Olympics: Melissa Tapper, table tennis star, reveals how she fought from ‘dark hole’ to make Paris

Melissa Tapper is the first Australian athlete to represent the country at the Olympics and Paralympics, but she had to fight her way from a ‘dark hole’ to make the team for the Paris Games.

Table tennis star Melissa Tapper had to fight her way out of a “dark hole” to qualify for her third Olympics.

Tapper is the first Australian athlete to represent the country at the Olympics and Paralympics but the physical and mental pressure of preparing to do the double for the third time was taking its toll.

Just eight months out from the Paris qualification event, the 34-year-old veteran was feeling burnt out and finding it difficult to walk into the table tennis hall.

Speaking to En Route to Paris podcast, Tapper told host Rowie Webster that making the team for Paris was special.

Melissa Tapper will represent Australia at a third Olympics. Picture: Alex Coppel.

“I think this one was probably a little more special than most,” Tapper said.

“Because at that point, when I saw you, I’d just started coming out of a dark hole.

“I wasn’t getting great results. I was struggling inside the hall.

“Motivation was so low and the whole belief in myself wasn’t there.”

Tapper credited her extensive support network, including coach and husband Simon Gerarda, for getting her back on track for what will be her last Games.

“They just sort of rallied me and were like, ‘all right, what are we going to do to start getting you into a great mind space and feeling good’,” Tapper said.

“Understanding that it was going to be a slow process but I had people around me that were going to support me.

“And with that it was like, ‘all right, we’ve got this time now, just have a real crack at it, it’s going to be the last one’.”

The pieces of the jigsaw started falling into place and by the time the Olympic qualifying tournament took place in Ballarat, where she played her first state tournament as a 12-year-old, she was back to her best.

Melissa Tapper on her way to victory. Picture: Stuart Milligan

The Tokyo Paralympic silver medallist said booking her ticket to Paris at the same venue where she won her first trophy was a special feeling.

“I remember walking out of that stadium with the under-12 girls’ singles winner trophy and I tell you what, it was very much the same kind of feeling that I had,” Tapper said.

“Mum and dad were there for that first tournament and they were there again at the (Olympic) qualifier.

“And I’m pretty sure they still had the same kind of joy and enjoyment that came with it as well, so I don’t think it could have finished on a better note for me.”

● To listen to the full Melissa Tapper episode, download the En Route to Paris series on the Apple Podcast or Spotify apps.

Originally published as Olympics: Melissa Tapper, table tennis star, reveals how she fought from ‘dark hole’ to make Paris