Paddock to Paris

Look out for 21 year old Jamieson Leeson, who hails from Dunedoo in central west New South Wales in the upcoming Paralympics. She’ll be representing Australia in Boccia in both the individual and pairs events in the B3 classification. Boccia is one of the only sports specific to the Paralympics and basically it’s a ball target game that has similarities lawn bowls, boccie and snooker as well. No matter the result at Paris – Jamieson is already hailed a hero at home in Dunedoo where she’s been immortalised in a huge mural in the center of town. It does make me think of what her childhood was like there –I’m sure there were no other children scooting around the main street of town in a wheelchair Jamieson says it certainly had its challenges but mostly benefits.

You may not have heard of Aislin Jones before but I challenge you not to impressed by this woman’s integrity, maturity and goal setting ability! Aislin will be competing in the Olympic Skeet Clay Target Shooting Event and then ever-so-casually will also take herself off to run a her first ever Marathon a matter of days later. As a child Aislin was one of those children picking up the broken clay targets at the local gun club on the weekend – as soon as she hit the legal shooting age of 12 – she was into it. That year she met her current coach – and mapped out an 8 year plan with the Tokyo Olympics as the goal. Talk about impressive life goals! Paris is her second Olympics - but she’s incredibly level headed about the whole journey reiterating that she constantly reminds herself that life is not this sport – and that she hopes to be in the game for many more Olympics to come. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production assistance is by Alice Moffitt For more stories of Olympic athletes from rural and regional Australia follow us @mansonpodcasting on Instagram.

One man to look out for in the Opening Ceremony – and in the Australian Men’s Rowing 8 Boat is 26 year old Jack O’Brien from Walgett in north west NSW Since the middle of May he’s been training, lapping, perfecting his style, mind, muscles and mentality, in various training camps and competitions across Europe – as the Australian Rowing Team works and works and works to give itself the best chance at a medal in Paris. Time away from home is nothing new for Jack – who went away to boarding school at the end of year 5, aged 11. Even so, the farm is his ‘happy place’ – where he has the freedom to get away from the world of Rowing - and ponder life, with the comforts of his family being close by. There’s a definite family vibe to Jack – and he loves the Walgett community too. Who’ve been known to go crazy on the billboard creation side of things in the past! This is a Manson Podcasting Production done in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production assistance from Alice Moffitt Host is Skye Manson For race updates and more information about rural and regional athletes competing at the Paris Games follow along @mansonpodcasting on Instagram.

This Saturday, Olivia Barton and her horse Holly will board a plane headed for a pre-Olympics training camp in Europe. She’s an eventer – who’s been riding since before she could walk – on her family sheep and cattle farm near Wellington in central west NSW. But this is an Olympic story with a bit more complexity because Olivia’s name isn’t on the Australian Equestrian Olympic team list, nor is she a reserve. But she and her horse will still travel with the team – as an extra ‘just in-case’. And this is the difficult and devastating underside of the Olympics that we don’t often hear about. For all the excitement, nerves and fears of competing in the Olympics, there’s an equal amount of disappointment, frustration and bravery for those who lie in the ‘almost got there’ camp. Her mum tells me Olivia is determined to just ‘keep doing what she’s doing’ in inverted comma’s and will continue to train as if she’s going to the Olympics. When I spoke with Olivia the final Olympic team announcement was still pending. Which I’m glad about because you’ll get an insight into the hopefulness of a young athlete on the brink of selection. This is a Manson Podcasting production in partnership with Rabobank Australia. Production assistance by Alice Mofitt. Follow along @mansonpodcasting on Instagram for more olympics information specific to these stories.

Paddock to Paris is an intimate interview series with Athletes from rural and regional Australian who've made it to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Find us @mansonpodcasting on Instagram or via our website mansonpodcasting.com This is a Manson Podcasting Network Production in partnership with Rabobank Australia.