Melanie Wright has represented Australia in two Olympic Games, winning an impressive five medals in the process

MELANIE Wright was a late bloomer in terms of the age she started out in the sport of swimming but it didn’t take long for her to make a mark on Australia’s national scene.

She went on to have a career in freestyle which saw her compete at two Olympic Games and gain an impressive five medals, including two Golds.

While Melanie embraced all the swimming world had to offer – she has never felt prouder than representing her country on the international stage – there has been a lease of new life in her of late as she nears the end of a degree in medicine. Before she caught the swimming bug she had dreamed only of a career as a doctor.

Here Melanie relives some of her greatest sporting moments, and fills us in on how she supports younger members of the swimming community while gathering pace towards life on a whole new career path.

Tell us about the sport of freestyle swimming, how it first enthralled you and what it was like entering the sport so late in life?

In a lot of ways I think sport chooses you rather that you choosing your sport. As it turned out freestyle was the one thing I was good at. I was by no means the best, but I worked hard and kept my eyes on my goal. Starting so late I had a lot of catching up to do, but I enjoyed the challenge of it, worked hard and the improvements came. 

Did you think you were to far behind to ever catch the success of others or did you and others soon realise that you had a natural
talent you’d be able to build on and eventually utilise on the world level?

I think everyone competing at a state level or higher has natural talent, but that will always only take you so far. There are a lot of other elements to the equation. The good thing about that is you don’t have to be the most talented to win…but, you do need to be the most dedicated, hard working, and resilient. While, I definitely had some talent, I definitely did not have the most, and I made up for it in those other ways. Setting little goals, step by step eventually got me to where I wanted to go. At the end of the day, I could never change how my competitors were going to swim so there was no use worrying about them. I just focused on how I could improve and with little improvements, the only way is up. 

Melanie Wright described her first time representing Australia in the sport as ‘surreal’. She certainly did her country proud with the career she went on to had.

What did it feel like when you first got chosen to represent Australia and how easy was it to adapt to life on the road with the national
swimming team?

Although a cliche, it truly was surreal. When you set a goal like that as a kid, it is so far away, it feels more like a dream. Often you put that ultimate goal to one side or into the background, still dreaming but instead focus on what the next step is. The focus is so narrow that eventually when you’ve taken enough steps, you realise you’re at that goal you dreamed of. 

Five Olympic medals is an extremley impressive feat. Which one makes you proudest?

Without a doubt the London 2012 gold medal in the 4×100 freestyle relay. Being able to anchor the team home for a gold medal. It gives me chills just thinking about it. 

What do you see as some of your other biggest achievements on the global level?

The one I failed at! As weird as that sounds. I finished fourth in the 100 freestyle in London 2012. My semi final time was fast enough to get silver. I swam 0.06 slower in the final and got 4th. It was the most heart breaking and at the same time  proudest moment of my career. Mostly because I had surpassed anything I ever dreamed of just by being in the final at an Olympics and to be a fingernail from a medal. I have always lacked the true inner belief in my ability (probably the reason I fell just short in the end). While I wish I could go back to that moment and change just one thing to get that medal, I also am extremely proud that I was able to achieve what I did.

What have you been up to since you retired and how often do you currently swim? Have you taken up any other sports?

Since retiring I have started a degree in medicine. I studied a bachelor of biomedicine and an MBA (master of business) while I swam. However, I actually dreamed of being a doctor long before I ever wanted to be an Olympian so to be able to walk that path now is so satisfying. I am now half way through and love every day learning something new. My husband and I also had a baby girl last year so am chasing after a toddler most of the time. She’s the best thing to ever happen to us, much better than any medal I could ever win!

What areas of promoting the sport of swimming are you involved in and is there anything that needs improving to get young people into the water and seeing the benefits of exercise there?

I still stay involved with some of the elite athletes that train at Bond University. They have a strong high performance program with multiple Australian representatives and fantastic coaches, as well as a very competitive youth program. I enjoy running clinics, offering advice where I can and following their progress. I wish I had more time to actually swim myself for fitness but between a medical degree and an 18-month-old, I’m a bit time poor. I go when I can, but plan to get back into it more in the future. 

Swimming is one of the best sports you can do from a fitness point of view. It is both aerobic and aerobic, strength building but low weight baring. There is also something serene and calming about being in the water. It’s a nice time-out and an opportunity to clear you head and be in the moment. I would recommend it to everyone.