Ellie Cole on training with Cate, Bronte Campbell, life away from Paralympic pool
Ellie Cole struggles to sink even half a beer. It’s what happens when you are an elite athlete. But now the champion swimmer is considering life away from the pool post 2020.
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Ellie Cole can’t wait for the day she can stay up later than 7pm and down a full glass of beer without getting woozy.
That day could come sooner rather than later.
One of Australia’s greatest swimmer is contemplating hanging up her togs after next year’s Paralympics in Tokyo.
Then again, she has said that before.
“I said that after Beijing, I said it after London and I said it after Rio,” Cole said.
“And here I am.”
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Cole, training for her fourth Paralympic Games in less than a year, acknowledges both her mind and body may need a complete break from the rigours of elite swimming.
She’s eager to invest time in projects out of the pool and have a social life that extends past her current bedtime of 7pm.
“I went out with Bronte the other night and I couldn’t even finish half a beer,’’ said Cole, whose right leg was amputated at age three after she suffered a life-threatening sarcoma cancer.
Her potential retirement from the elite side of the sport has made Cole more determined that ever to make every moment count.
To date, she has won an extraordinary 16 medals in past Paralympic competitions, including six golds.
And she’d like nothing better than to finish Tokyo with an even 20 in the bag.
“I’d love to get 20 but that means I have to win a medal in everything I do in Tokyo,’’ Coles said of her plan to race the 100m free, 100m backstroke and two 4x100m relays.
Helping her achieve the goal is a move to Sydney to train with superstar swim sisters Bronte and Cate Campbell in a new high performance program run in a partnership between Swimming Australia, the NSWIS, Pymble Ladies’ College and Knox Grammar School.
Cole says she is revelling in her new environment, new coaching and having good mates, Bronte Campbell, 25, and Cate Campbell, 27, in the same pool.
“The average age in swimming is around 21 so to be with older is refreshing,’’ Cole, 27, said.
“I really respect Cate going to her fourth (Olympics). I’ve walked a similar path.’’
But Cole misses her family in Melbourne and does not get to see them enough.
“Family is a big part of my life,’’ she said.
“I’m really missing spending time in Melbourne with them.’’
The again, Cole could be coaxed to extend her stellar career because of the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2020.
“I’ve never won a Commonwealth Games gold before,’’ she said.