With training suspended for the time being and the Tokyo Olympics postponed until 2021 due to Covid-19, Mingara Aquatic’s Brad Woodward is just trying to focus on the positives as he isolates at his parent’s house on the Central Coast.
Speaking to Off the Blocks Swimming podcast earlier this month, the 21-year-old – who represented Australia at the World Swimming Championships last year – said while everything happened very quickly, for now, he is enjoying the diversity in his routine.
“One minute we were training to make the Olympics and the next minute we’re basically not allowed to go outside, so adjusting to all that is kind of hard, but at the moment I’m enjoying it,” he said.
“I’m spending time with my family and I’m getting back into some cross training which is keeping everything interesting, so I don’t mind it, I also get a few sleep ins!” he joked.
Admitting he had a challenging 2019, the backstroke specialist and Commonwealth Games gold medallist is utilising his home gym and surf life saving background to build on the positive momentum he has established early this year.
“I didn’t probably have a great year last year and I really felt like I turned that around this year, so I felt a little disappointed that I didn’t get to have my next three months of training and get to see what I could do at Olympic trials,” he said.
“I’ve had nine months to get better and hopefully we’ll get back in the pools in the next couple of months and if we do, I’ve got another gear to get even better.
“I think for me I’m just trying to take the positives out of it and not look at what could have been.”
While keeping physically fit is paramount, staying connected to his squad, club and coach, Adam Kable, are all equally as important.
“I think we’re like everyone else we’re doing the Zoom team meetings and then on top of that me and my coach call each other pretty regularly,” he said.
“He’s (Kable) setting up programs and that kind of stuff for me and looking at scheduling stuff for the weeks ahead, so we’re definitely staying in contact and the whole team is staying in contact – you’ve got to have the team environment still.
“Seeing everyone when we get back is definitely going to make us more appreciative of what we do have.”
Brad Woodward on:
Shows he loves to binge watch:
- The Blacklist
- Big Mouth
- The Tiger King
Games to play:
- Word Scape on his phone
- Cards against Humanity
No.1 Olympic moment to re-watch:
- Australia’s win in the Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay at the Sydney 2000 Olympics
To listen to Woodward’s full chat on Off the Blocks Swimming podcast, click here.
