Swimming greats write personal letters to our Olympic swimmers ahead of Rio Games

AUSTRALIAN swimmers have received personal handwritten letters of inspiration from past Olympic greats to help them cope with the stress and pressure of competing in Rio.

David McKeon on the pool deck at the Australian team’s training camp at the University of Auburn, Alabama.

AUSTRALIAN swimmers have received personal handwritten letters of inspiration from past Olympic greats to help them cope with the stress and pressure of competing in Rio.

Far from the “lonely Games” of London four years ago, this Dolphins team will have a greater connection to the past than any other team in Australian history.

Swimmers’ Association boss Daniel Kowalski secretly organised for every Australian swim team member to receive a personal keepsake and letter from an Olympian in their own event.

Australian swimmer Matt Abood at the team’s training camp at the University of Auburn Aquatic Centre in Alabama.

It is one of the new “traditions” introduced to the swim team in the wake of the last Olympics when athletes felted isolated and disconnected not only from each other but the country.

Since 2012 Australia has made the gold cap sacrosanct for open teams only, conducted an Olympic blazer ceremony with Dawn Fraser and now presented letters of inspiration from past greats.

“I think the greatest thing is it’s all happened organically,” Kowalski said.

4x200m freestyle relay member Leah Neale recovering after a hard swim at Australia’s University of Auburn Aquatic Centre in Alabama.

“Initially things had to be put in place, but it’s happened organically (since then) and they’ve all bought into it, embraced it and ran with it.

“After London we were really working hard trying to instil this culture and trying to reconnect the past with the present.”

Kowalski presented the letter to each athlete in camp in Auburn on Sunday evening, talking directly to the team via a facetime video call as the letters were handed to the athletes by team management in a meeting that became a night of high emotion for the athletes.

Australian swimming team members doing colouring in at the team hotel during their training camp in Alabama.

Written in ink was personal messages from the likes of Kieren Perkins, John Devitt, David Theile, Michael Wenden, Leisel Jones, Hayley Lewis and even a message from Samantha Riley who was able to tell rookie breaststroker Georgia Bohl how she could recall the day the daughter of coach Michael Bohl was born.

Ian Thorpe penned a letter to the new teen superfish Kyle Chalmers and Australia’s last Olympic 100m freestyle champ Jodie Henry wrote to Olympic favourite Cate Campbell, but the most emotional presentation came when Kowalski called upon 400m and 1500m freestyler Mack Horton to receive a message from Jodi Rose, the wife of 1956 and 1960 Olympic gold medallist Murray Rose who passed away in 2012.

“Probably the most special one for me was I asked Murray Rose’s wife Jodi to write a letter for Mack,” Kowalski said.

“She hand wrote a letter to Mack so it’s panned out really, really special and something for them to reflect upon and for me personally I got to facetime with them when they got it yesterday so that was a highlight personally.”

Theile, the 1956 and 1960 Olympic 100m backstroke champion, said he was honoured to be asked to write a letter to Australia’s current world champion Mitch Larkin whom he met for the first time in Brisbane earlier this year.

Australian swimming team members playing Uno at the team hotel during their training camp in Alabama.

“I was asked to write a letter and very happy to do so,’’ Theile said.

“I have met him and I enjoyed his company. I would like to see him win gold.’’

In the letter Theile gives Larkin a rousing seal of approval, saying he has the preparation, focus and character to join the “golden backstrokers club.’’

He urges him to be confident but not to shout the confidence from the rooftops as Theile never did before he raced. He enjoyed playing the role of underdog before his two gold medal wins.

It’s a theme almost every Australian swimmer received. Be humble, believe in yourself and do your best.

The letters - who wrote to who

Jessica Ashwood - Jenny Wetton

Bronte Barratt - Michelle Ford

Georgia Bohl - Samantha Riley

Bronte Campbell - Sarah Ryan

CateCampbell - Jodie Henry

TamsinCook - Hayley Lewis

Alicia Coutts -Tracey Stockwell

BrittanyElmslie - Susan O’Neill

BlairEvansSue - Dill Macky

MadelineGroves - Felicity Lemke

BelindaHocking - Leigh Habler

EmmaMcKeon - Giaan Rooney

TaylorMcKeown - Leisel Jones

KerynMcMaster - Lara Carroll

LeahNeale - Jacinta van Lint

Kotuku Ngawati - Alice Tait

Emily Seebohm - Nicole Livingstone

Brianna Throssell - Petria Thomas

Madison Wilson - Lisa Forrest

Matthew Abood - Brett Hawke

Joshua Beaver - Matt Welsh

Kyle Chalmers - Ian Thorpe

Thomas Fraser-Holmes - Robert Bruce

Jacob Hansford - Patrick Murphy

Mack Horton - Jodi Rose

Grant Irvine - Martin Roberts

Mitch Larkin - David Theile

Travis Mahoney - Matthew Dunn

Cameron McEvoy - Mark Stockwell

David McKeon - Michael Wenden

Jack McLoughlin - Kieren Perkins

David Morgan - Jon Sieben

Jake Packard - Ryan Mitchell

Joshua Palmer - Brenton Rickard

Daniel Smith - Deane Pieters and Deane Pieters

James Magnussen - John Devitt

James Roberts - Michael Klim

Originally published as Swimming greats write personal letters to our Olympic swimmers ahead of Rio Games