Amie Thompson in artistic swimming team heading to Tokyo 2020
She moved across the country to achieve her sporting dream but Amie Thompson’s sacrifice is now paying off in spades.
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Amie Thompson loved her sport so much she moved across the country to realise her dream of competing at an Olympics.
Now she’s heading to her second.
The former Strathfield schoolgirl was one of four swimmers from the Rio Olympics named in the Australian artistic swimming team to compete in Tokyo later this year in Canberra on Wednesday.
Her four other teammates are all debutants.
“It feels so good to say I’m going to my second Olympics,’’ said Thompson who moved from Sydney to Perth to pursue her synchronised swimming career when 17.
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Now 24, she is heading to her second Games as a senior member of the Australian team after falling for the sport when at school.
“My swim teacher suggested it because I was bored with swimming,’’ she said.
“She said I should try synchro and from the day on it took my heart.’’
In Tokyo the engineering student will contest the eight person teams event and the duet with Amber Rose Stackpole, who also competed in Rio.
Jane Fruzynski, Kiera Gazzard, Kirsten Kinash and Rachel Presser were named for their first Olympic Games.
Hannah Cross and Emily Rogers will join Thompson and Stackpole at their second.
Gazzard, at just 18 and hailing from Randwick, is the youngest member of the team.
“This is my dream come true,’’ Gazzard said.
“I vividly remember watching the Beijing Olympics when I was seven saying to my
mum, ‘I want to go to the Olympics’.
“I can’t believe I can now look back and say I’ve done it, I’ve made an Olympic Team.
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