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Ask Stephanie

1/ When did you start swimming?
Learn to swim at 18 months but I commenced Club swimming at 10yrs age at Ascot State School swimming club. I think I still hold the 11yrs Girls 50m Backstroke record from 1999.

2/ Do you remember your first competitive race - and your first trophy?
Grade 1 – 15 metre kickboard race at St Margaret’s Primary School. I won a blue ribbon and still have it.

3/ Other than in Australia, what has been your favourite place to compete?
Beijing is going to be hard to beat. It was amazing.

4/ You're a medley swimmer; what is your favourite stroke?
Butterfly

5/ Why do swimmers train so early in the morning?
We need to train twice a day and you have to maximise the recovery time in between. Plus the times allow students to train before and after school.

6/ Is it hard to get out of bed to train so early?
Yes and it doesn’t get any easier. I try and stay in bed as late as I can but I'm up by 0455hrs

7/ Who was your swimming hero and non-swimming hero growing up?
Susie O’Neill was my swimming hero and James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) was my non-swimming hero.

8/ What does winning an Olympic gold medal feel like?
Incredible, a mixture of pride, excitement and relief.

9/ What has been your biggest disappointment and how did you rebound from it?
Everyone has disappointments in their life but it is the ones who turn a disappointment into a positive and learn from it, they are the ones who succeed.

10/ Who has been your toughest competitor?
Kirsty Coventry is by far the toughest competitor I have raced against and remains so today.

11/ What is the best advice you received for your swimming career and who did it come from?
Bohly, my coach. Character creates longevity. A big part of character is the self discipline needed to resist temptation and avoid complacency. Understand that past success doesn’t guarantee future success. Athletes that win over and over have more than ability...they have strong character.

12/ What is your pre-race routine like?
It’s always the same. Exactly the same. I stretch, warm-up, get my suit on, talk to Bohly about the race plan. Listen to my music on my Ipod in the marshalling room. Then on pool deck I do 8 arm swings and splash my body 4 times. Then on the block I do 4 goggle presses.

13/ What is the best concert you've been to?
Rihanna and Chris Brown.

14/ What sports and sports teams do you follow?
I don’t follow a team but I like watching the Tennis and I follow Serena Williams.

15/ If you weren't swimming, what would you be doing?
I have no idea because I always knew I was going to be a Swimmer.

16/ What is your favourite music?
I love a bit of everything but especially Timbaland & Rihanna

17/ What is one thing that most people don't know about you?
I was identified through the Queensland Academy of Sport as a talent for Cycling when I was 14yrs. I gave up after a year because I really wanted to swim.

18/ What is your favourite holiday destination?
So far Hawaii but I’ve always wanted to go to Tahiti.

19/ iPhone or Blackberry?
Both, one of each. The best of both worlds!

20/ Favourite T.V. show?
Gosh that’s tough! 90210 (the new one of course) closely followed by Desperate Housewives.

21/ Favourite Colour?
Anything bright... At the moment it is Aqua

22/ Biggest dislike?
People grinding their teeth. Grrrrr...
 
23/ Favourite season?
Spring
 
24/ How do you stay motivated & did you ever want to give up?
I know I have not yet got the best out of myself and I'm determined to achieve that. Sure there are times when it is tough and you think of giving up but I think about the process and have goal times that I try and achieve.
 
25/ What are some things you are good at and bad at? 
I'm good at saying the alphabet backwards and I'm bad at keeping my room tidy.
 
26/ Who is your main rival and are you friends with her? 
My main rivals keep changing over the years but at present my biggest rival in the 200IM is Alicia Coutts from Australia and yes I am friends with her and in the 400IM it is Elizabeth Beisel from America and yes I am friends with her too.
 
27/ Have you ever done synchronised swimming? 
Only when I'm fooling around in the pool and I suck!!
 
28/ Are you a vegetarian? 
No. I love my meat. Especially lamb.
 
29/ Do you plan on going to the next Olympics? 
Making the team for London 2012 and swimming the best I can is my goal.
 
30/ What is a typical day in the life of Stephanie Rice? 
Up just before 5am, drive to the pool, 3-5km run + swim 6km. Quick breakfast then head off to Strength & Conditioning coach for an hour session. Generally home around 11am. Somedays there will be physio session or a massage just before lunch. Lunch, rest for 2-3 hours, then back to the pool for core work + 6 km swim. Home around 7pm, have dinner, watch a bit of television then bed.
 
31/ What is a typical day for you now you are rehabilitating from shoulder surgery? 
I am only allowed to swim once a day and the maximum distance is 1.5km. I am doing more work with the physiotherapist and strengthening my shoulder gently with my strength & conditioning coach. I am doing more sessions on the bike to help me keep fit. I'm up at 6am and head to the pool. I am finished around 7.30am and go home for breakfast. I visit the physio and strength coach mid morning but am finished for the day around 12.30pm. I like to head to Fitness First gym in the afternoon for a killer spin class.
 
32/ What is your typical day of eating? 
My diet is closely linked to my training schedule. The harder I train the more energy I require. Post shoulder surgery my energy requirements are less and it is important to make sure I am not gaining weight. I do enjoy a healthy diet which comprises of salad, vegetables, fruit, lean meat, eggs, rice. I love sushi.
 
33/ What gets you down at times? 
Not being able to train as well as I know I can. There are always Ups & Downs in training  and I know I have to just push through and keep positive.
 
34/ What was your fastest freestyle time at 8yrs of age? 
I was not a fast swimmer when I was young. I focussed on swimming technically well and listening to my coach. I started swimming really well around 14yrs of age.
 
35/ What are your tips to improve butterfly? 
Catching at the start of the stroke and keeping your elbows high. Having a very strong butterfly kick to help your tempo, but it is all about timing. Kicking as your hands start the catch and kicking again as they end the pull.
 
36/ What are your tips for maintaining healthy hair? 
I guess I have been blessed genetically with strong, healthy hair and lots of it. I do rinse my hair after every session and I shampoo and condition a couple of times a week.
 
37/ Who is in your family? 
My Mum & Dad divorced when I was 4yrs old. Both have remarried and I have a sister 7yrs younger than me and a brother 15 yrs younger than me. Both of my families get on really well together and are very supportive of me.
 
38/ What's your favourite number? 
I have two, 4 & 8.
 
39/ Do different swimmers make you swim faster? 
The level of competition makes me swim faster.
 
40/ What is your advice for swimmers that are young and loving the water ? 
Enjoy swimming and focus more on technique rather than kilometers.
 
41/ How many training suits do you own? 
Over 60! A girl can't turn up to work wearing the same outfit too often & when you work 9 times a week you need variety. That's my excuse!
 
42/ What is your life motto? 
Be the best you can be.
 
43/ What is your advice to become a great swimmer? 
Firstly, love and enjoy swimming. Secondly, technique, technique, technique and Thirdly, train as hard and as well as you possibly can all the time!
 
44/ Where do you see your life heading after swimming?
I am interested in media, fashion, swim clinics, motivational presentations, travel and I love kids. I see myself doing  a lot of different things.
 
45/ Have you met Serena Williams? 
No but I would love to meet Serena as she is my sports idol. I love how she always manages to rise to every challenge and get the very best out of herself.
 
46/ How did you become involved in swimming and how many hours a day do you train? 
I have always loved the water and I pestered my Mother constantly to let me go swimming training and she finally took me to a small club when I was in Grade 2. I trained for 1 hour twice a week and just loved it. I now train in the water, on average 4 hours a day 6 days a week.
 
47/ How did you manage school on top of swimming? 
You need to develop good management and organisation skills. Talk to your school and your coach to look at alternative options around exam and competition time. Make sure you devote a lot of your focus towards school as education lasts a lifetime.
 
48/ How do you become the best and what do you tell yourself when you feel like you aren't getting better or you want to give up? 
If swimming is really your passion then you need to stick with it through the good and bad times. It is important to compare yourself against yourself and against previous results from a similar meet. Listen to your coach as you are a team working towards the same goal.
 
49/ What activities do you do in the off season to stay fit?
Swimmers don't have an off season and I average 4 weeks off swimming a year. During this time I like to have a break but I do enjoy group activities with my friends, like, going for a bike ride, body surfing, tennis, pole dancing and body jam classes.
 
50/ What diet do you follow and does it change during the season?
I get a lot of questions about my diet and I can't give professional advice on this matter as the IP belongs to my Dietician. I have written a Blog on my dietary requirements as the information is extensive and requires more room than a Q&A. Yes my diet requirements do change according to my daily activity.
 
51/ How long did it take you to recover from your shoulder surgery to when you where able to start training again?
I was back in the water 3 weeks after shoulder surgery but I was only doing kick and one armed swimming. It took 12 weeks from when I first got back in the water to when I was able to swim and train properly but not at full capacity. It then took another couple of months after that until I was able to cope with the intensity and the load on my shoulder. It was probably 5 months until I was in full training.
 
52/ What are your favourite strokes from 1st to 4th and what is your best stroke?
Over the years that I have been swimming I have had different "favourite" strokes, depending on what I was swimming the best at that time. But I have always been a good butterfly swimmer and it would be my favourite, then it's close between freestyle and backstroke and then breastroke. My best stroke is the Medley.
 
53/ Of all the swimwear brands available what would be your favourite?
I really like great colours & designs on my swimwear and I find it hard to buy this in Australia. I don't know why because the leisure swimwear designers are fantastic but the active range is a bit boring. I purchase the majority of my swimwear from overseas and from a range of manufactures.
 
54/ In the lead up to an event what psychological strategies (motivation/ goal setting/ relaxation techniques) do you employ to improve or achieve optimum performance?
I don't employ psychological strategies as such. I like to keep everything simple and keep my routine the same as I find this reassuring and relaxing. I speak with Bohly often about how I am feeling as he is a great sounding board and he keeps me relaxed and motivated. I do write down my goals as I find visualising them is a powerful tool.
 
55/ What was your typical training like at 14years of age?
I swam 7-8 sessions a week and around 5 kilometers each session. The gym work was more cardio based rather than strength based as your body is still growing at 14 years. I also played other sports, such as Hockey, Netball and I competed in the odd Triathalon.
 
56/ What is your typical breakfast like?
It needs to be portable as I take my breakfast with me in the morning as I go straight from training to gym or physiotherapy. I pack in a container of fresh fruit such as blueberries (when they are in season), my homemade organic museli, a container of organic soy milk and another container of natural organic yogurt. I keep this all cool until I am ready to eat it after the morning session is finished.
 
57/ What do you do if you get Disqualified in one of your races?
I've been DQ'd heaps of times...it use to really upset me when I was young but I learnt to deal with it by working really hard on my technique with my starts, turns and finishes. Obviously if you're young it is hard to deal with...but every swimmer I know has been DQ'd....work on the positives. 
 
56/ What is your middle name?
Louise
 
Got a question for Stephanie? asksteph@stephanierice.com.au
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