Right at Home Para Jackaroos relish AIS camp
Bowls Australia’s (BA) para high performance program enjoyed a significant milestone at the end of January with the staging of the inaugural Australian Institute of Sport’s (AIS) para bowls camp in Canberra.
The camp, which is the first of its kind, is seen as an important foundation in which the program can continue to build, not just across bowls but other sports as well.
In the nation’s capital, the group of Right at Home Para Jackaroos worked with an inspirational group of AIS professionals that educated in self care, nutrition and recovery, enhancing athletes’ knowledge on finishing a competition in the same physical state as which they commenced.
The staff members conducted physical testing activities within the gym and on the track on location in the AIS’ world class facilities.
In addition, the bowlers underwent biomechanical analysis on their action and sports psychology sessions designed to support and give an understanding of how to best perform when it counts.
Birmingham 2022 silver medallist Cheryl Lindfield enjoyed a wonderful experience at the specially designed camp, and is excited to head back to Canberra later in the year.
“I loved the way they adapted it for us as para athletes, they put a lot of thought into it and it felt very targeted as a program,” Lindfield said.
“When we did our exercise program they had thought through all of it to cater for all of our disabilities while also adapting as we went.
“The biggest thing I took out of it was how to be in the moment in competition and the one percenters that we can adhere to in order to tweak nutrition, mentality, fitness and teamwork.
“It was very much about quite a few ideas and I’m looking forward to going back as I think it will be excellent to build on that foundation.”
BA’s Para High Performance Manager, Ellen Falkner MBE, is grateful for the work done by the AIS to specifically design the program to assist the Right at Home Para Jackaroos continue to pursue their goals on the green
“We are hugely appreciative of the support services that we receive from the AIS and very much feel that they are an extended part of our team,” Falkner said.
“The whole program has been created to help athletes to identify areas where they can improve to make marginal gains, which in high performance sport can be the difference between medalling and not medalling.
“We are all committed to helping athletes to be the best that they can be, and through their efforts and how they represent, we hope that more people will be inspired to come into our sport.”
