Bundy's golden girl praises mum's support

A WINDOW of opportunity can be few and far between for some people, but Taryn Gollshewsky said her mother was determined to give her opportunities.

Bundaberg athlete Taryn Gollshewsky. Picture: Mike Knott BUN060519TAR2

A WINDOW of opportunity can be few and far between for some people, but Bundaberg athlete Taryn Gollshewsky said her mother was determined to give her plenty of opportunities.

With Mother's Day just around the corner, Miss Gollshewsky took time yesterday to talk all things sport and family.

Having represented Australia several times, including at the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Miss Gollshewsky said the support from her mum had been steadfast since the beginning.

"My mum was a huge believer in opening doors for my brother and I, providing us opportunities,” she said.

"My brother's the polar opposite to me, he liked computer games and all those kinds of things whereas in every opportunity mum offered to me I said yes.

"So as a kid I played countless sports - soccer, athletics, futsal, volleyball, swimming, surf life saving, dancing, cricket, tennis, anything and everything I could play, I did.”

Bundaberg's Taryn Gollshewsky finished third at a previous University Games in Taipei in Discus. Picture: Contributed

Having donned the nation's green and gold before, it seems like something Miss Gollshewsky was destined to do.

She said they have a book from either Grade 1 or 3 highlighting her aspirations as an athlete.

"It says 'when I grow up I want to represent Australia and wear a cool tracksuit',” she said.

Miss Gollshewsky said her Mum's support was phenomenal.

"She's worked two jobs since I was something like 15 just because my sport has cost our family so much money, so I wouldn't be the athlete that I am today without her for sure,” she said.

"She doesn't get to travel with me as often as we'd like, so she only came to states and nationals this year.

"I think I represented Australia twice before the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, that was actually the first time Mum saw me represent Australia.”

Taryn Gollshewsky training for the Commonwealth Games. Picture: Mike Knott BUN230118TARYN14

She said to have her mum see her succeed at nationals recently was a special moment for the both of them.

With nationals a success, Miss Gollshewsky has her sights on Oceania Championships.

"I'll be training between 20-25 hours per week in the next couple of months in the lead up to Oceanias,” she said.

"So I wake up at 4.30am every morning and go to the gym before work, then I do a full day of work as a teacher then after work I come to training here at the track.

"It's hard because I have to have recovery time between my training sessions, so the only way that we can separate them is one before work, one after work.

"There's not many athletes that actually work a full day like that in Australia... you've got to do what you've got to do.”

Bundaberg athlete Taryn Gollshewsky. Picture: Mike Knott BUN060519TAR5

Miss Gollshewsky said it was wonderful to be out on the school oval playing sport with kids all day.

"Of course it's always wonderful to see, help and assist students and children achieve their goals,” she said.

"Even if it's something as little as throwing a personal best, or to run as fast as they can or improving their technique, the littlest of things to see them get so excited and happy about those accomplishments is really fulfilling.”

While it hasn't always been at the forefront of her mind, she said to be an Olympian is the pinnacle of any athletes career.

Taryn Gollshewsky training for the Commonwealth Games. Picture: Mike Knott BUN230118TARYN6

Having played an range of sports Miss Gollshewsky said she simply loved sport and had always been an active person.

Growing up at the beach at Elliott Heads, when she had spare time Miss Gollshewsky said she spent her time snorkelling, stand-up paddleboarding and kite surfing.

"I do it because I love it, I enjoy sport,” she said.

"I enjoy the competitive nature of sport, it's a chance to escape life for an hour or so.

"It's you against yourself.”

Spending Saturday night celebrating the Bargara Little Athletics Club 25th anniversary night, gave Miss Gollshewsky a chance to think back to where it all began.

"That's where I started in Little Athletics, so I started in under-8s and it was just one of those things that mum offered the sport to me and I said 'yes' and went along,” she said.

"I came across my coach, Les Kuorikoski when I was 12, so I won my first state title when I was 12, first nationals when I was 13, first Australian team when I was 16 and just kind of kept with it.”

Miss Gollshewsky said she loved the challenge of discus.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to represent my country in doing something that I love,” she said.

"Not many people get to say that they get to do that.”

Heading into Oceanias in June, Miss Gollshewsky said in the light of her injury, her goal was to throw well.

Taryn Gollshewsky training for the Commonwealth Games. Picture: Mike Knott BUN230118TARYN3

"To get back up around that 60m mark I know I'm capable of throwing, I was training ridiculously well prior to my injury,” she said.

"So my coach and I, I guess are just excited for me to get back into that career best form and see what can happen from there, see where it takes me.”

Training and living in Bundaberg, Gollshewsky thanked her gym, YMCA whom have been a long time sponsor and Coral Coast Physio who've been helping her overcome her injury.

Without her coach Miss Gollshewsky, said she may have had to moved away from Bundaberg.

"He's phenomenal and his family has been instrumental in athletics in this town,” she said.

"He's a wonderful man to work with, he's like a father-figure to me - we get along really well.”

Miss Gollskewsky will compete in the Oceania Championships in Townsville in June.

Originally published as Bundy's golden girl praises mum's support