Kylie Wheeler
Dual Olympic Heptathlete & 4-Time Australian Champion - Road to Rio Ep. #3
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Background:Kylie Wheeler is a dual Olympian who competed in one of the most demanding events, Heptathlon. As a four time National Champion (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), she gives a superb explanation of how this event is structured and her training.Kylie takes us into what it was like competing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and winning silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Background:Kylie Wheeler is a dual Olympian who competed in one of the most demanding events, Heptathlon. As a four time National Champion (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), she gives a superb explanation of how this event is structured and her training.Kylie takes us into what it was like competing at Athens 2004, Beijing 2008 and winning silver at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
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Full Transcript
This was transcribed and therefore might contain a few typos. With some long episodes, it's difficult to catch some minor errors. Enjoy!
Abid Imam: So, Kylie welcome to the Road to Rio! Kylie Wheeler: Fantastic, thanks Abid, thanks for having us on here. Abid Imam: I really wanted to speak to you as you have so much experience for our listeners who can derive a lot of benefit, just hearing from someone who has been there and done that before. Really want to start off with asking where did it all start for you? Kylie Wheeler: Yeah, I’m probably like many people, involved in junior sports. I started off in Little Athletics when I was 8, thanks to my parents who wanted to get me involved and physically active. I tried a number of sports and loved basketball. I wasn’t that keen on swimming and gymnastics, but you know I gave them a go. Then athletics I sort of found out that was my thing. I really enjoyed being there and mainly socialising with my friends at that young age. It was just a good fun time and it just continued on from there. Abid Imam: What role did Little Athletics play in your development? Kylie Wheeler: Yeah, so at the age of 8 it was just obviously fundamental movement skills and just getting out there, being active and the enjoyment. Over the years, I started to have some successes in events and also, you know, some setbacks as well, as you do. Those competitions I really enjoyed. The running, jumping, throwing across all the disciplines I was enjoying participating in. Good grounding I think for any land based sport, athletics, you can move into anything from there which is fantastic, but I ended up staying with track & field. Abid Imam: When did you make the decision to become a heptathlete because looking at the events you must do, it’s a tough one. So, when did that choice happen? Kylie Wheeler: Yeah, I don’t know if I necessarily made the choice. I think I was about 15 when Christine Stanton, who ended up being my first coach, she rang my school asking if there were any athletes interested in doing some extra track & field coaching, like getting some more work under their belt. My Phys Ed teacher put me forward and it went from there. Chris was a former heptathlete and consequently I sort of followed in those footsteps. I had the grounding across all the different events so it made sense to continue that way. My first Hep was probably as an under 16. I dabbled with them for a number of years and flipped across to 400m hurdles for a couple of years there but ultimately heptathlon has been my life. Abid Imam: Throughout the Road to Rio series, we’ll be speaking to athletes from a variety of sports, so can you walk us through heptathlon and how the competition is structured? Kylie Wheeler: Sure, so it’s a 2 day event. It’s always held in the same format. We start with the 100m hurdles, move on to the high jump, then shot put and finish off with the 200m on day one. You go back have a rest and come back for the next day with the long jump, javelin and the 800m. So ultimately, you can get second in everything and still win a heptathlon because you get a points score for each performance and it’s the overall points that will determine who the winner is. Jack of all trades, master of none (laughs). Abid Imam: How does an athlete train in heptathlon because it covers such a broad spectrum? Do you work with one coach predominantly or do you diversify? Kylie Wheeler: I think over the years and the heptathletes and decathletes that I’ve met, everyone does it a bit differently. My setup was, I had my main coach Lyn Foreman who sort of oversaw my program and coordinated my coaches but she worked with my track events. I had a coach do my throws and jumps as well, Grant Ward and Anne Masters. Abid Imam: A typical week for a heptathlete, how would you structure that training? Because seven events, would it be one event a day? Kylie Wheeler: Yeah again, there are different ways to do it. My take on it was a lot of training (laughs). I think there’s just got to be volume to get all that technical work under the belt. Obviously, you try to do the technique for seven disciplines so I would do morning and afternoon sessions. A morning session might be hurdles followed by javelin. Then I might go into the weights room in the middle of the day or have a massage or something like that and come back for some track work and finish up with shot or whatever in the evening. So, it was all sort of combined to maximise picking up weaknesses but not losing my strengths as well. Abid Imam: So, there was a lot of hard work behind the scenes. What did it feel like when you became an Olympian? When you first realised, you’ll be going to represent your country? Kylie Wheeler: It’s a fantastic feeling and obviously It’s not only me. There’s a lot of people who have worked hard to get me to that point as well. It’s just a great achievement for everyone involved. Athens being my first Olympics in 2004. My selection having been to a Commonwealth Games previously, it was something I was really striving for and it was within my reach I think, but the standard was the A-Standard, the automatic selection was quite, not high but something that I wasn’t yet at. I was around the B-Standard which means it was up to the selectors discretion whether they took me or not. I was just in their hands. Fortunately, they selected in my favour and that day I got the call to say yep, was just amazing. Abid Imam: You mentioned that you went to the Commonwealth Games before going to Athens, in Manchester 2002. Do you think you were better suited to handle the pressure and expectation of an Olympics after going to the Commonwealth Games? Kylie Wheeler: Yeah, for sur….ahh Yes and no (laughs) I was going to say, for sure because obviously the Commonwealth Games is a big competition as well, so having that experience under my belt aided me. I did have quite a lot of success in Manchester which probably I hadn’t anticipated so I just went to Manchester obviously to do my best with no real expectations to come away with anything more. To come away with a medal was beyond my wildest dreams so I then thought, this is easy (laughs) no, not really but I had expectations going to the Olympics, well maybe I can do it again and unfortunately for me, that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t that I did particularly badly, I just performed averagely. When you get to an Olympics, average just doesn’t cut it. Everyone just rises to the occasion so it wasn’t what I had hoped for unfortunately. Abid Imam: We get to see everything happening on the TV but behind the scenes in the village, what’s that life like? In terms of who you’re staying with? Do you get to choose who you’re staying with? Is it the same events, what’s that all like? Kylie Wheeler: Yeah, that’s a good point. I don’t think we had much of a choice back then. I don’t know if it’s changed nowadays, but they do try and obviously pair you up suitably. You know, if you work well with a person within your discipline, they probably would put you together. Then maybe if you’re rivals, perhaps not, I don’t know. The village life is just amazing. The whole experience, words can’t describe it. It’s like a little mini city for everyone in the Olympics. You’re walking along beside your idols and these people, that, you know…I just wanted to get my autograph book out for signature and things like that. You know, everyone worked hard and they’re all there on a mission, so yeah it’s a pretty good feeling. Abid Imam: Who was the biggest name you saw? Kylie Wheeler: It would probably have to be the swimmers at the first one. I think Peter Van den Hoogenband. Obviously Thorpey (Ian Thorpe), for us, but then I remember in I think it was Beijing, I was standing in the laundry line, waiting to get my laundry in, because you know people do your laundry there (laughs). And um now I’ve forgetten his name, what’s the tennis player? Abid Imam: Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal? Kylie Wheeler: Nadal! Yeah, so Nadal was there and al the laundry people I’m sure wanted to get his autograph as well. Yeah I mean these guys are all just there trying to do their thing too. It’s lovely and nice to be a part of it. Abid Imam: I was watching an Olympic athlete presentation, where they are trying to get athletes prepared for the Olympics and talking about what village life is like in a chaotic, multi-event environment. They did mention that the swimmers have their competition in the first week and when they are done, they are all celebrating. Whereas the track & field athletes are all waiting that week Kylie Wheeler: Yeah (laughs) Abid Imam: What was that dynamic like? Kylie Wheeler: It was ok, I think Athletics Australia are really quite smart about that. I really wanted to march in the opening ceremony and be part of all of that because that’s what gets me excited and gets me ready for competition. Then you are there for a long time before you’re ready to race, but we are well trained athletes. We can keep pretty much focussed, I think, on what we’re trying to achieve so, it’s not too bad. You do what you’re there for. They will sort of send people in, not just before, but in waves ready for their event so they’re not sitting around too long, being idle. But I just love it, I love soaking up that atmosphere, it’s what makes it! Abid Imam: Oh for sure and Beijing 2008 was your last Olympics. Did you go into it knowing it would be? Were you able to soak it in and look at it through a different lense that way? Kylie Wheeler: I think so, yeah. I think I had a fair idea that was going to be it for me so I did. I just tried to make the most of it. I know we are there for a job, but it is just such an amazing experience and you want to make, as you said, the most of it all. Soak it all up, it’s all very life changing and makes us who we are. Abid Imam: So, with Rio 2016 on the horizon, do you still get a bit of Olympic fever watching it? Kylie Wheeler: (laughs) Um , I do but, I think I did my time so I am so excited to watch all these young athletes come through and I can imagine what they are feeling and what they are going through. I am just really excited for them. Abid Imam: Growing up, which athletes did you sort of look up to? Kylie Wheeler: Um, Cathy Freeman was probably my main idol. I just love what she was able to achieve and what she had to overcome to get there. Just an amazing story and I was really fortunate to be in Sydney in 2000 when she won her gold medal in the 400m and was in the stadium. I shed a tear and yeah it was just wonderful. Abid Imam: You were also in a relay team with her at the Commonwealth Games! Kylie Wheeler: Yeah, yeah, that was pretty cool (laughs) Abid Imam: How much did she spur you on? In terms of being a team mate with someone like her! Kylie Wheeler: Yeah, it was really cool, really kind of surreal. She’s a lovely person. I was so nervous being part of that relay team, more so than I was for my own heptathlon, but the girls were great. It takes four people to get that baton around and they made me feel part of it. Just to do what I could and I did my bit and it got them through to the finals. They went on and ended up doing really well, so that was great. Abid Imam: Which athletes in this current day do you really enjoy watching? Kylie Wheeler: I love watching anyone that’s enjoying themselves and getting out there and giving it a good crack. Which, you know, is most of them. Kim Mickle was my training partner when I was still competing and she’s still throwing nowadays. So, it’s really lovely to watch Kim. Obviously, the West Australians that I get to see down at the track each week and follow their progress. So, it’s wonderful to be a apart of all of their journeys. Abid Imam: A couple more. How did you get into the zone for competition? Were you a quiet or talkative athlete? Kylie Wheeler: I was probably a talkative athlete. When I got nervous, I started to chat. I just, I loved it. I think I got nervous because I was worried about the outcome. I just always used to hear my coach in the back of my head saying, think of the process and what you need to do. You’ve done it before so just go down that path. Don’t worry about the outcome, it’s just going to sort itself out. You can’t worry about what anyone else is going to do. So, after saying that mantra a few times in my head, I’d be ok with it all and just soak up all the atmosphere. Abid Imam: Now you’ve got the benefit of hindsight because we all know hindsight is 20.20 Kylie Wheeler: (laughs) wonderful things Abid Imam: What advice would you give to the 18 year old Kylie Wheeler who is just coming through the ranks? Kylie Wheeler: Yes, that’s a good one. Look, I’d probably just re-iterate what all my coaches were saying to me, but it’s one thing to hear it and then to actually understand it and take it on board. Umm.. to go out there, give it your best shot, know that you’ve done the work and to believe in myself and enjoy myself. Abid Imam: I think that would be great, sound advice for current athletes listening as well.So, Kylie, real pleasure to speak to you and great to work with you in athletics. Thanks very much for joining us on the Road to Rio. Kylie Wheeler: Lovely, thank you.