DREAM ALIVE
It’s not always gold medals, a massive social media following or a slick manager that snares precious sponsorship dollars.
Sometimes – as sprinter Riley Day can attest – it’s just loyal, good-spirited service combined with a sprinkling of good fortune.
Day, who had quietly worked in the produce section of Woolworths Beaudesert outlet in Queensland since 2018, saw her link with the company grow to a multi-year sponsorship thanks to a throwaway line at the Tokyo Games.
A trackside interview with Channel 7’s Jason Richardson after a heat of the 200m took a surprise turn that captivated public interest – and Day went from slicing water melons to appearing at functions as an ambassador for the company.
“Richo was like ‘I hear you work at a supermarket’ and even though we did not name Woolies, we talked about what I did there,’’ said Day, who made the semi-finals of the 200m in Tokyo.
“People found out I worked at Woolies and it started a massive escapade on social media. They were speculating “I wonder who Woolies will sponsor next? The Australian public started getting behind me but I wasn’t really expecting anything.
“I was in hotel quarantine when Woolies came forward with a partnership which is still going.
“I continued working on produce for a while but also became an ambassador for them.’’
The Woolies store at Beaudesert played their partwhen they posted stories like the one
where she would help John, a 90-year-old visually impaired local, with his order every Sunday.
As her push for Paris hots up, the Beaudesert Bullet gave her own cause a shot in the arm when, in another trackside interview, she offered people the chance to follow her on Instagram and even quoted her address (@-rileyday. Within 30 minutes, Day added over 25,000 followers .
Pop star-turned-swimmer Cody Simpson won’t know until the 2024 Australian Swimming Trials in June if he’s secured his spot for the green and gold, but he’s giving it everything.
With a training load that includes up to 16 two-hour workouts a week, under coach Michael Bohl at Griffith University Swimming Club where he trains with world-record holders Lani Pallister,
Kaylee McKeown and girlfriend Emma McKeon.
While he does ice baths and uses Normatec compression boots on occasion, Simpson’s diet has the greatest impact.
“I have the liberty of eating a lot, which is nice, but you want it to be the right kind of food,” Simpson says. “I try and eat a lot of carbs and get adequate vegies and vitamins and hydration.”
Quality sleep is a crucial part of Simpson’s recovery that he’s perfected his wind-down – he even has a hack for dealing with sleep-stealing blue light.
“I find it’s easier said than done to limit screens [before bed], because we like to watch TV at night. So I’ve got these red lens glasses that are even more intense than blue-light blockers,” he says.
His night-time routine
has made his 5.15am wakeups possible but it’s paying off in other ways, too.
“It makes my daily mental state and energy so much better,” Simpson says. “I find that a good night-time routine – that early to bed, early to rise situation – is just so conducive to high performance in any category.”