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TeamJOOLA
TeamJOOLA
Hey everyone. Dan asked me if I could share my news with you all so here it is.
I'm off to my first World Championships in Malaysia next year, followed by the Oceania Champs in March.
My table tennis career has been marred with ups and downs. I made my first breakthroughs in 2010 and 2011 where I played under 21s at the Oceania Champs and made the men's team for the Australian Open. Afterwards everyone was out to scalp me and my inexperience at handling that led to some terrible form and results. I was down in the dumps and the selection panel quickly lost faith in my ability to perform.
I worked hard across 2012 doing crossfit and training in a new city with a new coaching development job at regional level. I was dedicated to table tennis fully. I managed half a year in the job before starting a new sales job in a new city again.
I worked 60 hours a week and couldn't play table tennis at all. After 3 months I was a shell of a man without my beloved sport. I quit my job, vowing to return to the table and complete my ultimate goal, to return to the national team again.
My First Auto-Immune Disease
Just as I began to train I was struck with illness. I was bedridden for 3 months. I had no energy, fever every night and more symptoms than you could imagine. I was diagnosed with my first autoimmune disease. During my time stuck in my apartment (I only got out very rarely during the whole time), I started to wonder if I would be able to be an athlete anymore with such a hindrance. I had a lot of doubts.
I recovered and returned to training, on the prednisone medication and still mildly ill a light training session would send my heart-rate over 200, heart damaging at such a high rate. I was in a predicament.
I researched the illness and started making some small lifestyle changes. I had 5 weeks of intense training leading up to a major tournament in New Zealand, but while I had attained fighting spirit I had started to resign. I had been given lots of advice and some pointed at focusing on coaching and less physical options. I was 8th seed in my 2nd event at the tournament and came through to win it. A first break.
Lily Yip Table Tennis Center
I was in status quo. I travelled to Austria as national coach for the hopes team, qualified a boy for the world team. I came to LYTTC in America and enjoyed it here. The rest was history. I am now a coach here in New Jersey. While I still trained regularly I had lost my intensity as a player, it was floating in the ether somewhere. I had some strong results in early 2015 but another 2 months of sickness and a mild concussion from fainting and hitting my face fixed that up.
I was out of favour as a national athlete, 25 years old and I hadn't been in the team for 4 years. Was there any hope left?
The Team Trial
For the first time in a long time TTNZ organised a team trial for world champs and oceanias. This was my chance. I applied early for overseas dispensation. I wasn't in the national squad and so my chances were slimmer than I had hoped. I trained as much as I could before playing the US Open. After this I travelled to China for one month. My experiences were recorded on my blog (too much to write here).
I started experiencing new symptoms in China and fell to my 2nd auto-immune disease under a harsh environment and body straining physical conditions for training. I moved quickly to try and regain control and managed to hold things together.
I came back to New Zealand and carried on training, day after day, no breaks. It was really make or break. I travelled to tournaments each weekend. Semifinal, Final, Semifinal, Final. Results were pouring in. I had trained for a year with the new ball but NZ were still using the old ball so I had a lot of adjustments to make.
7 players were invited to the team trial, 6 in the national squad, and me, the prize underdog with a 4 year old agenda to clear.
A Painful Ending
I fought tooth and nail in the trial and delivered my best table tennis. I won 4 matches out of 6, the top 3 players made the team automatically with a 4th up for selectors choice.
I was in the money seat. With one swift moment it all turned sour. Another upset in the draw flipped a 3 way tie on me for 2nd place. On set countback I came out 4th. I hadn't made the team. With my history I felt I couldn't rely on the selector's choice. I had come all that way to fall short by a single set in differential. I was devastated.
The Selector's Choice
One month on and I was back in the USA. Making more major lifestyle changes to get back into good health. The news came, I had made both teams in the 4th spot. After 17 years in the sport, not having a coach for a long span of time, fighting to catch up to the rest of the elite players, sacrificing employment (creating debt) and battling illness and all odds to get the results I needed, I made it.
Why the Long Story?
Because I'm 25 and a half years old. My career all boiled down to one day, 6 matches, a moment in time. A moment where I had to perform like I never had before. I did, I delivered and I achieved my goal.
Never doubt your passions. Never lay down or roll over, confront your biggest fears and keep fighting.
I went through a lot of sacrifice and suffering in the past 3 years, now I'm at a new beginning. You can be too!
I'm off to my first World Championships in Malaysia next year, followed by the Oceania Champs in March.
My table tennis career has been marred with ups and downs. I made my first breakthroughs in 2010 and 2011 where I played under 21s at the Oceania Champs and made the men's team for the Australian Open. Afterwards everyone was out to scalp me and my inexperience at handling that led to some terrible form and results. I was down in the dumps and the selection panel quickly lost faith in my ability to perform.
I worked hard across 2012 doing crossfit and training in a new city with a new coaching development job at regional level. I was dedicated to table tennis fully. I managed half a year in the job before starting a new sales job in a new city again.
I worked 60 hours a week and couldn't play table tennis at all. After 3 months I was a shell of a man without my beloved sport. I quit my job, vowing to return to the table and complete my ultimate goal, to return to the national team again.
My First Auto-Immune Disease
Just as I began to train I was struck with illness. I was bedridden for 3 months. I had no energy, fever every night and more symptoms than you could imagine. I was diagnosed with my first autoimmune disease. During my time stuck in my apartment (I only got out very rarely during the whole time), I started to wonder if I would be able to be an athlete anymore with such a hindrance. I had a lot of doubts.
I recovered and returned to training, on the prednisone medication and still mildly ill a light training session would send my heart-rate over 200, heart damaging at such a high rate. I was in a predicament.
I researched the illness and started making some small lifestyle changes. I had 5 weeks of intense training leading up to a major tournament in New Zealand, but while I had attained fighting spirit I had started to resign. I had been given lots of advice and some pointed at focusing on coaching and less physical options. I was 8th seed in my 2nd event at the tournament and came through to win it. A first break.
Lily Yip Table Tennis Center
I was in status quo. I travelled to Austria as national coach for the hopes team, qualified a boy for the world team. I came to LYTTC in America and enjoyed it here. The rest was history. I am now a coach here in New Jersey. While I still trained regularly I had lost my intensity as a player, it was floating in the ether somewhere. I had some strong results in early 2015 but another 2 months of sickness and a mild concussion from fainting and hitting my face fixed that up.
I was out of favour as a national athlete, 25 years old and I hadn't been in the team for 4 years. Was there any hope left?
The Team Trial
For the first time in a long time TTNZ organised a team trial for world champs and oceanias. This was my chance. I applied early for overseas dispensation. I wasn't in the national squad and so my chances were slimmer than I had hoped. I trained as much as I could before playing the US Open. After this I travelled to China for one month. My experiences were recorded on my blog (too much to write here).
I started experiencing new symptoms in China and fell to my 2nd auto-immune disease under a harsh environment and body straining physical conditions for training. I moved quickly to try and regain control and managed to hold things together.
I came back to New Zealand and carried on training, day after day, no breaks. It was really make or break. I travelled to tournaments each weekend. Semifinal, Final, Semifinal, Final. Results were pouring in. I had trained for a year with the new ball but NZ were still using the old ball so I had a lot of adjustments to make.
7 players were invited to the team trial, 6 in the national squad, and me, the prize underdog with a 4 year old agenda to clear.
A Painful Ending
I fought tooth and nail in the trial and delivered my best table tennis. I won 4 matches out of 6, the top 3 players made the team automatically with a 4th up for selectors choice.
I was in the money seat. With one swift moment it all turned sour. Another upset in the draw flipped a 3 way tie on me for 2nd place. On set countback I came out 4th. I hadn't made the team. With my history I felt I couldn't rely on the selector's choice. I had come all that way to fall short by a single set in differential. I was devastated.
The Selector's Choice
One month on and I was back in the USA. Making more major lifestyle changes to get back into good health. The news came, I had made both teams in the 4th spot. After 17 years in the sport, not having a coach for a long span of time, fighting to catch up to the rest of the elite players, sacrificing employment (creating debt) and battling illness and all odds to get the results I needed, I made it.
Why the Long Story?
Because I'm 25 and a half years old. My career all boiled down to one day, 6 matches, a moment in time. A moment where I had to perform like I never had before. I did, I delivered and I achieved my goal.
Never doubt your passions. Never lay down or roll over, confront your biggest fears and keep fighting.
I went through a lot of sacrifice and suffering in the past 3 years, now I'm at a new beginning. You can be too!
