Ian Thorpe and taekwondo’s Safwan Khalil know family support is key to fulfilling Olympic dreams

FOR all the excitement that an Olympic Games brings, Ian Thorpe also understands the challenges that come with preparing for a campaign.

Ian Thorpe with Olympian Safwan Khalil (L) and Ali Khalil (R). Picture: Adam Yip

IF anyone understands the behind the scenes support network required to succeed at the Olympics, it’s Ian Thorpe.

The retired superstar may have been hailed the ‘Super Fish’ during his stellar career, but Thorpe overcame countless setbacks to star on world sport’s biggest stage.

As a young child he was impacted by a chlorine allergy, which forced him to sit out swimming until he was seven years of age.

Even when he received the green light to compete, Thorpe had to swim with his head out of the water.

Despite this inconvenience, he managed to go on and win nine individual gold medals as captain at the NSW Australian Primary Schools Championships in 1994.

It was a successful tournament that sparked Thorpe’s career and a moment he regularly stops to appreciate.

Thorpe knows he wouldn’t have reached the grand heights of his career without his family.

It’s why he was more than happy to pass on his extensive knowledge of his Olympic experiences to fellow Australian athlete Safwan Khalil at a special Q&A session in Casula on Saturday.

Khalil competes in taekwondo and Rio will be his second Olympics, after narrowly missing out on a bronze medal in London.

Ian Thorpe with Olympian Safwan Khalil (L) and Ali Khalil (R). Picture: Adam Yip

The Lebanon-born athlete moved to Australia at a young age and trains at his brother Ali’s gym, Global Martial Arts.

Interestingly, Ali also doubles as his coach and the Australian Olympic mentor.

It’s a family affair Thorpe can fully relate to as a fellow Sydneysider who grew up in a sports mad family in Milperra.

“Watching Safwan speak really reminded me of that high right before an Olympic Games,” Thorpe told The Sunday Telegraph.

“We are about 40 days out from the Olympics, so now is the time to start getting excited.

“I would have just finished training on a Saturday morning and I’d be looking forward to having a sleep and that’s probably about it.”

For all the excitement, Thorpe also understands the challenges that come with preparing for an Olympic campaign.

“People see the more glamorous side of sport, but they don’t see that behind every minute of competition there is the hours of training,” he said.

“There are early starts and sacrifices to every other part of your life just so you have the opportunity to be able to perform.

Ian Thorpe passed on words of advice to Olympic medal hopeful Safwan Khalil. Picture: Adam Yip

“We live our lives in the pursuit of excellence and to do that you experience incredible highs and lows.”

Khalil certainly appreciates the effort required to succeed on the Olympic stage.

He also knows he wouldn’t be where he is today without his family.

“There is absolutely no way I could be here right now if it wasn’t for the big boss, my father,” he said.

“He has been working 16 hour days for as long as I can remember to provide for the family and his work ethic and belief in me has just been unreal.

“There is no way me or any of my six brothers and sister could be here without them.

“Then there’s my lovely mother who has been there every step of the way.”

Thorpe believes Khalil’s strong family network is a crucial message for the pubic to understand and appreciate.

“We often forget when people represent the national team that they came from small communities as well,” he said.

“It’s important for young people to know that most of their heroes come from communities just like them.

“Those communities can help to foster really good results, so it’s important to recognise them.”

Originally published as Ian Thorpe and taekwondo’s Safwan Khalil know family support is key to fulfilling Olympic dreams