If there were no restrictions, I would have loved to experience the city life and culture of Tokyo and visit some of the beautiful museums and temples.
Just before participating in an event I get a bit nervous with butterflies in my stomach
but the excitement and determination take over when that first whistle blows.
To stay focused I take a few deep breaths, remind myself of what my job in the pool is and think about what I need to do to get the best result.
My secret talent is I can move my ears, if that counts?
If they made it a rule that all Olympians had to sing a karaoke song in the village, I'd go for a short song like Happy Birthday. I'm an awful singer.
At the extreme point of exhaustion, my moment of greatest exertion … to see me through I reach for support from the team. A little pep talk from a teammate can go further than you think.
SA Women's water polo captain shares her journey to the Olympics
Jordan Wedderburn on training, Tokyo and her secret talent
Jordan Wedderburn is just 18, and one year out of St Stithians Girls' College. The women's water polo captain shares her preparations for the Tokyo Olympics with Lifestyle:
My Olympic dream first took hold of my imagination when I started playing water polo competitively. The dream turned into a possibility when it was announced that SA was sending a team to the 2020 games.
To stay fit and healthy I train a lot but the most important thing I do is prioritise recovery
and rest — to make sure I don't burn out, get sick or injured.
The most exciting person I've ever met is [Top US players] Maggie Steffens and Ashleigh Johnson — two of the best women water polo players at the moment.
My favourite thing to do in my downtime is spend time with my friends or watch Netflix
on the couch.
Work-life balance is a hot topic. To achieve this when I'm training with the goal of representing SA at the Olympics I make time for things that are important to me. I work on not procrastinating with the things I don't want to do so that I can enjoy the things I want to do.
If there were no restrictions, I would have loved to experience the city life and culture of Tokyo and visit some of the beautiful museums and temples.
Just before participating in an event I get a bit nervous with butterflies in my stomach
but the excitement and determination take over when that first whistle blows.
To stay focused I take a few deep breaths, remind myself of what my job in the pool is and think about what I need to do to get the best result.
My secret talent is I can move my ears, if that counts?
If they made it a rule that all Olympians had to sing a karaoke song in the village, I'd go for a short song like Happy Birthday. I'm an awful singer.
At the extreme point of exhaustion, my moment of greatest exertion … to see me through I reach for support from the team. A little pep talk from a teammate can go further than you think.
There will be very few spectators at this year's Olympics, if any at all. Sometimes support coming from the stands drives athletes to perform better. Obviously the crowd gives big games a great atmosphere. It does motivate some athletes, but for me personally it doesn't really matter.
To get "pumped up" for a big game I have to listen to Hall of Fame by The Script. It's a superstition I have.
I don't really have a personal mantra, but since joining the Olympic squad one of our coaches has been saying "every condition" which helps the team adapt to whatever conditions we're facing.
The most important aspect of my mental "conditioning" for the Games is having a plan and setting goals, which goes a long way. But everyone is different and has different needs when it comes to mental preparation.
• After having been postponed due to Covid-19, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will take place from July 23 to August 8 2021. Visit olympics.com
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