I have a race routine. I have a team of people helping me. I have winning habits. I believe in myself. I have balance in my life.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Every single thing in my life is built around race.
When it comes to my racing career I'm very driven and very selfish. People who are around me at races will know that I'm a different person here than in my personal life. I completely blank people at races. I need to be focused. I'm rude.
There's always a lot of talk about motivation to race, but nobody really knows what I do or what I think apart from myself, so I don't really care what people think.
I'm a very goal-oriented person, so I look at the specific demands of a certain race and tailor my training towards that.
Normally I don't race other people; I challenge the environment and my own limitations.
And I guess the thing that I really sort of rely on in me is that I love racing and I love competing and so I know that you know when the time comes and the pressure's on and I have to swim well, I'm sort of able to pull it out and sort of get the best out of myself.
I've been racing for my whole life, and I know what I need to do to be able to win.
I've got to win every race.
Mentally, my key is just focusing on the little things I need to do in a race, whether that's tempo, turn entry, start speed, things like that. I'm not thinking about that much before or during a race. I just trust in my ability and all the hard work I put in and let the race come to me.
I try to keep in mind that it's a long journey. It's not a race. It's about staying focused, continuing to do good work, make my family and community proud; that's all I really want to do... and pay my bills.