Everyone meet our latest addition to the JOLYN athlete crew - the amazing ALEX PERKINS! We couldn't be more excited to welcome Alex on our team and to share this Q&A so you can all get to know her. Alex recently made her senior Aus team debut, repping the green and gold at the 2022 Commonwealth Games where she shattered her PB and placed 4th in the 100m fly final and 5th in the 50m fly final. Like any athlete at the elite level, Alex's road to success hasn't always been smooth sailing and she's had to overcome her fair share of challenges to achieve these incredible results. Find out more about Alex, her training and lead up to the Commonwealth Games below 👇

GET TO KNOW ALEX

What was it like competing at the Commonwealth Games?

It was an amazing experience, I couldn’t think of any better first senior team to be apart of. It was great getting to know everyone on the team and also meeting Aussies from some of the other sports in the village. Stepping out onto that pool deck wearing the green and gold was so exciting and I felt so proud to be following in the footsteps of other athletes I had always looked up to.

 

What does your typical training week look like?

A typical training week for me includes 9 swim sessions which are about 2 hours each, as well as 3 gym, 2 spin, and a couple of core sessions.

 

What’s one of the biggest challenges you’ve overcome as an athlete?

Like everyone, sport has it's ups and downs and we all come by some big challenges. One of my most recent challenges was actually at the World/ Commonwealth Games trials in May. I missed the qualifying time to go to the World Champs by .06 which at the time was absolutely devastating because I knew I was capable of it. It took me a little while to come to terms with this, and I set a new goal of achieving this time at the games to prove to myself I could do it. I ended up dropping almost half a second from my trials time and was really proud of myself for overcoming this disappointment.

 

What do you love most about your sport?

I love that through swimming I am able to meet people and make friendships that I otherwise wouldn't. It's also really love the mental and physical challenge of both training and racing.

 

What’s your ultimate goal in swimming?

It is definitely a dream of mine to compete in the Olympics one day, but I also just want to be able to finish the sport knowing that I gave it my all and to be proud of that.

FUN FACTS ABOUT ALEX

Fave food?

That’s tough. I absolutely love mangoes! And for a treat I'd have to say ice cream for sure.

 

Fave destination you’ve visited?

Before this year I hadn't really been to too many places outside of Australia but since travelling to Europe this year there are so many places I'd like to visit in the future, and the Amalfi Coast is definitely one place I'll be returning to! There is so much to do there and the views are incredible.

 

What’s on the top of your bucket list?

I'd love one day to visit Finland and stay in one of the glass igloos they have there and watch the northern lights.

 

Hobbies outside of swimming?

When I get some down time, I love going to the beach and reading. I also love online shopping which is probably more of a bad habit than a hobby.

 

Fave pair of JOLYN’s you own?

I love my printed Perry onesie in Coral!

 

Quote you live by?

"Dreams don’t work unless you do."

Make sure to follow Alex on IG @alexperkins__ to keep up with all of her latest adventures, competitions and other fun things!