Athletes Take On Transformational Challenge

Written on the 14 November 2024 by The District Reporter

A very lucky group of athletes from across the wide variety of sport programs within the South West Sydney Academy of Sport have had the opportunity of a lifetime by partnering with MAPP in participating in a week-long Readiness Camp in Jindabyne throughout early November.

“Readiness Camps are designed to provide high-quality targeted athlete support by combining the thrill of sports with the transformative power of mindset and performance coaching, aimed at cultivating a greater self-confidence, and leadership skills while forming bonds with fellow athletes that will extend far beyond the camp.” Said Academy Sport Programs Manager Catarina Di Ramio.

“The eleven Athletes who undertook the opportunity to attend this camp, the first of its kind for the Academy, didn’t quite know what to expect when they entered, however came out the end of the camp with new friendships, and a greater confidence within themselves and their abilities.” Said Di Ramio.

The camp, led by renowned mindset performance coach Simon Williams, and champion snow-boarder Ryan Tierne, led athletes through five days of activities that challenged the athletes to not just face their fears, but conquer them. Mixing up thrill seeking activities such as abseiling, white water rafting and wakeboarding, with hiking 13km to the top of Mt Kosciuszko, yoga and breathwork, the camp provided athletes the opportunity to develop new skills that will aid their mental performance by staying calm under pressure, as well as push past their nerves.

Each activity providing athletes with a new challenge that relied on the group of athletes to work together to conquer individual and collective fears, or simply fight through exhaustion and fatigue to achieve a personal or team goal, further strengthening friendships and team camaraderie amongst the group.

Following each day’s activities, athletes had the opportunity to work together to complete their school homework, before sharing in the journeys of high profiled sports persons such as Olympian skateboarder Hayley Wilson and Paralympic snowboarder Ben Tudhope, as well as gaining an appreciation of the media with a session led by Channel Nine’s Mitch Tomlinson, who took athletes through a session on developing their own personal brand and media skills.

Further education sessions on deep relaxation, mindfulness and nutrition complimented the athletes busy schedule as each athlete grew in their own self-assessment and reflections.

“The most exciting part of the camp was one athlete who absolutely petrified of the water, but by the end of the day on the lake, found himself wakeboarding at high speed behind the boat, and then participating in the whitewater rafting the next day” said Di Ramio, who added that “This camp not only provides immediate mindset skills, but through the outcomes learned in the challenges, can really change an athletes trajectory within their self-belief and confidence, attributes that they will rely on later within their own journey.”

The Readiness Camp concept is one which the Academy hopes will become a permanent fixture on the Academy’s calendar that will be open to any athlete from within the Academy’s varied sport programs to attend. “Opportunities such as the Readiness Camps are an important part of the Academy’s program as we aim to assist athletes to continue to challenge their limits for the benefit of not just their athletic ability, but within their own personal life.

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