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I was born in 1978 in the Mercy Hospital Melbourne. Dr Groves, first words to my parents were “She’s a healthy little lump!” I had a brilliant childhood, always hanging out with my brother, Justin, and his mates. I grew up in Viewbank, a suburb in the growth corridor of the early eighties. Mum and Dad built our house at the top of Everglade Court - here we had the court, paddocks and parks to explore, play cricket, kick the footy and of course - RUN!
My Parents, Carolyn (Wright) and Greg both represented Australia in athletics. I often joke that if I was a foal I would have been expensive. However, at a young age I had little interest in Little Athletics, choosing instead to stick to skateboarding and riding bmx. I loved footy and cricket and I still do! I used to spend hours a day perfecting my skills so I could play with the older boys in our court. Unfortunately my role in cricket was usually as fielder and in kick to kick the one at the front of the pack that the boys took screamers over!!
In Grade four at View Bank Primary school, my PE teacher, David Norman (a former Collingwood footballer), discovered my running ability. I loved competing for my school. I placed in state finals as a junior but never medalled at national level until Grade 6 in the 4 x 100m relay. Interestingly my fellow team mate was Lauren Hewitt whom I often roomed with on senior teams. It was so exciting we came second - my first ever national medal!!
My first coach was Neville Sillitoe. Neville was Dad’s coach and has coached many Olympic and Commonwealth Games representatives including Peter Norman and Denise Robertson (Boyd). He focused on improving my speed and was always conscious of holding me back so that I didn't train excessively.
In year 9, (1993), my body changes led to me suffering anorexia nervosa. I was very skinny as a child who, when naturally developing, obviously put on weight. I was told by many within the Australian athletic world that I was overweight. As I am naturally competitive, and my dream was to be an athlete, I stupidly listened. Rather than use the body type I was made to use and get the most out of that - I tried to change my body shape.
Thankfully my great family support network got me back on track. Today I am pleased to be an ambassador for the Butterfly Foundation which raises the awareness of eating disorders within Australia.
In 1994, I was healthy and after a massive improvement I made my first ever Australian team. I was to be the youngest member of the Australian track and field team for the Commonwealth Games. I was also selected in the World Junior Team. I was in Year 10 at high school and spent 10 weeks competing and training overseas. It was an experience of a lifetime.
My parents and Neville held me back after this first trip. The following years I was to stay in Australia and track and field took a back seat to my studies.
I was elected as the first ever female Captain of Caulfield Grammar School. I loved school, however the pressures of study, being a teenager and wanting to become an elite level athlete took its toll and I became bulimic from the end of year 11 (1995) to the beginning of my first year university (1997). I fooled most people, except for my Mum. Thankfully she worked so hard for me, and by 1998 I was back on track, taking out my first ever national senior title in the 800m. That year I went to my second Commonwealth Games finishing 6th in the 800m final and won my first of three Commonwealth Games Gold Medals in the 4x400m relay.
From then I have not looked back. Winning a National title every year since that first one and representing my country at multiple Commonwealth Games, World Indoor Championships, World Championships and Olympic Games.
I had changed coach to Peter Fortune who was the mastermind behind Cathy Freemans win at the Sydney Olympics. The 2000 European season culminating with the Sydney Olympics were a great highlight for me. Peter, Cathy and my training partner, and brother, Justin travelled and trained throughout Europe where I gained some very competitive results. To miss the Sydney final 3/100ths of a second was heart breaking. I still recall the collective sigh of the 110,000 Aussie crowd. Upon reflection I did the best that I could do and at age 21 I believed I would get another chance.
The relay was still to come, and joining Nova Peris, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor and my roomy Freeman was very special. We finished 5th - later to be ammended to 4th - as Marion Jones running for the USA team had all her medals stripped from her after admitting to doping offences. We ran an Australian record that had stood for nearly 25 years.
In 2001-2004 I was coached by Sebastian Coe and Daley Thompson, who have 6 Olympic medals between them. It was a fantastic experience and one where I gained a great deal of athletic knowledge, but also two life long friends.
In 2002 I again made the final of the Commonwealth Games and after a very good Semi Final run I was confident of medalling. However it wasn't to be and I finished 5th. Prior to these Manchester Games I had lived on the floor of a friends place in Brixton, London. Hardly the ideal preparation for international competition howvere it was all I could afford as I was desperate to gain all I could from my coaches. After picking up a liver infection (not bad for a non-drinker!!) Seb decided I was to base with him and his family from then on in. This act of kindness will never be forgotten and even though he is no longer my coach, whenever I go to Europe I stay with him and his family in Surrey which is my home away from home.
Leading into the 2004 Athens Olympic Games negative publicity was generated from comments made by David Culbert, a then selector and former Australian long jumper, who announced on radio that I was out of shape. The press got hold of this and ran with the headline “Tamsyn - Fat”. Not nice and really shows you how insensitive and unthinking many people are.
I was not in shape, not because I was eating too much but because I was carrying a hamstring injury - which happens as an athlete. I was desperate to represent my country at the Olympics as I had worked so hard. The team Doctors had told me not to run however I decided to give it a try and was unfortunately run out of the heat. During that heat I did further damage to the hamstring.
After the Athens Olympics I could have easily walked away from the sport and began my slow rehabilitation.
My brother Justin told me to relocate back to Melbourne and train with his squad under Roy Boyd I did this for a year and then convinced Justin he should coach me.
I owe my rejuvenated form of late to him. I have a fantastic training squad who have made turning up to sessions great fun. The squad is definitely eclectic, ranging from an ex-hurdler, an ex-softballer and runners on the popular Victorian professional runners circuit. We train down at Sandringham Athletic Track which is my clubs home base.
Since 2004, I have gradually got my love back for the sport. I have led a more balanced life, including working in radio and on television, and being an ambassador for a variety of charities, which I have enjoyed immensely. My stint on Dancing with the Stars was challenging yet extremely rewarding. I made life long friends and had a blast learning to dance. I was very shocked to make it as far as I did and grateful to everyone who supported me and voted.
In March 2008 a week after winning the National 400m and National 800m titles I travelled to Valencia for the World Indoor Championships. After finishing second in my heat and third in my semi I was an outside chance for a medal. I was rapt to be in front at the finish. I stuck to the raceplan and it paid off. Standing on the dias with the Australian National anthem playing is something I will never forget.
Later in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics I made the semi final in the 800m and was disappointed after not progressing through to the semi final of the 400m. Two days later and still in Beijing I received a text from Justin which read "You are doing the 400m hurdles and Marty will coach you over the hurdles". Upon returning from Beijing Justin, Marty Barrow and I sat down and mapped out a plan to improve my competitiveness in the one lap event and also improve my hurdle technique.
I have qualified for both the 400m, the 400m Hurdles, and the 4x400m Relay for the 2009 Berlin World Championships. It has been an enjoyable and refreshing year so far - and I look forward to getting over there to Europe - getting the best out of what I have to offer and running some personal best times.
Tamsyn
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