Sport for Women

Ashleigh Nelson

Type: Player/Athlete
Sports: Horse Racing
Location: Australia
Social:

What does going to the Olympics mean to Ashleigh?

It means an opportunity to achieve a long term goal of winning an Olympic Gold Medal. It also serves as a reward for the persistence and sacrifices my family and I have had to make in order to play at an elite level.

Ashleigh Nelson on Twitter

Ashleigh Nelson in the News

Q & A

Greatest sporting achievement: Gold – Dehli Commonwealth Games. Selection 2012 London Olympics

Greatest achievement off the field: Completing a degree as an Occupational Therapist while competing at an international level.

Who is your sporting heroine? I really admire Louise Savage for her ability as an athlete and the work she has done to promote disabilities sports on an international scale. I also admire Cathy Freeman for the focus she displayed during the Sydney Olympics and being a great ambassador for the female aboriginal community.

How many hours per week to you train/exercise? Every day except for Sunday (the day of rest). Hours vary but usually we will have 2 sessions of either skills , weights or video analysis.

What kind of diet or nutrition plan are you on? I eat fairly normally but try and ensure that I have an adequate intake of carbohydrate and protein especially after big sessions. I certainly enjoy indulging in some chocolate or licorice to satisfy the sweet cravings.

What do you love about your sport? Getting to go to work with a great group of girls and friends every day. Being able to travel the world doing something you love also makes it very easy to stay motivated.

If you could change something about your sport, what would it be? I would love to be fulltime athletes every year. Unfortunately due to the sport being relatively low profile except in an Olympic year this isn’t possible.

What motivates you? The goal to win an Olympic Gold and assist the team return to the number 1 ranking acts at strong motivator. My competitive nature also urges me to keep persisting.

Do you have a profession outside of your sport? Yes. I am an Occupational Therapist who until recently was working in aged care rehabilitation at Osborne Park Hospital. It’s a rewarding career and I am happy that I have a degree behind me to fall back on post my career as an athlete.

Three words that describe you: Happy go lucky

If I wanted to play your sport, what advice would you give me? Get involved through your local clubs and get a strong set of basic skills right from the start. Work on your basics thoroughly before progressing to more complicated skills. It sound simple but the greatest teams in the world are successful, because they have flawless trapping and pushing skills.

Ashleigh Nelson Supports Sport for Women Day

I’m a great believer in equality in the workplace no matter what race or sex. The sports arena is our workplace and to receive less support, exposure and funding because we are women isn’t good enough. You just have to look at great sporting heroines Margaret Court, Cathy Freeman and Rechelle Hawkes to see how influential women in sport can be.

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