Our Distance Education program caters for a wide range of students with varying reasons for undertaking their school education off-site. This includes elite athletes who have the challenge of balancing their schooling with their sporting pursuits. One such ACC Distance Education student is 14 year old figure skater, Peyton Bellamy-Martins, who has had a very exciting start to 2024, having competed at the 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games (WYOG) in Gangwon, Korea. The Winter Youth Olympics were held between 19 January and 1 February 2024, with Team Australia fielding 47 athletes aged 14-18, competing across eight disciplines.
In addition to competing in figure skating, Peyton was also given the huge honour leading the Australian Team into the closing ceremony as a flag bearer. Peyton was selected 'for her enthusiasm, positive spirit and leadership qualities demonstrated throughout the Games' (Australian Olympic Committee website).
The ACC community is so proud of Peyton's achievements and are excited to see what the future holds for her. To find out more about what makes a junior elite athlete 'tick', we asked Peyton some questions:
What was the highlight of your experience competing at the Winter Youth Olympic Games? To be given the opportunity to represent Australia and be selected to be flag bearer at the Gangwon Youth Olympics was the most rewarding experience I could have ever imagined being part of. It meant so much to showcase the love, passion and dedication that I feel for my sport to the rest of the world. It was wonderful to see my hard work and efforts pay off and my dreams becoming a reality.
Were there any lessons you learnt from competing at the Winter Youth Olympics? I learnt that no matter the result, if you win or lose to always do your best and be proud of the efforts you put in. Always show good sportsmanship and be happy and supportive of every athlete, even your competitors.
What would you like to accomplish in your sport over the next five to ten years? Over the next 5 to 10 years I’d like to continue to grow and develop in my sport by gaining new skills and reaching all of the goals I set for myself. I’d like to achieve selection for multiple international competition opportunities and who knows, maybe qualify for the 2030 Olympic Games.
For other teenagers hoping to compete at an elite level in their chosen sport, what advice do you have? Always believe in yourself no matter how hard it seems or how long it takes to reach your goals. Never give up. Always take every opportunity to learn from your experiences and make sure to recognise the positives in everything you do.
What do you do to calm any nervousness before or while you compete? Being nervous is a natural part of competing. For me sometimes it keeps me motivated to focus and not become too complacent. Some strategies I use to calm the nerves a little is breathe and do some stretches, sometimes music helps as well.
If you could play another sport what would it be? I just recently discovered that I love skiing. I tried skiing for the first time in Korea and it was so much fun. Because I am a skater it was easy to pick up and I really love it.
How do you balance your school work and training schedule? It is often difficult to find a balance with my sport and school work due to training, travel and competition commitments. I try to set myself a plan at the beginning of term to make sure I complete my school work during my training downtimes and my mum also helps with keeping me on track.
Who is your sporting hero? I don’t really have a sporting hero. I think that anyone who works hard and puts dedication and passion into their sport is an inspiration and a sporting hero for young kids and other athletes to look up to.
What are your hobbies or interests outside of figure skating? I love spending time with my friends when I get the chance as I don’t see them very often. I enjoy watching movies, shopping and chilling out with music.
And one very important question: are you a Swiftie or a John Mayer fan? Swiftie of course!