Hannah (Fr 2010) is a member of the Australian Women’s water polo team, also known as the ‘Aussie Stingers’. She started playing her favoured sport at the age of 12 at Wenona Girls High. In April this year Hannah was awarded the prestigious Sydney University Sports & Fitness Sportswoman of the Year award for both her sporting achievements and her willingness to encourage and teach younger players. Hannah is currently studying for a medical degree at the University of Sydney. We caught up with Hannah recently to discover how she’s feeling about the forthcoming Olympics.
How are you feeling about selection for the Tokyo Olympics team?
We have an incredible squad training at the moment, so this selection was incredibly difficult!
How do you think Tokyo will compare to the Rio in 2016?
The Tokyo Olympics will be a unique one to say the least. We will face challenges of maintaining COVID-safe practices, with compulsory mask wearing, social distancing and daily COVID testing. We have also not had the opportunity to play international games in over a year, so it is hard to predict where we stand on the international stage. Despite this we have been training hard and making strides as a team, and we are looking forward to rising to all the challenges that Tokyo presents. I also believe that these challenges highlight the honour in representing your country at an Olympic Games.
How did you get involved in water polo?
I began playing water polo at high school and just loved the sport. I joined the Sydney Northern Beaches Breakers team shortly afterwards and the opportunities in the sport grew from there. I am so grateful for all of them.
How did your time at St Andrew’s College help your sporting career?
St Andrew’s College was an incredible support for me during my undergraduate degree. It provided an environment that supported the pursuit of both sporting and academic goals and facilitated a well-rounded university experience. It enabled me to play the sport I loved while remaining involved in the other aspects of my life and made finding a balance easy.
What’s your most memorable moment from St Andrew’s?
My most memorable moment from St Andrew’s was winning my first Rosebowl Swimming competition. This was my first experience of Drew’s sporting culture and it was such an amazing feeling to have the whole college supporting us and surround the swim team to sing the St Andrew’s chant. It is a wonderful environment to be a part of, and it was the best place to call home for three years.
How do you juggle your studies with your sporting commitments?
While I think I may have the record for the longest medical degree, I am moving slowly but steadily towards graduation. I am very lucky that both Sydney University and Water Polo Australia have been incredible flexible to allow me to pursue both sport and study. As well as this, I have to be extremely organized and driven in pursuing both goals. Ultimately if you are passionate about what you are doing it makes finding time to dedicate to achieving those dreams a lot easier!