to be perfect. Change the way I spoke to myself.
Olympic Reality
At the Tokyo Olympics, I lined up knowing I’d worked years for that moment. Race morning, I sat in the dining hall staring at two pieces of toast, trying to eat. Then, 30 minutes later I’m throwing up those 2 pieces into a rubbish bin in front of hundreds of Olympians. Not ideal. But that’s the reality of pressure sometimes. My teammate Kurtis just laughed, gave me a pat on the back and said, “You’re good to go.” And we were. You can do everything possible to prepare but sometimes things don’t go your way. How you react to those moments show true character and resilience.
The Reality of the Training Load
What people don’t see is the volume behind it all. During big training blocks, I was paddling around 150km a week, alongside: 3 VO₂ max / threshold sessions 3 gym sessions. Plus all the extra recovery work just to stay on top of it. That kind of load is hard to absorb. It’s not just about getting through sessions, it’s about being able to back them up day after day. And for a long time, that’s where I struggled the most.
Where Nutrition Became a Game Changer
Recovery isn’t something you can fake. If you’re under-fueled, it shows up quickly. Sessions drop off, injury and sickness appear, and consistency disappears. One of the biggest shifts for me was getting on top of my protein intake. Aiming for around 2–3g per kg of bodyweight made a noticeable difference in how I recovered, especially through heavy training blocks. But it wasn’t just about the numbers. It was about making it easy. When you’re training three times a day, you don’t always feel like eating, and you don’t always have time to prepare perfect meals. Having a clean, easy protein option made it far more realistic to stay consistent. That’s where Inline Nutrition has been a big help for me. Simple, reliable, and something I can fit in around training without overthinking it. And at that level, removing friction is everything.
Final Thought
Performance isn’t built on race day. It’s built in the sessions no one sees. The early mornings, the tough blocks, and the small habits done well over time. Because when it matters, you don’t rise to the moment. You fall back on what you’ve consistently done.
