OH! Magazine - Australian Version June 2016 | Page 6

( OH WOW! )

WHAT IT TAKES TO BE AN
OLYMPIC ATHLETE
OH! Magazine chats with world champion sailors and Blackmores Well Being
Athletes, Mat Belcher and Will Ryan on their quest for Olympic glory in Rio.

W

hat originally inspired you to begin
sailing?

Will: I was actually fortunate enough to go
out on the waters of Sydney harbour on my
grandfather’s boat when only a few days
old! Although it took some years before I
became interested in sailing as a sport,
I’m sure this had something to do with it.
My Olympic Games pathway in sailing was
inspired by our now coach, Victor
Kovalenko, after a chance meeting at a
local yacht club. He told me that if I
worked hard and joined his program I
could be a world champion one day. Now I
have even bigger goals, thanks to Victor!
Mat: I really liked being in control of a boat
when I was younger and still do now.
Sailing is so different to many other sports
you do when you’re younger. It’s always
interesting and different each time you go
out.
Can you give us a small insight into what it
actually takes to make it to the Olympic
Games?
Will: My journey for the Olympic Games
started in earnest in 2009, and since then
under the Victor’s guidance; countless
hours have been spent trying to learn and
develop the sailing skills to sail our race
boat well, but also the life skills to be able
to compete and race at the highest level
and make good race decisions.
We spend five to six days on the water per
week, with the day split between on-water
sailing time, time in the gym, time to
manage the logistics of our campaign, and
maintain the equipment of our boats. To

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JUNE 2016 ( OH! MAGAZINE )

enter for the Olympic Games your country
must meet the requirements for a spot on
the starting line in your division, and you
must also then qualify yourself as the top
Australian with a medal prospective, as
only one team is allowed to be entered in
each division.
Mat and myself have now met both
criteria, and were recently selected to join
the Rio 2016 Australian Olympic Team!
Mat: The journey to the Olympic Games is
very different for each athlete. Sometimes
it is just being patient or lucky enough to
be in the right position at the right time,
but above all it takes a lot of hard work,
dedication and passion to push through
the hard times. Trusting in yourself and
following your dreams. My journey has
taken 12 years.
How has the recent World Championships
shaped your preparation for Rio?
Will: The recent World Championship was
one of the peak events in the lead up to
this years Olympic Games. To place third
overall after entering the event as
defending World Champions, was not
quite the level on the dias we wanted to
stand; however, we are really proud of the
way we competed, and also quite fortunate
to have had the opportunity to learn a lot
of new things which should put us in good
stead for the Olympic Games. The
conditions were extremely challenging,
and at the completion of day one we sat in
33rd position overall. To fight back to a
Bronze medal really gives us a lot of
confidence as we move forwards in the
coming months to the Olympic Games.

Mat: The World Championships is always
important especially in the Olympic year.
We came away with the Bronze and
considering the circumstances we faced,
we were pleased. The conditions we faced
were very different to that of any other
venue, especially Rio. There were mass
amounts of weed across the course, the
changes between fresh water, salt water
and very brown water made for interesting
racing. However, it’s the same for everyone
so it was great experience for us. I think
these lessons from this event will help us
a lot going forward and I’m really excited
where we are going as a team.
What is your formula for winning success?
Will: We have a strong support system.
Many hands make light work, right? Our
team includes our coach, family and
friends. Having a good support system
gives us strength and makes us
accountable for achieving our dreams.
Investing in the system you have is key, as
this is the platform that will help you
succeed. It takes a lot of hard work, but
having the right people around you makes
it more enjoyable and easier to push the
boundaries ourselves that little bit further.
Mat:
Adequate
nutrition
and
supplementation fuels our performance,
because what you take out of your body,
you need to put back in. It’s important for
us to use supplements that compliment
our fitness and healthy eating routine. Our
current favourite is the Blackmores
Exercise Range, as it’s tailored to assist
recovery, especially in people like us who
exercise frequently.