Sporting Heroes
A collection of profiles celebrating the work of the Illawarra Academy of Sport
What makes a champion
It is 11 o’clock in the morning and Amiel Cavalier just got home from four and half hours of mountain bike training. His blond hair is matted with sweat and dirt. The piercing in his left eyebrow is a sharp green, like his eyes.
Master of the game
Despite the springtime sunshine former coach IAS Gary Masters seems a little frosty – that is until the word ‘cricket’ is mentioned. His eyes widen and he leans forward with almost childlike enthusiasm.
“Cricket is my one weakness. There’s something about the sport, the mateship, the endurance, that keeps me addicted," he explains with a boyish grin.
Shane Lee, Cricket and Strings
It all started with the Oak Flats Rats. But it was pretty clear even here that Shane Lee was going to be something special. His records set in the Under 16's still stand today. In his junior years he continuously impressed at every opportunity, gaining selection in both the Australian Under 17s and Under 19s sides.
From BMX kid to world class cyclist
By Abby Witenden
She’d loved bikes since she was three years old, mucking around with her brothers on her BMX. But it was because of the perseverance of her soon-to-be coach, Mitch Law, that Rochelle was discovered.
“A talent scout went around to schools, and I was identified as having talent in cycling, triathlon, and rowing, but I didn’t do anything about it. Mitch also came to see me…and asked me if I wanted to watch some racing, and I did, and that is how I got into the IAS,” Gilmore says.
Gilmore had considered pursuing the dangerous sport of BMX, where riders tackle tracks in mountainous terrain, but in the end she decided to follow cycling. “BMX riding wasn’t taken seriously. It wasn’t an Olympic sport, and my goal was to go to the Olympics, so I chose cycling,” she says. Gilmore now competes as both a track endurance rider, and a road sprinter.
The IAS was where her cycling career really kicked off. Gilmore was thirteen when she began at the Academy competing in the under 15 category.
“At the top level, it sometimes seems there is always a cloud over your head, and to get to the next level is a big task.”
“Professionalism was something our coach taught us. How to present to the media, and how to discipline ourselves, as we had such a structured training program at such a young age,” Gilmore says.
Her first international event was the Oceania Games in 1997, but the most memorable moment of her career so far was winning the first round of the Road World Cup in 2005, where for a short period she was ranked number one in the Women’s World Cup. She has just competed in the Australian Club Nationals and her training program is particularly loaded.
“Right now I’m training very heavily. My training involves gym work, long kilometres on the bike, and lots of power and strength training,” she says. “At the top level, it sometimes seems there is always a cloud over your head, and to get to the next level is a big task.”
Gilmore’s aspirations remain high for this season. “My goal is to win the World Cup in April in Spain, and beyond that, win the points race at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.”
While Gilmore has achieved a great deal since her days at the IAS, she does not believe she has achieved all that she can. “I have had so much support behind me from my family, but after coming second in two world championships, I haven’t achieved enough yet,” she says.
“The best thing about any sport is winning… and when you have a goal, anything is possible to achieve.”