In today’s episode I chat with triple Olympian, Jaime Fernandez OLY, about the twists and turns in his journey from remote Arnhem Land to the Australian Institute of Sport where he trained in rowing. Jaime acknowledges all those people who, during his sporting career, showed him care and concern from footy peers to teachers and coaches and helped propel him along the path of sporting excellence.
Jaime paints a vivid picture of what it felt like to represent Australia at the 2000 Olympic games in Sydney in the Men’s Eight final. My heart was pounding just listening. I’ve attached a link to a YouTube video of that race – compelling viewing!
We discuss Jaime’s role at Rowing Australia where he oversees the high performance program as Deputy High Performance Director. He gives us some insight into what it takes to represent Australia in rowing including the phenomenal amount of training required, the mental fortitude, commitment, and support from a team of professionals. Also, at Rowing Australia there is always an eye to the future for young athletes and care is taken to set them up for life by pursuing a vocation or studies together with their training. It is an excellent sounding model and one which Jaime, one of our sporting stars, undoubtedly contributes to greatly.
Useful links
- Rowing Australia: https://rowingaustralia.com.au
- 2000 Olympics Mens 8 race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF-I71pyMJI
