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Four medals, records for Christchurch swimmer

Sophia BatchelorSwimmer Sophia Batchelor amazed her team mates with her recent performance at the Pacific School Games in Australia.
New Zealand’s most successful female swimmer at the meet, 13-year-old Batchelor grabbed four individual medals – Gold in the 50m butterfly, silver in the 100m butterfly and bronze in the 100m and 200m backstroke. She also broke four New Zealand age group records.

In an email interview, Batchelor said she couldn’t believe it when she saw she had broken the records:

I looked up at the board and saw my time... I threw my fist in the air and yelled ‘Yes! I've done it.’ It just wouldn't really sink in that I had beaten  the record! I kept saying over and over again: ‘I did it, I really did it!’ I looked over at my team who were screaming their heads off in support, it was then when it hit me what I had just done.

Batchelor has trained hard for her success, and says she has a routine that helps her get into the zone when she competes.

Before my races I listen to my music (my old iPod shuffle has come to every meet since I started and has been through the washing machine several times). No artists in particular , just whatever's good and will get me pumped. The last song I always listen to is Remember the Name by Fort Minor. ‘This is 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% concentrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain and 100% reason to remember the name’.  

Sophia“I just think those lyrics really represent what we do as athletes and reminds me that I am going to have to give heaps to make this race work. I get into this kind of ‘zone’ and no-one can disturb me when I'm in there. I'm completely focused on what I'm going to do. Behind the blocks I think of what time I'm going to do and block out everything else. I loosen my muscles off and do this "jumpy thing" to let my body know something big is about to happen. I take lots of deep breaths and wait for the whistle. When the whistle blows I jump onto the blocks and build up my spine, vertebrae by vertebrae and straighten up. I take one more deep breath just before the ‘take you marks’ sounds and race (when all the training finally pays off).

Overwhelming to represent NZ

Representing New Zealand in Australia was “overwhelming”, Sophia said.

Once we got to Aussie everything sort of hit us. The sea of black uniforms at the airport was awesome and had all the locals staring. We suddenly realised that we were here competing at an international meet for our country. It was overwhelming. Mitch (our team captain) decided that we should wear our silver caps for heats and black ones for finals and everyone was determined to use their black caps.

“The opening was long and hot (and a bit odd in that the performers faced the spectators on the other side of the stadium and so we looked at the performers  backs the whole time!). The accommodation was five minutes walk from the pool in shared rooms (my roomy was Evon Storey from  Palmerston North). The food was wonderful - I even got to have my usual breakfast of pancakes and hot chocolate each day.

The home comforts helped ease the pressure of competing – Sophia was the first New Zealander to get on the starting blocks.

I was so nervous at marshalling -  I was shaking. The team and coaches had all  joked that I was going to lead our team to victory. But when I was racing my team was so supportive I could hear them yelling "go go go!!" so I  just went - and when I finished I could hear the recurring shouts of "Shot Kiwi" from the boys and knew I had done well.

Outstanding support

Sophia said the team got heaps of support from friends and family.

The messages from home were great and we all listened for ones for ourselves as they were read out -they filled the whole wall of the common room. We didn't get to see the others Kiwis compete at diving or track and field and mainly just ate, slept, swum and cheered for our team.

“As the meet went on the chanting and cheering got louder and more fun, our team had lots of fun teaming up with the Queensland team and Fijian teams - no one could find the one swimmer from Guam although we all looked for them!

“The Aussies were very loud and confident especially the teams from NSW and Queensland but our team was going so well - everyone gave everything to their races that it was not unusual for our swimmers to literally crawl across the floor after racing and fall into the warm water of the warm down pool.

“The pb's, medals and records inspired us all and even the quieter members of our team yelled and shouted in support of the Kiwis. The party afterwards was wickedly awesome!

The experience is one Batchelor says she will never forget:

For me to come out of the PSG having broken a New Zealand record four times, three Canterbury records and have a gold, silver and two bronzes is still very hard for me to believe. We went into PSG a group of individuals and came out a team. It was incredible how much we "bonded" and there were many tears at the airport (most of which came from the guys).

No rest for the winner

Batchelor has little time to rest – she has already competed at the New Zealand Summer Champs demolishing the New Zealand 13 years 50 metres butterfly record - it now stands at 28.79. Batchelor, Annabelle Carey, Alex Laidlaw and Amaka Gessler who won the regional 4 x 100m medley relay. Their final time of 4.13.75 was a new Canterbury record.

With the Auckland Age Group champs, a club swim camp in Nelson, the Canterbury champs and the national age group competition in 2009, Batchelor is in for a busy summer.

December 2008