Quirindi High School students got a chance to spend time with Olympian Samantha Wells recently.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The award-winning aerial skier shared her experience of the sporting world and how to go about reaching big goals.
"When goal-setting, write down what you want to achieve, then break it down into smaller achievable pieces and then break it down further into everyday goals," Ms Wells said.
Read also:
She said attitude was everything.
"When you have a good attitude, you are more likely to attract a positive team around you. A positive team can help you achieve your goals. Its' very important to have a cohesive team and cheer your peers on.
"My annual training included over 3000 jumps with skis on into the pool in summer months and over 1000 winter location jumps as well as physio, stretching, weight and cardio training and eating healthy foods.
"I trained my mind as much as my body and stayed focused on my [health science] university degree as well as my sport."
When questioned about equity in sports, the athlete said that there were more opportunities for women in sport now than there used to be.
"Financially, we are equally paid across the board in the aerial skiing community, and funding available is dispersed equally," she said.
"I didn't find any discrimination in my sport and nowadays there is a lot of support for women in all sports in team management, coaching, event management as well as participation in sport."
Ms Wells visited the school as part of the Olympics Unleashed program, which aims to connect Olympians and NSWIS Athletes with NSW students to inspire and motivate them ahead of Tokyo 2020.
Ms Wells was originally a gymnast but wound up aerial skiing after sustaining an injury.
"I was laid up with an injury and my dad handed me flyer on how to become an aerial skier. It combined my love of flips and skiing, so I was hooked," she said.
Ms Wells took on her second Olympic Games in PyeongChang after making her debut four years earlier at the Sochi 2014 Games.
She has won two individual world cup medals, claiming silver in Deer Valley in early 2016 and bronze in Beida Lake later that year.
Ms Wells went on to place 10th in the 2017 Sierra Nevada World Championships in Spain and rounded out 2017 with two strong results in China, making both finals to claim 5th and 6th.
