Inside with Brett Hawke: Alice Tait

By Fitter and Faster Staff
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Brett speaks with Alice Tait formerly known as Alice Mills!
They talk about…

Living in Brisbane, Australia with her husband British swimmer Gregor Tait and their two young boys.

Her competitive nature begins in her childhood. “Always had to finish first. Always had to get up the stairs first.”

Swimming with Shannon Rollason and Jodie Henry

Speed Conditioning — doesn’t matter if you are a boy or a girl it should be the same.

Shannon would “reverse cycle” their program. Rather than starting with long endurance work like everyone else, they would start by swimming fast. Every season would start with speed.
Most all speed work done off the blocks.
Tim Garrison.

Recovery.

Test set: 6×50’s on 2:00
Summer of 2005: averaged 25.7

How 8×200 IM’s gave her confidence at a young age.

Height and Weight throughout her career. Strength to weight ratio was excellent.

Her friendship with Libby Trickett.

18 years old. Lead off swimmer. First Olympics. First day. First swim. World Record. Gold Medal. This is easy!
Sarah Ryan. Petria Thomas.
Coming together to do quality sets off the blocks doing relay exchanges together in practice.

Did winning Olympic gold change your life?

Her son finding her medals. Watching old footage with your kids. Gregor Tait, her husband, was a high level Scottish swimmer.

Going through puberty. Losing self confidence.

Sports psychology.

Swimming Australia these days. “The rebuild phase is done now.”

Missing the team by just a couple tenths. “I really wanted to be a 3-time Olympian.”

Glenn Baker.

Retiring mid-session.

Becoming a nurse.

Corona virus in Australia.