Olympian returns home

PARIS Olympics silver medalist Jenna Strauch received a rapturous welcome last week when she returned to visit her former school, Girton Grammar.

Swimming the breaststroke leg, Strauch won her medal as part of the women’s four by 100-metre medley relay team, finishing behind the United States, which took home the gold in a world record time of just over three minutes, 49 seconds.

Speaking in front of a packed assembly, Strauch said the medal meant a lot more than what transpired during the race itself.

“Once upon a time I was sitting exactly where you are, and to actually stand up here today and show you my little piece of hardware is a very unique moment,” she said.

“I’ve had a bit of a journey to get to where I am today, being a two-time Olympian and Olympic silver medalist.

“I started competing when I was 13; I rapidly became pretty good pretty quickly. I (eventually) had to make a huge sacrifice and leave Girton and move to Melbourne to progress my swimming.”

Strauch spoke about how, at the age of 15 and with the world at her feet, she was struck down by unknown parasites while competing in Dubai, then spent the better part of two years in and out of hospital.

“Having made a huge sacrifice to move away from my hometown, not only was I struggling with my health, everyone around me that I was previously beating had moved past me,” she said.

“It was pretty hard as I sat there and watched the 2016 Olympic Games from the couch. It was a huge hurdle to have to work through, but the message that I want to pass on to you is that every single one of you in your life is going to face adversity.

“It’s just inevitable. But in those moments, it’s important to choose to not let that adversity define you, but shape you.

“I urge you guys to strive for excellence, because one day you could be standing up here and wonder how you got here.

“You can be me, because I was you.”