Breeana Walker Interview
Another exciting interview coming your way today as we speak with Australian bobsledder Breeana Walker about her hopes for Beijing 2022 and her amazing journey to try and get there! We learn just what made her go from a promising track & field career to the sport of bobsleigh and what the challenges were in making the transition. We also learn about the unique version of the sport that is monobob and just how much of a chance she is at medaling next year at the Olympics. We also learn some more about Bree as a person, including what answer nearly made Ben hang up on her and just what she likes to call her sled and why it might feature the name of somebody you all know. Tune in and get excited for one great interview!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Please note this is an automated transcript that may contain errors.
BEN WATERWORTH: It is Off The Podium, An Olympics Podcast coming to you today for another interview. And we are so pumped and excited to bring you today's guest on the show. Episode 94 of Off The Podium. We're getting very close to the big century. And did you enjoy the new intro? I enjoyed the new intro. It's a great sounding intro because we have to alternate introductions now. We are that close to Beijing without still having had Tokyo that we kind of have to have different introductions so you know when you're listening to something to do with the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics. Not that you probably didn't know that already from the title, but hey, we like to make things more precise, I guess. Today, we are getting precise with our guest. Breeana Walker is her name. Bree, as she likes to be called, she is an Australian bobsledder, particularly quite good at the sport of monobob, which is a brand new event at the Beijing Winter Olympics next year. As it sounds, it's a one-person bobsled. It's that simple, and women's monobob will make its debut next year. Bree goes into great detail about what drew her to the sport of bobsleigh, having come from a background of track and field, switching into bobsleigh, and talking up her chances of meddling at Beijing. Now, she hasn't actually qualified for the Olympics yet, but she will qualify, let's be honest. She's done very well in the last World Cup series. She finished second overall and created history by becoming the first Australian to ever medal at a bobsled world cup. She won two events across the series and as I said, finished second. So did very well for herself and is a real medal shot in Beijing next year. You will know this person's name. You will know Bree's name in less than a year's time. You can guarantee it. So let's hear my chat with the one, the only, Breeana Walker from the sport of bobsleigh.
BEN WATERWORTH: We're excited today for our next guest here on Off The Podium, a bobsleigh athlete, with a bit of a difference somewhat in a sport that's gonna be making its debut at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. When I say sport, I should say a format of the sport. Bobsleigh, of course, has been around in the Olympics for quite some time, but monobob has not been in the Olympics before. Women's monobob will make its debut. And as it sounds, it is mono, it is one person basically in a bobsleigh. And it's very entertaining, very exciting. And a big medal shot at the Olympics next year is Australian Breeana Walker, who has been doing very, very well in the World Series. She finished second in the recent World Series. Couple of wins in that tournament, I guess you could call it, and is a very good hope for doing very well in Beijing when she makes it. I'm not gonna say should she makes it, when she makes it. She's joined us on the show right now to chat a little bit more about the sport and her career and everything else in between. Bree, it is a pleasure to welcome you to Off The Podium. Thanks for joining me today.
BREEANA WALKER: Thanks for having me.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's so exciting to talk about this sport because we were lucky enough a couple of years ago to speak to Devon Harris, one of the original Jamaican bobsledders. But outside of that, we've not really covered bobsled a lot in terms of our guests, particularly from my homeland or half of this show's homeland of Australia. And monobob is just exciting. I don't know why this hasn't been a thing before, one person in a bobsled. This, to me, makes sense. Why not? Why hasn't this happened before? So, I mean, this is a fairly new version of bobsleigh, is it not?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, it was usually used as a training tool for pilots to begin to learn how to drive. And after the last Olympics, there was a bunch of female athletes who campaigned to have foreman, to allow women to compete in foreman event. And I guess I went to a vote with the IOC and the IBSF, which is our International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation. And they decided for whatever reason, there are probably multiple reasons, that women weren't able to compete in foreman, but they did want equality for women. And so then they decided that monobob would be the best pick for us. And I think it's been fantastic for the sport. It's brought so many other nations back into the sport. Our fields have grown so much. And so yeah, it's been really exciting to see the development of the sport over the last three years.
BEN WATERWORTH: Because they're, are they not standardised sleds in monobobs? Sort of a little bit different to what you do have in the two-man and the foreman?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah. So all athletes have the same sled. So really it's just a comparison of the athletic ability of the pilot. So I would push the sled by myself, and then I jump in and drive the sled. And because we have all the same equipment, it's evened out the playing field. Because all these smaller nations who can't afford the top-of-the-line equipment, like maybe the Germans or the Americans, Canadians, we've seen some great successes, not just like Australia, but other smaller nations coming through. It's been really exciting.
BEN WATERWORTH: Jamaica, we're winning a couple, I believe, in this series as well, which of course everybody equates, Bobsleigh and Jamaica. So it obviously gives a chance that maybe, a cool running style thing is gonna be a little bit more realistic this time around. Which is pretty exciting, as you say, to kind of for these smaller nations and everything along those lines to sort of get involved. Because I mean, Bobsleigh is a unique sport in the fact that it's not like you can just go down the street to your local Bobsled track, is it? There's a very select few tracks around the world. So to, I guess, open up that field to enable people to get in that. And has it seen participation rise in terms of the monobob, a lot of women getting involved now in the sport to, I guess, have that even playing field and they might feel they have better chance in going for the other series of Bobsled?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, definitely. I think it was becoming really a big nation show before monobob was included. And so it was really defeating for a lot of the smaller nations. They were putting a lot of money and they're not really getting the results. And so whether their federation's like, we're not going to fund this anymore, or whether the athletes like, well, what's the point? They were the reasons that smaller nations were dropping out of the sport. But with the inclusion of monobob, all these smaller nations and other winter sport nations like Netherlands, and then France, Italy, they've all started coming back into the sport. And our fields have grown from where there was like 13 teams competing in World Cup a few years ago, to having 20, 21, 23 athletes and teams. And that's been just so fantastic, because I think that means that the sport has a future. If there was starting to dwindle away on the teams, our sport would die. So yeah, it's just been so great for the sport.
BEN WATERWORTH: Got to ask a question when it comes to one glaring factor about a monobob. Generally in a bobsleigh, you have a driver and a brake person, given that you by yourself, are you doing both? Is there sort of a different braking system that you've got to do, given that I guess it's different to how a two man or a four man sled would work?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, so the brake is between my legs. So once I cross the line, I have to pull the brake myself, which in the beginning was a little bit of a tricky thing for me. I'm used to just crossing the line and kind of analysing what just happened in that run. And yeah, I had to be like, oh crap, I have to brake here and all that kind of stuff. So no, I did miss my teammates in the first few runs because we were actually in Eagles in Austria, and that track is known notorious for their, it's hard braking straight. And so I was like, I miss you girls. But yeah, I really still value my team there. They're a big part of the process, even when it comes to monobob, I need help moving around the sled and looking after the sled. So yeah, it's really, even though it's an individual sport, it's really, there's a whole team that is behind me on this.
BEN WATERWORTH: Like a lot of people who get into bobsled, particularly from say some of the warmer countries, you started off in athletics. I believe you were a hurdler, if I'm not mistaken. What sort of drew you, what was that decision to switch from hurdles to bobsledding?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I mean, bobsled was always something that I did think I would eventually get into, maybe after my track and field career. But I was watching the Rio Olympics, and I saw Kim Brennan win the single skulls event.
BEN WATERWORTH: How's it going?
BREEANA WALKER: And they were telling her story that she was a 400 hurdler like myself, and she got injured and she transferred over to rowing just for some rehab, and she actually ended up being very good at it, and then obviously excelling in the sport. And so I thought for myself, well, maybe my talents lie elsewhere. And so I had to ask myself the big question, was I going to achieve my goal of representing Australia at the highest level in track and field? And honestly, my answer was no. I'd just come back from college in America, and my time over there was fantastic, but I actually got like much slower there. And I was coming back and suffering a few injuries, getting back into hard training. And so I thought maybe if I'm to make the switch, I'm gonna be able to achieve my goal of representing Australia at the highest level. And so I simply just Googled if there was an Australian bobsleigh team. And there wasn't at the time, but there was a talent identification camp. And so I just applied for this camp. And yeah, a month later, I went up and I participated in the talent ID camp. And then I think it was six weeks later, I was off to Whistler in Canada to learn how to drive a bobsleigh.
BEN WATERWORTH: That's crazy, because I know it's... I remember speaking to Emma Lincoln Smith many, many years ago, who got into skeleton, of course. And I believe she got a letter in the mail, kind of from the AIS sort of going, hey, we've scouted you as a potential person. Have you thought about switching sports? Because I believe this is sort of a thing that they do. They have these camps, don't they? Sort of the federation where they do try, and I guess try people out for these sledding sports, be it Skeleton Luge or Bobsleigh.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I think with the Skeleton, they actually had a full-on program at the AIS. Bobsleigh has never had that. But yeah, we do kind of look at other sports, and you look at those athletes who maybe are just below of the cuffs of making an Australian team, but they're still very talented athletes. And so I'm like, your talent shouldn't go to waste. Maybe just open your mind and look into other avenues, and maybe you can find your success there. Of course, like if you love the sport and you just enjoy running or enjoy whatever sport you're doing, like that might encourage people to just stay in that sport. But for me, I wanted much more. And yeah, bobsleigh was just a perfect avenue for me to achieve what I wanted out of sport, really.
BEN WATERWORTH: Be honest with me, Bree. I know our one NHL player, Nathan Walker, basically admitted he got into hockey because he watched the Mighty Ducks movie. Did you like bobsleigh because you watched Cool Runnings? Of course.
BREEANA WALKER: Yes. How else would I have gotten the idea, you know? I was a sprinter myself. And so yeah, it definitely did inspire me.
BEN WATERWORTH: Which I mean, in all seriousness, jokes aside, for a country like Australia, where we only ever get to see winter sports, basically on our TVs every four years during the winter games. And of course, particularly in the nineties, when we weren't meddling as much as we do now, it was very much few and far between. So when you're exposed to a Cool Runnings or a Mighty Ducks, and you see something that's a lot more common in the Northern Hemisphere, it does open your eyes and you kind of think, well, that does look cool. And you do remember that. And I'm sure that when you sort of switched to bobsleigh and you're kind of thinking about those early memories, when you first see bobsleigh potentially on Cool Runnings, you know, you think like, wow, I've come a long way from that kid who probably saw that movie many, many years ago.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah, no, definitely. I think I originally just saw bobsleigh and saw Cool Runnings and thought, oh, bobsleigh, like this is a really cool movie. Bobsleigh is a wicked sport. And it wasn't until years later that I actually clocked that they were sprinters and they transferred over. And yeah, maybe I'll say, oh, maybe it's just something I'll do at the end of my career. But yeah, I was fit and I still had a lot more to give. So I thought, well, while I'm young, I may as well transfer over and see how I go. And so yeah, it was best decision of my life, really.
BEN WATERWORTH: Has it always been a dream of yours to go for an Olympic spot? Like was this something that when you were from a very young age that you were aiming to become an Olympian?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, for sure. Every single sport that I've done or I've done for a long time, I have wanted to compete at the Olympics. I originally was a horse rider for 10 years and inspired by my dad's good friend, Russell Johnson, who competed at the Atlanta Olympics. So I was like, yep, I'm gonna compete at the Olympics with horse riding. And then once I got a little bit older and started doing quite well in athletics, and obviously I saw Cathy Freeman run at the 2000 Games, I was like, no, I'm gonna do this in track and field. And I really felt like I had the talent to be able to compete for Australia. It was just through things along the way that I realised that maybe my time had passed and injuries were kind of preventing me from just making that breakthrough to that upper level. And so yeah, for me, it was just like, okay, well, if this is what I want to achieve, going to the Olympics and representing Australia at a high level is what I want to do. I just need to have an open mind and think how can I do this? And so yeah, this is, Bob Slay was my, there was other things, like rugby was another one that I looked at. My dad's a Queenslander, and so he would have loved me to play rugby, I'm sure. But yeah, and so I was looking at other areas, but I'm glad I chose Bob Slay. I really think that this is my sport.
BEN WATERWORTH: You were basically an Olympian in 2018. You and Ashley Werner were basically on that plane ready to go. You would qualify, the AOC were ticking you off, but ultimately you didn't go. For people who may be a bit unfamiliar with that story, Bree, kind of what happened there? How come you weren't at Pyeongchang in 2018?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, so we did have a quota position to go to Pyeongchang, and we did have the support of the Australian Olympic Committee, but unfortunately we didn't achieve some of our federation standards to be able to compete at the games. So our federation didn't nominate us to accept our quota position, which was really disheartening. I mean, we went over to North America, and we started our season there, and we achieved this quota position over there. And for us, we were like, well, we don't just tick these boxes and then wait for the Olympics to come around. We want to continue to develop as athletes. And so we went over to Europe, and we competed in a few races there, including World Junior Champs, because in Bob's say, World Junior Champs is under 25s and under, so it's quite a lot older. And so yeah, we really hustled as a team, and we wanted to prove that we deserve that spot there, but unfortunately, we didn't have the support of our federation at the time, and now our federation has changed hands. So yeah, it was really hard, but for me, peon chain was just a stepping stone along the way. I wanted to always carry on with a sport. It wasn't like I wanted to go to the Olympics and then go off and do other things. So for me, I actually went to peon chain as a spectator, and I got to see what it was like to be an athlete there from the outside, which is exciting, because I'm not sure if many athletes do get to do that. They're always either at the games and participating. And I actually got to be an observer. And for me, I think that was a great benefit, because now preparing for these games, I'm gonna be able to put all my knowledge that I saw from going to peon chain and just watching into play. So yeah, it was really hard at the time, but I think it's gonna benefit me later on down the road.
BEN WATERWORTH: And from that point on, was mono bob something that you had been exposed to at that point? Or did that sort of come after Pyeongchang and sort of, you know, as it sort of, I guess got closer to being announced as an Olympic sport.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, no, it wasn't a part of the program at Pyeongchang. And it was only just introduced after the games.
BEN WATERWORTH: And do you then, can you compete in both? Like, can you still be a two man and then sort of, you know, do the mono bob at the same time as well?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah, of course. That's what I do. I have a fantastic team in Sarah Blizzard and Steph Fernandez. And over the last few years, we've been really moving up the ranks, which is really exciting. Because I think Australia has never been, I wouldn't like to say taken seriously, but seen as a competitive team in the past. And I really think that we're starting to make our mark in the sport. And there's some people that will see our push times and like they'll come over and they'll, you know, give Sarah and Steph like a pat on the back, being like, good job. And then they'll see like my drives and they'll be like, that's impressive. And so to get those like little like winks on the side, it's really nice for us to know that our hustle is being noticed.
BEN WATERWORTH: What is the most important aspect of bobsled? Is it the start? Is it the drive? What, what, or is it a balance kind of, is there one that's more important than the other?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, it's a balance, I think. Like it depends on the track. There's some tracks that are known as push tracks. And so obviously the percentage of like the push compared to the drive is higher. And like the push would be more valuable on those tracks. But there is some tracks that are drivers tracks. And so the drive is very important there. But I believe that like, if it's all, you have to have the whole package. You have to have the push, you have to have the drive. You also have to have the equipment. And if you, if one of those elements are a miss, then it's going to be hard, quite hard to kind of push up into those top spots.
BEN WATERWORTH: And I can imagine then the training aspect of it too. I mean, does it, I guess it doesn't differ that too much from what you were doing when you were in track and field, except you've got to, I guess, get used to running a little bit more on a different surface rather than an athletics track. You got to run on some ice. So is that kind of the only key difference between the training of getting that power off those starts?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I think in the beginning, I saw of it, I saw it very similar. I saw my track and field training being very similar to my bobsleigh. My bobsleigh push training. But as I have trained more and more with the Germans, like I'm based in Germany and I'm training with a German coach over here, I've become very, way more specific with my training. And I've realised how different it is. And you're like, for example, with track and field, you have to spend the least amount of time on the ground because you're trying to be as fast as possible. But with bobsleigh, because you're pushing something heavy, if you're spending not so much time on the ground, you're not really moving anywhere. So you do have to spend a little bit more time on the ground. And so that's where I think if you get more specific, that's where those kinds of things differ. But yeah, it's been very exciting to work with the Germans because they're just world-class in their training and their knowledge about the sport. And so that's how I've become so successful when it comes to pushing.
BEN WATERWORTH: How much leg day do you have to do? Like you, everyone talks about skipping leg day. I'm guessing you're never skipping leg day then.
BREEANA WALKER: No, no, no. It's leg day every day.
BEN WATERWORTH: Leg day every day, which, you know. And how heavy is a sled? When you're pushing that down off the start line, how heavy is that?
BREEANA WALKER: It's 170 kilos. So two men and a monobob are actually the same weight. So two men, obviously, I have a little bit of help at the start, but yeah, the monobob, I'm doing it solo. So there is a little bit of difference with the push techniques. Obviously, the two men is a bit faster because you have someone at the back helping you, and the monobob, you have to be a little bit more patient, but you obviously want to get that thing moving as fast as possible. So yeah, it's been great to learn the different techniques over the last few years. I really enjoyed the challenge.
BEN WATERWORTH: And in terms of moving to Germany, because I think the obvious question you'd probably get as an Australian winter athlete is where on earth are you going to do the training in Australia, particularly because we don't obviously have a bobsled track that we can sort of race down. So I mean, when you were training in Australia, was it a case of just dry pushes, and then you wanted to get that sort of more realistic nature, so that's why you did head to Germany?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah, like at home, I have a push sled that I was doing, just like I was just pushing on the track. I was pulling heavy sleds because pulling heavy sleds is similar to pushing heavy sleds. But obviously, it's just not the same. Over here in Germany, we have push tracks. And so they just help you simulate the push start. It's just like you go down a hill and come up another hill, and then you slide back. So yeah, they're fantastic to train on, and it's really great once you get your team over here, you can start doing more and more pushes because we only have like two or three training runs per session on an actual bobsleigh track. So that's not much time for athletes to practice as a team. So to be able to be in Germany and working on these push tracks allows us to do multiple pushes in a session. So yeah, it's fantastic to be over here. And I've created a great cooperation with like Germany. And so they're really helping us out. And I think that's why we've been able to excel so fast.
BEN WATERWORTH: How's the German? Do you speak German at all? Or is it sort of coming along or?
BREEANA WALKER: It's coming along. I mean, I've lived here for a year now and I still don't speak much German. I understand it a little bit. And so I can stand there. And if I understand the general gist of a conversation, I can, yeah, I know what they're saying, but I really do need to learn. Everyone's getting on my back about it now. They're like, Bree, you've lived here for a year now. You shouldn't be able to speak German. And so I'm like, oh yeah, okay. So yeah, I am going to learn it this summer.
BEN WATERWORTH: In terms of when you're pushing the sled and the jumping into the sled itself, how much is that a factor in gaining time or anything along those lines? And what sort of training is involved in getting the good technique of climbing into that sled before you start driving it?
BREEANA WALKER: My coach will be very happy you asked this question. And he actually did his university thesis on this. Because I feel like, yeah, and it's because it's an element of pushing, I guess, that's kind of left behind. Like we're always focusing on the acceleration or on the downhill phase of the push, but no one's ever really focused on the actual loading into the sled. And it's not necessarily about gaining time at that phase. It's more about jumping and impacting the sled too much. And so you don't lose time. And so he actually tested a few different techniques of how to load. And so now we know the best loading technique that isn't going to affect the speed of the sled as much. So yeah, it does require practice, but it becomes more of an innate thing where if you do it time and time again, and then that's how you can get in the sled as fast as possible. Because as soon as you take your hands off the push bar at the start, you're not applying any more pressure into the sled. So it's just getting in the sled as fast as possible and getting your hands on the D-ring, so then you're ready to drive. Because I drive with kind of go-kart steering. It's not like a steering wheel or anything. It's more just a pulley system. So yeah, it's very... It is quite important because if you haven't got your hands on the steering and then the sled goes from side to side, you've lost all your speed that you've created at the start. So yeah, it is important.
BEN WATERWORTH: And I can imagine just like when you were a hurdler, that amazing feeling of timing your start perfectly and hitting that first hurdle perfectly, that sort of buzz you get. I can imagine it's the same thing, that when you get off the blocks perfectly, you've gotten a super fast time on your start and you get in that sled, you load it quickly, hands on the steering and you're off. That must be just an adrenaline kicking and you're going, right, I'm on here right now.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, you just described everything that kind of goes through my head when I hit a good start. So yeah, there's no better feeling than hitting a good start. And sometimes you get into the sled and you haven't hit your start so well and you're like, oh, that wasn't so good. But then you get to the bottom and your time surprises you and you're like, oh, okay, that wasn't, maybe it wasn't so bad. But then, yeah, when you really know that you've hit a good start, that's like the best feeling and it builds your confidence leading into driving down the track.
BEN WATERWORTH: And speaking of feeling, I'm sure it's a question you get asked a lot, Bree, but what is that feeling like sliding down one of those tracks in a bobsled going that speed? I mean, there mustn't be anything like it.
BREEANA WALKER: I think it would be close to driving like a Formula One car or like just for, you know, yeah, average person getting in like a roller coaster or something and like the feeling you get after it is just like tingly and you're just filled with so much excitement, especially when you've hit a really good run and obviously when you're in a race and you get to celebrate with your teammates from doing a good result. And so, yeah, I guess there would be feelings that you can compare it to, but you wouldn't be able to describe it. You just have to do it yourself.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, one thing you could probably answer though is how sick of cowbells are you? I mean, do you kind of get sick of hearing them like clanging along every single bloody track you go to?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I mean, this year was a bit sad. We didn't have any spectators, so-
BEN WATERWORTH: You missed the cowbells.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, we didn't have any cowbells this year, but yeah, that's a big tradition in the sport. And honestly, I think once they come back, we'll all be excited to have them back. But yeah, it does get quite noisy at the start of some races, especially on World Cup and World Champs. And you're trying to listen, you and your teammate are trying to do your cadence, just make your start as perfect as possible. And you're struggling over the cowbells. No, I'm excited for the cowbells to come back.
BEN WATERWORTH: I'm surprised that maybe on the TV broadcast, and maybe they did, I don't know how they sort of dub sound in some sports. Maybe they dubbed cowbells for the TV audience at least, so it sounds like it's a normal event basically.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, no, they didn't do that. But yeah, it was very quiet at the start this year. It was a bit weird.
BEN WATERWORTH: As I mentioned at the top, the recent World Series, you did finish second in that one, got a couple of wins in that event. What was that like? I mean, how did you feel in terms of the overall aspect of it? But obviously, getting silver medal is pretty good. At the end of the series, a couple of wins, as I said, were you satisfied with your performance across the recent World Series?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I definitely think, like for us, it was just kind of breaking through and kind of showing that we can challenge some of the top athletes in the world. And so yeah, to come away with the second overall was fantastic. And then obviously to win a few races along the way was our goal this year. I knew I had the push. I knew I had the drive. It was just a matter of putting it all together. These sleds that we used this year were actually different to the sleds that I've used in the past. So it was kind of a quick learning curve on how to drive these sleds. And it was a lot trickier than we all originally thought it would be. And so it's just a matter of adapting as fast as you can. And yeah, I think we did a pretty good job on it. There's still a long way to go and there's still a lot of learning to do, especially when we go and slide on the new Beijing track. But yeah, really happy with the results that we had this year.
BEN WATERWORTH: And it must be a pretty proud moment too. I believe you're the first ever Australian to ever medal in a Bobsleigh World Cup event. So I mean, to kind of have that as a history-breaking moment for yourself too must be a pretty proud achievement.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, and I think it's funny because I watched back on that race and my reaction at the end was so mundane to what I was feeling inside. But I think I was just shocked that we actually did it. You know, like we had a goal. We knew that I had the ability in me to achieve that. And when I crossed the line and I saw the number one against my time, I was like, huh, we actually did that. And so that was a really, really proud moment for me. And then when to go and win again, the second time, the second time felt actually like I could get excited because that was a race. That was a really hard race. We had, I had Alana Myers Taylor, who was the Olympic silver medallist behind me. She was sitting in second. So I knew she was coming for me. And so I knew I had to be on my game. And I was warming up with her before the second run. And I was just like, wow, I'm warming up with Alana Myers Taylor. And you have to kind of pinch yourself at those kinds of moments. But then I quickly like refocused because I knew I had to like execute the best run possible because I knew she was coming for me. So yeah, it was, that race was a really fun to win. And it was a really proud moment that I could do that for Australia.
BEN WATERWORTH: Given the small number of, I guess, athletes in the field of Monobob, I mean, I can imagine you guys obviously get to know each other quite well, get quite close along the tour, but is it much trash talking in Bobsled? Like is there kind of some mind games going on before just to kind of throw people off before they go down the track?
BREEANA WALKER: Not really. It's a very small community. And so I think we're all very supportive of each other. And I have quite a few good friends within the circuit. And honestly, I think it's more trash talk from the boys, like saying that like, oh, this person's coming for you, da. And so it's funny when it comes to those guys though, cause you just laugh it off. But yeah, not really. I haven't experienced it personally anyways.
BEN WATERWORTH: You could start it. Australians are good sledgers, aren't we? So I mean, you know, come base in.
BREEANA WALKER: I've said this before. I feel like, you know, Europeans would take our sledging too seriously. They wouldn't take us as a joke. They would think I would be serious.
BEN WATERWORTH: Just put some, put some Vegemite in this sled or something like that. And just, oh, sorry, I had a big meal last night. Just, oh yeah, what did I eat there? What is the process now between now and Beijing? What is the qualification process? How can you get that ticket booked for Beijing next year?
BREEANA WALKER: Well, we're waiting for our new selection criteria from our federation that has just gone to draft with the Australian Olympic Committee. So hopefully that'll be out by the end of the month, and then we will know what boxes we need to tick, so we don't have repeat of what happened at the last Olympics. But then it's just being able to achieve a top 20 position in the Two Men and the Monobob event. There is also a combined ranking now, and I'm not entirely sure of what number, I'm assuming that it'll be, we have to achieve a top 20 spot there. And I guess if we tick all those boxes, then we will be able to go to, we'll get a quota position and be able to go to the Olympics. So yeah, all that process, once our criteria comes out, I'll sit down with my team, it'll be like, this is what we need to achieve, we need to do bup, bup, bup. And then yeah, we just go forth with our off season training and then attack for it.
BEN WATERWORTH: It must bring some confidence then given what you've achieved on this season, looking ahead to Beijing. Because as I said at the beginning, I'm not going to say if you make the Olympics, it's when you make the Olympics. And I can imagine that going into that based on how you've just performed, that you've got a realistic shot at a medal. I mean, I'm sure you don't want to get over the top and think about these things, Bree, because ultimately you got to focus on qualifying and then you can sort of take that next step there. But I mean, is this something that you realistically believe that in a little under a year's time, you could be challenging for a medal at the Olympics?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I mean, all I'm really focusing on is producing the best performance that I can on the day, because that's all really that I can have impact on. I can't affect how the other athletes go and everything like that. All I can do is just focus on me and produce the best results I can. And at the end of the day, if that results in a medal, fantastic. That's a cherry on top of all my hard work, you know? So for me, I just kind of keep it simple and focus on what I need to do. And yeah, just produce the best result I can on the day. So yeah, those kind of things when people say, oh, you're hunting for a medal. Of course I'm hunting for a medal. Like that's a given for an athlete. But yeah, it's not really what my main focus is. My main focus is on me and what I need to do.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, I'll tell you one thing. When you do make the Olympics and then Channel 7 shove a camera in your face and do some 10 minute promo about your backstory and about how you're one of our biggest hopes, just like tell them no, because I'm telling you now, it's a bloody thing Channel 7 does at the Winter Olympics. They talk everyone up to the point where if they don't win a medal, everybody gets angry at the athletes. And it's like, no, get angry at Channel 7, because Channel 7 are known for overpromoting. So I'm telling you now, Bree, just tell Channel 7 no.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, no, I actually have seen that. And it's, and even I even get caught up into it a little bit. So I was like, oh, that person didn't win a medal. That's, that's weird. Like I thought that they were medal hopes. And so I get that. And so I definitely know the hype around the media and the perception it can give to, I guess, the general public. And so yeah, for me, it's going to be, I'm just focusing on what I need to do. And I'll probably end up blocking a lot of those media outlets during the games, because it's none of my business, you know? I don't need to worry about what they're saying about me or anything like that. I hope it's good. But for me, it's not where my focus needs to be.
BEN WATERWORTH: In terms of obviously the pandemic and preparations and everything, has that hampered much in terms of what you've been able to practice and kind of go out there? Or is bobsled kind of immune from it? Because I guess you're not kind of really around that many people, I guess.
BREEANA WALKER: No, it hasn't impacted us a fair bit. I mean, when I finished my season in 2020 last year, I had to make the decision, do I go home to Australia or not? Because I wasn't too sure whether I was gonna be able to come back to Germany. My boyfriend is on the German bobsled team, so obviously I'd like to be here with him. And then obviously my coach. And so I was like, do I go home? Do I stay? And so I actually decided to stay. So I haven't been back to Australia in like 18 months now. And so for me, that was a huge impact that the pandemic has had. Other than that, though, our lives are very simple. We wake up, we train, we eat, we sleep, we train, we eat, sleep again. And so like in terms of how the pandemic has affected my day to day life, it hasn't really had that much of an impact. We wear masks all the time over here in Europe. And then when it came to the actual season, yeah, we obviously couldn't have spectators. We had to have two COVID tests a week. We wore masks all the time, which was very hard to warm up and breathe. That was something that was quite tricky. We weren't allowed to hang out with our friends, so we couldn't really go and see other teams or do anything like that. So that was really hard for me. My boyfriend and I, we were both on the World Cup circuit for the first time, and we couldn't even see each other. So I spent six weeks away from him, even though he was right around the corner. So yeah, it had small impacts, but I guess, especially in bobsleigh, you have to be very adaptable in this sport. And this year just showed us all how adaptable we had to be with what was throwing our way. So yeah, I'm sure other athletes can say the same thing that the sport, the pandemic has affected them and competing and stuff. But yeah, everyone's got a different story to tell, I guess.
BEN WATERWORTH: I feel like you need to give your boyfriend a plug. Who is he? Should we be watching him in Beijing next year? Is he a metal shot himself? Is he?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I mean, the Germans are always a metal shot. So yeah, his name's Christian Hammers. He's on Bob Team Hafer. This is their first year competing a full World Cup circuit, because Germans are obviously very competitive. They've got about six or seven teams that could compete at that World Cup level. So yeah, they're in the hunt for an Olympic spot. It's very hard. There's probably one other team that has a shot to be able to take Christian's place at the Olympics. But yeah, Christoph Hafer, who's his pilot, is a fantastic pilot. And I really do think he has a shot of making the games, but it's gonna be a long summer. It's gonna take a lot of work for them to be able to do it. So the dream is for us to both be at the next Olympics. That'll take a big box for us. So yeah, we just gotta hustle this summer and make sure that we do everything that we possibly can to make the next Olympics together.
BEN WATERWORTH: See, I remember in Cool Runnings, the Germans were the evil people there, Bree. So just get him to come and compete for Australia if he can't, you know. I'm sure he probably would get a slot in Australia if it just happens things out for the Germans. So just a word of advice, maybe.
BREEANA WALKER: No, no, he has said that. He's like, oh, maybe when I retire, I'll just go and slide for a bit of fun in Australia. I was like, hey, we're a serious country here. But no, he actually has suggested that and thought it would be a little bit of fun. But for now, he wants to make a Olympic birth as a German athlete. Because I think if you do that, you're one of the best in the world. And because Germans are the best in the world, it's undeniable. So yeah, I really keep my fingers crossed for him. And he works very hard. So I really hope that they're able to do that.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, we have a habit in Australia of poaching other countries, athletes for the Winter Olympics. Dale Wegg Smith, of course, won a gold in 2006, a Canadian who couldn't keep his internet business. So there is that. Now, we're gonna wrap it up with a set of final questions here, Bree. But just before I get to these, I need to ask you, do you give the sled a name, and do you talk to the sled on the way down? Is it like your car? Like when you get a car, you give your car a name and you talk to it if it's being shit? Do you do that with the sled?
BREEANA WALKER: A little bit. I mean, some pilots are really weird, and they get really attached to their sleds. I do a little bit. What's it called?
BEN WATERWORTH: I feel really black. Have you given it a name?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, my two-man, I've given my two-man a name. It's Black Beauty. Um, and I feel really bad. Like if I've had a bad day and I've banged the sled around a little bit, I talk to it, but it's more of a joke, you know? Like it's a funny, and then my team thinks I'm a bit crazy. Nah, but it's like, you do a little bit. Sometimes you've come quite attached to your sled and you wanna be able to work with it very well. So yeah, I guess it comes naturally sometimes.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, just another friendly tip. Come Beijing, you've got that green and gold monobob sled, please call it Ben, because I would love to represent the Olympics in some capacity. And if I'm a sled, I'll take it. And then that way, when you win a medal, I can say that I'm an Olympic medallist, because I got you down to the bottom of the track.
BREEANA WALKER: All right, if I'm painting it green and gold for the Olympics, maybe I'll name it Ben. Big Ben.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, Big Ben. Take it, absolutely. And there you go. And then that's the one time you say yes to Channel 7. I'm gonna say, thanks to Big Ben for getting me to the bottom of the track. It worked a treat. Got that gold around your neck. Bree, we've got a set of fun questions to ask you at the end. As I was mentioning to you, Off Air, these are based on a questionnaire that the Canadian Olympic Committee put to their athletes before each of the Olympics. So it's a bit of fun. You're lucky that you get to skip a couple of the questions, because here when they fill it out, they get them to draw a picture of themselves and things like that. So we're not that fancy here. I mean, you can if you want to, but just we'll go over the ones we can ask you on air right now. What is your favourite ever Olympic moment?
BREEANA WALKER: Ah, I mean, that's hands down probably Cathy Freeman winning at the 2000 Olympics. I also think that Stephen Bradbury was probably like being a winter Olympian, like a winter athlete. Like you have to commend him on it, like just hanging in there. And I think, I don't think a lot of people know the background story of that, but he competed in every single heat and every single heat he got through because people were crashing. And I was just like, that is like just continuing to pursue even when you're behind. And I think that's like, I've been a big inspiring moment for me because there's been times when I've been behind and I've just kept going and going and going. And like, you know, you start to climb up the ladder and you're like, yeah, just like Stephen Bradbury, you know?
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah. And I highly recommend yourself or anyone read his autobiography. It's really inspiring. Just the journey that it took for him to get there. I mean, he nearly died a couple of times basically doing this sport. And it's ridiculous. Of course people forget that he was part of our short track team that won a bronze in Lillehammer. Of course, our very first ever Winter Olympic medallist, he was part of that. So.
BREEANA WALKER: Oh, I didn't know that. I'm gonna go read the book then.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's very worth it. It's very much a great read. And yeah, there's a couple of great documentaries too, sort of mini ones on YouTube about him. But no, he was part of that famous team in Lillehammer. So he's a two-time Olympic medallist. I don't think people will ever realise that. So yeah, great, great guy, Stephen. What a legend. If you could have a superpower, what would it be?
BREEANA WALKER: Oh. Oh, would it be really boring to say like run really fast? Like I would like to be able to like go to the shops really quickly and then speed around the shops and come back, you know?
BEN WATERWORTH: Just go there and do it.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Something like a flash.
BEN WATERWORTH: Helping your bobsledding too, I can imagine, might get you there a little bit quicker.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, exactly.
BEN WATERWORTH: You could probably just run down the track and still, you know, go faster than everyone else. I mean, I'd hate to say that. That'd be good. Now, I feel like there's an obvious answer to this one, but you might surprise me here. What is your favourite sports movie?
BREEANA WALKER: Can I say The Blind Side?
BEN WATERWORTH: Of course you can.
BREEANA WALKER: That's like, yeah, that's my favourite movie. And that's like a sporting movie. And I love that movie. I mean, Cool Running is a chore. It is one of my favourite.
BEN WATERWORTH: That's a cliche one for your sport.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, exactly. So yeah, The Blind Side is one of my favourite movies.
BEN WATERWORTH: Great movie, great movie. Good answer. What is your funniest childhood memory?
BREEANA WALKER: Oh, hilarious. Me and my sister were playing hide and seek from my grandma, and we wanted to find a really good hiding space. And I saw that her car boot was open. And so I like said to my sister, I'm like, quick, let's get into this car boot. And we got into the car boot. And little did we know that the top of the car boot was also like completely trapped. So we were like completely trapped in this car boot. We couldn't get out. And so we had to like bang and scream on the car boot until my granny heard and like let us out. But yeah, that's probably my funniest childhood memory. It felt like we were in there for ages, but I honestly only think we were in there for two minutes or something.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's like your neighbour doesn't walk past and all of a sudden you've been kidnapped or something like that.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, it was. Every time I actually see those like movies and I see people are trapped in the car boot, I was like, that could have been us.
BEN WATERWORTH: Wow, geez, there you go. What is your favourite pump up song?
BREEANA WALKER: It's Beyonce Formation, for sure.
BEN WATERWORTH: Great. Is there much of that going on before you get, like before you get on the track or you've got the beats on or something like that and you're kind of pumping yourself up?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it depends on the day. If I'm really nervous, I switch to more calmer music and I try and like calm myself down. But if I like, you know, if I have a good vibe happening that day, yeah, it's generally Beyonce, probably majority of the time. Yeah, she gets fired up.
BEN WATERWORTH: You can install like some speakers in Big Ben in Beijing and kind of pump it down when you're going down the track, you know, some modifications.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah. We've had that idea multiple times actually.
BEN WATERWORTH: Don't know if that's one of those criteria then that they maybe might frown upon to get you to the Olympics. So maybe outside of that. Who is or what is your favourite sporting team?
BREEANA WALKER: Ooh, can I again be cliché and just say the Bombers? Because I'm a big, I'm being a Bombers fan.
BEN WATERWORTH: Are we talking Essendon Bombers here obviously or?
BREEANA WALKER: Yes, yeah, of course.
BEN WATERWORTH: Bree, we've had a, it was a bit of a great time today. I've got to go now. Sorry, this is a.
BREEANA WALKER: Ooh, are you a Collingwood fan?
BEN WATERWORTH: Oh God, no, I'm not that bad. Try the other rival.
BREEANA WALKER: Who, Carlson?
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, that's the one. No, no, no, you got it the first time there. Yeah, yeah. So, well, you know, you can't be perfect. So let's just, do you follow it? Like, I mean, living here in Canada, it's also, you know, kind of difficult to get with the time difference and everything. But is it something that you kind of work around to watch the games when you can?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I mean, this year I actually want to, buy the AFL channel. I am a big AFL fan. I just haven't like, you know, time difference. It's really hard. So I'll watch the 15 minute recap with my boyfriend and I'll get so emotional during it. And he's like, he laughs, laughs. Cause he's like, you know, the result already. And I'm like, I don't care. That was a stupid kick.
BEN WATERWORTH: I know exactly. Does he get into it though? Like, does he get into AFL?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, he loves Anthony Mcdonald, Tiffin Woodie. Like that's his favourite player. And he's like, can you be successful? So then we can go do like a meet and greet at the Bombers and I can meet him up.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, actually, it can happen. I randomly remember being at the opening round, maybe like, it would have been 2010. Cause it was when Lydia Laszlo won the gold. And before the opening bounce, they kind of like, and now let's honour our Winter Olympic champions and Lydia Laszlo, like, hey, wave to the crowd. So, hey, opening round next year, you can say, bugger Richmond Colton, I want to go to the S-ending game.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I think that's it. If that's what I get out of being successful, in my sporting career, I'll be a happy woman.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely, go for it. See, I may hate the Bombers, but David Zaharakis, to me, has the best commentary name in any team. That is just a commentator's gold dream. That is amazing.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah, no, there's a lot of them out there, but I love the Bombers, and I would really, really love to be able to go meet them one day. So, and I mean, I would hope that Christian could then go meet them, and yeah, it would be...
BEN WATERWORTH: Fanboying out over Tipper Moody, just going that way, so, yes. Oh my God, it's Tipper Moody. And me and Martian would probably go, and who's this guy? And he's like, oh, just a German Olympic gold medallist. Ah, so who cares? Gotta go kick a footy, so. What was the most recent TV show that you binge watched?
BREEANA WALKER: Oh, what was it recently? I've been watching a new one called Ginny and Georgia. That's a new one on Netflix. I'm trying to think what I recently, I'm always been watching Friends, like always.
BEN WATERWORTH: You're back on the good books now, Bree, good choice.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, no, me and Sarah, my teammate this year, when we didn't know what to watch, we would just throw on Friends, that or Grey's Anatomy.
BEN WATERWORTH: Oh, so you had it, you lost it then, so you know.
BREEANA WALKER: Oh, sorry. And it depended on our mood. But yeah, Friends is always a crowd favourite.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's that show that it doesn't matter how many times you watch it, you go off, send this episode 100 times, but you don't care, because you're gonna laugh and enjoy it anyway.
BREEANA WALKER: Again, Christian doesn't really understand it, but I also think he doesn't understand the English humour sometimes, so.
BEN WATERWORTH: Maybe is there like a German version of Friends? I can imagine it'd be very serious and angry. I don't know how that would work. No, I don't think so. That's another question for another day. What is your least favourite food?
BREEANA WALKER: Oh, least favourite food, I'm sure like my teammates could like say this, but I can't really think of it. I hate the smell of tuna.
BEN WATERWORTH: Yeah, okay.
BREEANA WALKER: Do you eat tuna though?
BEN WATERWORTH: Can you eat it after?
BREEANA WALKER: I do eat tuna, but I just hate the smell of it. So, but it's, I don't know. Can't, I eat most things. I'm not that, I'm like, I'm not horrendously fussy.
BEN WATERWORTH: Well, we'll take that award. Onions. Onions, all right, okay.
BREEANA WALKER: No, I really hate onions. They give me a stomach ache. I hate the smell of them. Yeah, I don't like the taste. Yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: Okay. Onions. No onions for Bree in Beijing. Just note that one. What's your favourite chip flavour?
BREEANA WALKER: I'm going to be super boring here. Plain. I really like just plain chips.
BEN WATERWORTH: Original, nothing wrong with that. Do you just eat them plain? Or like my mum used to eat plain chips, but then she would dip them in tomato sauce. That was her weird thing, but.
BREEANA WALKER: No, no, no. I just eat the plain chips.
BEN WATERWORTH: Just eat them plain. Okay, right.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah.
BEN WATERWORTH: Sorry, mum.
BREEANA WALKER: If I do eat chips, I don't really eat chips all that often, but I just like them plain.
BEN WATERWORTH: Can't imagine that's an approved dietary food for a bobsledder, probably.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah. I mean, we want, we like, if I need to put on weight, because weight does like impact our sport a fair bit. So if I need to put on weight, I go to town on some chocolate and some chips, but it's just to keep the calories up.
BEN WATERWORTH: Must be a pretty shit part of the job. Is that, Bree, you're too thin, get fat. Oh, I have to eat good food. Oh, what a shame.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah. It's a real contrast to what track and field was. Like in track and field, I was always trying to lose weight and be as thin as possible. And then now with bobsledder, they're like, you need to be fat. Okay.
BEN WATERWORTH: So basically at the Olympic Village next year, you can just load up on the Big Macs the night before, right? Just go to Maccas and just load up. Oh, got to eat 50 Big Macs. I'm competing tomorrow. What a shame.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah, exactly.
BEN WATERWORTH: If you weren't an athlete, what would you be?
BREEANA WALKER: Oh, if I wasn't an athlete. I mean, I'm like, I'm a qualified teacher. I love teaching, but maybe I'll be a bit more interesting. When I was younger, I wanted to be a zoologist because I really liked animals. And I was like, yeah, wanting to work in a zoo with all the cool animals. But that was, yeah, I think that was just a dream. I think my mum knocked that out of my system very quickly.
BEN WATERWORTH: It's going to say that when you, you know, if you ever become a teacher after your career's over in Bobsled, you can just always take them for field trips to the zoo and kind of just, you know, hey kids, go on to the zoo again. Oh, what a shame. You know, what a shame. What is your favourite vacation spot?
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I think it would actually be probably Cairns, like where my family lives now. That was a really beautiful place there. I haven't been there as much as I would like over the last few years, but places that I have been before is Hawaii. That was a really cool place. So I'd love to be able to go back to Hawaii. But yeah, always going home to visit the fam and see adventure Cairns is really fun.
BEN WATERWORTH: I also appreciate the parallels there that you're spending so many months of the year, no doubt, in cold climates and snow that often, you know, Hawaii and Cairns are kind of pretty good destinations to go to after all that winter.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's a bit of a shock to the system. Like when I finish season, it's like minus 10 degrees and snowing, and then I go to Cairns and it's like 36 degrees and 100% humidity. So my body goes into a little bit of shock, but yeah, it's still nice to be able to, you know, feel your fingers again.
BEN WATERWORTH: Can you just quickly back something up for me though? Like I know since living in Canada, I'm still such an Australian that I get excited for snow. I'm sure it probably snows a lot more in your part of the country. There doesn't really snow much here in Victoria, but it still snows. Do you, are you still that inner Australian? Like, oh my God, snow, I'm so excited.
BREEANA WALKER: Yeah, I am. I like when it starts snowing, I'm like, oh, it's so beautiful. But when it starts affecting the sport, that's when I'm like, I hate snow. Like when you're struggling to get up the hill with a truck because there's so much snow, or like there's too much snow in the track and there's like big track delays because they're trying to sweep the snow out of the track. That's when I'm like, ugh, snow. But yeah, you still, the inner Australian always comes out at the beginning of the season when you see the snow. You're like, oh, it's so beautiful.
BEN WATERWORTH: Glad I'm not the only one. People think I'm weird here when I get excited over snow. The final one for you today, Bree, what is one word that people usually describe you as?
BREEANA WALKER: Determined.
BEN WATERWORTH: Determined. I like that. Yeah. Perfect. That's get you pumped up there going forward with that. Bree, it really has been a pleasure chatting with you on Off The Podium today to learn more about mono bobbing, more about bobsled, more about your career. And we will definitely be cheering you on over the next 11 or so months before Beijing. Fingers crossed for Beijing. You're gonna be there. You're gonna get a medal. Big Ben's gonna get a medal too. And it's gonna be celebrations all around. We'll get you back on. We'll get Big Ben on at the same time, and we can talk about how great it is to be an Olympic gold medallist and how it was meeting the Essendon Bombers.
BREEANA WALKER: Oh, yes. Yeah, that's the only reason I'm doing all this. No, thank you for having me.
BEN WATERWORTH: And a great chat there from Bree. Lots to learn, lots of fun to be had. And as I said at the very top of this interview, is a name that you will know in less than 12 months time. Be it because she gets to meet the Essendon Bombers, her sole purpose for of course, competing at the Olympics, or because maybe she might have a nice gold medal around her neck. So stay tuned for that, and watch Big Ben get to the bottom of that track. I'm holding her to that. That will happen next year. I can guarantee you it. Now, of course, we have a lot of great guests still to come in the lead up to both the Beijing and Tokyo Olympics. We've got so many planned. We're gonna be covering now bases for a long time in the coming weeks, and you will get to know these athletes. You will get to know their stories, and you will know their names come the Olympic Games as well. And not only just current Olympians, people who are going towards Tokyo, towards Beijing, but some former Olympians as well that we're gonna get on the show to talk about their careers and what they've been up to since. We've got a great line up of guests that will get you very, very excited. I mentioned on our Tom O'Halloran interview that we are attempting to tick off all the sports, essentially go through all the different sports in both winter and summer games, try and cover all our bases. And we've got a few lined up that we've never had on the show before. I'm talking gymnasts. I'm talking curlers. I'm talking Nordic combined, which I get a little bit too excited for. Biathletes are lined up. Volleyball players, fences, judo players. I know there's a technical term for a judo player, but I'm saying a judo player right now. We have them coming your way. So get excited. Plenty to keep you entertained as you wait so patiently for the Olympic games. We've waited a little bit longer than we usually do. And if you're like me and get obsessed with the Olympics too much, it's been way too long without some Olympics. So we're so looking forward to Tokyo, and hopefully it will happen. Big thanks again to Bree for her time. Thanks to everyone for tuning in. Remember to like us on Facebook. We're on Twitter now, of course, too. Follow us on Twitter. Subscribe, we're all good podcasts are available. Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, Amazon Podcasts. We're probably on a podcast station on Mars. I don't know, but check us out if you're listening to on Mars. We appreciate your support. More that distance away. Thanks for tuning in to Off The Podium. My name is Ben, we'll speak to you next time.
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