Kyle Swan is our 7th Athlete to speak to us about making the 2015 IAAF World Youth Championships Team. Members of the team will compete in Colombia, from July 15th to 19th 2015.
How did you get involved in Athletics?
Every weekend I would go and watch my older brother compete at the local little athletics club, and at the age of 6 I decided to try it out for myself. At first I wasn’t particularly good at any event, however a few years later I began training with my first coach and I haven’t looked back since!
When you first heard that you made the team, what was your initial reaction?
When I first heard that I had been selected for the team, I was obviously very excited, as this will be my first time representing Australia at an international event! I was also very relieved upon finding out I was included in the team, as all the hard work and frantic weeks of preparation had finally payed off!
Are you doing anything differently in preparation for this competition?
My preparation for World Youths has been very similar to my preparation for many other significant competitions in the past. My coach and I deliberately tried to replicate my preparation for Nationals earlier this year, since it worked out very well for me there. Recently, I have also been doing a few of my sessions in a heat room on a treadmill. This is an attempt to prepare myself for the very hot and humid conditions of Colombia, after training in the cold climate of Melbourne for the past months.
What are you most looking forward to about the trip to Colombia?
I’m really looking forward to travelling to such a foreign and unique country. I’ve been overseas before, but never to a place with such a different culture like Colombia. I’m also very excited to compete at my first international competition. Racing in the Colombian heat against some very quick opponents will be tough, but I can’t wait!
Who has been your biggest inspiration in this sport?
My biggest inspiration within athletics would have to be Jared Tallent. He is an incredible athlete and has the ability to always perform well on the world stage, when it matters.
What advice would you give to someone who is looking to become a professional Athlete?
There really is no secret when I comes to success within any sport, it’s all about hard work. Set clear goals and work towards them relentlessly, but also have the intelligence to know when to be patient and to take it easy. With the right mindset and correct methodology, anything is possible.
