Breaststroker Jake Packard realises Olympic dream after juggling training and fulltime job

JAKE Packard never lost sight of becoming an Olympian despite juggling training with a fulltime job. On Friday, the breaststroker realised his dream.

SWIMMING AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

EVEN when he was getting up at 4am to train then working all day in a warehouse and training again at night Jake Packard never lost sight of his dream to become an Olympian.

On Friday it became a reality in Adelaide when the 21-year-old Queenslander won the 100m breaststroke at the selection trials in Adelaide and booked his ticket to Rio.

His parents who never stopped believing in him couldn’t be poolside to watch the biggest moment of his career as they’re preparing to farewell his sister Alyce who is about to be deployed to the Gulf with the Navy.

But Packard was in tears after the race when he was embraced by girlfriend and Australian water polo player Tiana Andersen.

Four years ago at the selection trials for London Packard didn’t even make a semi-final and after initially struggling for motivation to continue swimming he got a fulltime job doing warehouse work to pay his way to move from Noosa to Brisbane to keep his Olympic dream alive.

“Four years ago, the same pool, not even making a semi-final and to come back ...” Packard said almost in disbelief after making the qualifying time by just 0.08 of a second in 59.67 secs.

“I did stop for a little bit and didn’t want to do it, but my parents always believed in me.

“They always knew I wanted to swim and be an Olympian, so I rang Chris Mooney my coach and he was like ‘what do you want?’, and I told him I wanted to be an Olympian.

“He was like ‘we’re going to get you there’ so in that time from not wanting to do it (keep swimming) to here I am today.”

Jake Packard is all smiles after qualifying for Rio.

And Packard did it the hard way — training 5am to 7am, then working 8am to 4pm, then going back at the pool for training again from 4.30pm to 6.30pm to keep the money coming in.

He said he had his parents to thank for supporting him the whole journey.

“They wanted to be (here in Adelaide) but they know it’s such a big moment and they’re going to see my sister (Alyce) off because she’s in the Navy and getting deployed (to the Gulf),” Packard said.

“I wish she could have been here today but she’s heading off soon, it’s pretty big but she’s done it before and we know she loves her job and we support her no matter what.”

In other races, the next chapter in the McKeon family’s Olympic history will be written in Rio after Emma ended four years of pain by securing her spot on the Australian swimming team.

The 21-year-old won the women’s 100m butterfly in 56.89 secs at the selection trials to join older brother David on the team for Rio and follow in the footsteps of father Ron who swam in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics.

Emma McKeon will join her brother David in Rio.

The surprise however was McKeon’s Brisbane-based teammate Madeline Groves (57.08) who upset Alicia Coutts (57.27) to finish second and claim the other spot in the 100m butterfly.

All three swimmers went under the required qualifying time but Australia can only send two swimmers for each individual event.

Coutts, an Olympic gold medallist from London, can still qualify for Rio in the 200m individual medley and 100m freestyle later in the meet.

But it was sweet relief for McKeon who briefly flirted with the idea of quitting the sport after missing out on the team for London four years ago.

“Four years ago I was close to making it and after that I was like ‘I am not waiting another four years, I’m too impatient’ but it’s gone by so quickly and I’m glad I didn’t stop,” McKeon said.

“It’s a pretty big PB by half-a-second but I’ve been training pretty hard for it and I feel like I’ve really earnt it now.”

Groves, 20, said she surprised even herself given she thought her best chance of making the team was in the 200m butterfly.

“I knew it would be a really competitive race ... I just wanted to focus on myself and — it worked,” a beaming Groves said after the final.

“It’s hard training with Emma every day and seeing the amazing things she can do, I don’t really have as much speed, but I knew I would have a strong back end and I can’t wait to go and re-watch the race.

“It means so much, honestly it still hasn’t sunk in yet because my main event is the 200m fly so the 100m fly is an amazing bonus to be on the team already.”

McKeon’s older brother David, 23, raced in London in 2012 and by finishing second in the 400m freestyle final on Thursday night meant the siblings will be off to Rio together.

In the men’s 100m backstroke, Mitch Larkin remained on track for his tilt at the world record on Saturday night by easily winning his semi-final in 52.48 secs.

Originally published as Breaststroker Jake Packard realises Olympic dream after juggling training and fulltime job