Published on December 5, 2018
Kaitlyn Klein (Athletics) and Seb Rollings (Hockey) have both had a very successful year. They shared some insights about what pushes them to be their best and where they hope to see themselves in the future.
What drives you to push beyond your limits?
Seb: Some of my closest friends play hockey. Training and playing with them in a fun environment makes playing sport really enjoyable. The thought of being able to play overseas pushes me to be my best.
Kaitlyn: I am intrigued to discover just how far I can go, this I use this as motivation whenever I’m training or competing to push myself beyond my limits. I always ask myself “is this the best I can do?”
How does playing sport makes you feel?
Seb: I can’t describe the feeling I have when I play. My sporting friendships make the hard work fun, and I think that’s why I have been successful – because I look forward to doing the training and playing.
Kaitlyn: Playing sport brings joy to my life, it never fails to bring a smile to my face. It gives me a sense of happiness and freedom. There is nothing I love more than the feeling of playing sport or going for a run.
What does a typical week look like for you?
Seb: During the season I have a fitness training session on Tuesday, have specialist training on Wednesday which goes for 1:30 hours. I have juniors and seniors training on a Thursday night, play juniors on a Friday night, play in Sydney on the Saturday and I’m back playing in Newcastle on the Sunday for seniors. Monday is usually my rest day.
Kaitlyn: I train 6 – 7 days a week with my coach and I do about 7 – 10 sessions per week.
What’s your aspiration?
Seb: I would love to for the Australian men’s hockey team and go to the Olympic Games.
Kaitlyn: My goal for the next year is to represent Australia in the Oceania Athletics Championships and hopefully the youth Olympics. My aspiration is to see how far I can go. I don’t really like setting long term goals as I prefer to just continue pushing myself and seeing where that takes me, I have found that for me this works best and I see better results if I leave that area open
How did you feel being named Sportspeople of the year?
Seb: I was surprised! All four of the sports people nominated have had a really good year in their chosen sports. I’m only in Year 10 and winning is an achievement that I am really proud of.
Kaitlyn: Being named sportswoman of the year was a complete surprise for me, as it being my first year at HVGS I didn’t expect to be named sportswoman of the year. It is a huge honour to have received this award I am so grateful, and it has shown that my hard work this year has paid off.
How does HVGS help you in your sport endeavours?
Seb: I’m thankful for the extra time at school to complete my school work that I miss out of. Everyone is very supportive when I have a tournament and require time off school.
Kaitlyn: Since moving to HVGS I have been given so many amazing opportunities that majorly help assist with my sporting endeavours. Mrs O’Brien has been my personal mentor for the year and she has been like a second mother to me, always checking in to ensure that I was feeling okay with my schoolwork, friends and family. I also use the library for study periods to study for my subjects, I found this extremely handy as every afternoon I have a long bus ride and then training which doesn’t leave much spare time. One of the most important elements that HVGS has supplied that has helped me with sporting endeavours is the staff and students. It is a really nice feeling when your teachers ask you about competitions and congratulate you on achievements, the staff at HVGS are truly amazing. The students play a big role; I have met so many amazing friends at this school and the feeling of them all supporting you is such an amazing feeling.