Titmus displays Boon-like strength

AS tough as Boonie … you better believe it.

Steve Titmus opened the batting with rugged cricket legend David Boon in Launceston but quips he knows two other Tasmanians who are just as tough.

One of them he married and the other one is his daughter who has just become a national hero.

Titmus and wife, Robyn, watched in awe from a parents and friends’ room at a Noosa resort as their daughter Ariarne dethroned Katie Ledecky in the Olympic 400m.

In a departure from usual broadcasting scheduled, the NBC broadcast into the United States included footage from the parents’ hub such was the fascination with the duel.

Steve sat down at the start of the race and a nervous knee wobble was the only sign of tension. The room stayed relatively subdued as Ledecky broke away.

Robyn whispered “c’mon

Arnie’’ as the gap narrowed and the room rose as one and roared to life at the 300m mark as the home girl challenged then passed the US superstar.

“I’ve lost my voice,’’ a tearful and suddenly croaky Steve said after the race.

Inevitably, discussion centred on the origins of Ariarne’s toughness and coolness under pressure and how she could have such remarkable poise and power at such a young age.

“Robyn was a sprinter and there is no one more competitive in the world than my wife,’’ Steve said.

“But we are in awe of Arnie’s ability to control her emotions. And staying focused. It is extraordinary how she has got such an old head on a 20-year-old body. It is amazing. She has beaten one of the greatest swimmers in the world and to think she is your child in unbelievable.

“Our role as parents we have always believed is to provide your kids with a stable environment so they can concentrate on chasing their dreams.”

Steve, formerly a newsreader in Launceston, decided the family should pack up at short notice and move to Queensland to further his daughter’s career.

He had been well settled in his home town and his fond memories include playing with Boon in club cricket.

“I remember once opening with

Boonie and he scored a century and I made 17 because he hogged all the strike!” he said.

Steve said he always believed if you have a dream you should chase it, and that was part of the reason for the move north.

“I look back now and think it was a bigger decision in hindsight than at the time,’’ Robyn said.

“I am so glad we did move because this may not have happened. Thank goodness we gave her that opportunity.

“It probably took us six months to make the decision. She was named on a world junior team and we worked out the timing of it all and it just had to happen.’’

Robyn urged her daughter to play some AC/DC to wind her up for the big race and she chose their iconic single It’s A Long Way To The Top.

It was the right choice for the right race because while still so young, it was still a long road to the summit.

And the journey was all the sweeter for that.

Former Olympian and experienced coach Andrew

Baildon was also impressed by the way Titmus stuck to her game plan.

“She just showed enormous maturity to stick to her own plan,’’ Baildon said.

“That takes a lot because racing someone like Katie Ledecky can be very daunting.

“And yet she didn’t panic or change her plan even though she was behind and held something back for the end of the race. And she even went up and eyeballed Ledecky at the end of the race.”

Stockwell added: “That was very interesting because Katie would not be used to it happening. Normally Katie would be well out in front by then.”

ROBYN URGED HER DAUGHTER TO PLAY SOME AC/DC TO WIND HER UP FOR THE BIG RACE AND SHE CHOSE THEIR ICONIC SINGLE IT’S A LONG WAY TO THE TOP.