I must say, I feel like everything feels more real when you actually go into a real place. I know you can always do things from your computer, but if you can get out into the world, I’m all about it. I hate Zoom calls. I, like, my whole life is on a Zoom call. Like, I have so many clients who are overseas or different cities or even, like, a lot of time it is just too much, you know, it’s easy. Easier if everyone goes on a Zoom call. So much working from home and stuff like that, which is great. But, like, I’m just, like, I love just chatting in person. I can see you. I can see your whole body. I can see you. Yeah, exactly. Like, hi, this is you.
This is not like, excuse me, I can’t hear you.
Anyway, so this is great. Well, I want to start right from the beginning. I always am fascinated how people’s lives, where they start and where they end up going. So for you, it started with actually the same design course that I did. Yeah, that’s why. It is wild. You’re a little bit younger, but that’s okay. We don’t need to talk about that. Graphic design at AUT. So that was design and illustration. Is that right? I did. You know how, it was probably the same when you did it, you know how you got your first year and you had everything and then you can break off into advertising. Yeah, so I did like, I broke off more. To illustration and photography.
So did I, weirdly. Oh, yeah. Did you try for advertising as well? I did. I did. I know. I actually thought my campaign was good. Yeah. Mine probably sucked. Like, my uni stuff was really bad. I know. I know. You look back at uni and you go, ‘What was I thinking?’ Oh, I know. But that’s why I like… Live and learn. So you didn’t actually own a camera yet and you didn’t plan on being a photographer yet. No, zero. You started uni and you were interested in design. You wanted to be a designer. Yeah. Okay. Like, I want to do things like this. Yes, that is a cool, yep. Like, legit, that was it. And then, so, egg on my face because… I literally fell in love with it straight away.
Wow. Did you go out and buy a camera? Oh, yes. Did you ask your parents? Well, my birthday was, like, then. And so that was, like, my parents asked… what do you want for your birthday? And I was like, well, I kind of need this. I don’t want one. Was that your first Canon? Yes. So I asked people, what should I get? Because I don’t know. And everyone went, get Canon because it’s easy to use. Yes. Correct. And that’s great because I’m a noob and I don’t want complicated things. So I literally, and there was like a sale. On at PB Tech. It was great timing. Like there was just like little pack that it was like one of the cheapest ones. Yes. Like DSLR thing. And that was it.
It was like very basic. It was like just twin. Leans kits, little thing. Do you still have it? No, I sold it and I regretted it. Could have been like on the mantelpiece. I know. And I got nothing for it. I think I just needed the money. You know how it is. Fair enough, fair enough. So I fell in love with the medium straight away because it was like, you know, okay, design, if anyone doesn’t know, like it’s… 2D space, right? Illustration, design, advertising, photography, it’s a flat thing. So all the things we know, you know, like composition, colour, light, blah, blah, blah. That’s exactly the same except with a camera and instead of a piece of paper or a screen, your world is like your canvas and your camera is your paintbrush.
I love that. Have you trademarked that sentence? No. Should I? That is bloody good. Okay. I don’t know where that came out of— somewhere. No, that is awesome. I love that. Yeah, the world is your canvas and your camera is your paintbrush. Yeah. Okay. You can quote that. That’s fine. Very good. Yeah, and that’s it. And everything was really instant because, you know, like when you’re designing, you go like. map it out and do a little squiggle and like, oh, I think that looks good. And then you start doing it and it’s not. In photography, obviously there is still a significant amount of planning, but you get more immediate feedback. Yes, yes, yes. Like you can do a shot and you’re like, ‘I want to light this here’ or ‘I want to do this here.’ So, like, I got, like, addicted to that, like, immediate feedback.
Yeah. And it’s like that immediate, like… Dopamine? Yes. Maybe? Yes, yeah. You click it, you have a look and it’s better than what it, like, it looks different because it’s now in a little frame. It’s different from what you just saw in the whole world. You’ve 2D-dified it. Yes, exactly. So, like, yeah, I just fell in love with it straight away. And it was really funny. When I was at uni, my one and two, first year, second year, I tried really hard. Hard to not do sport assignments. Okay. Because I was like, that’s my safety. And I know as athletes, that’s another pillow of my life. But yeah, when I was at uni, I didn’t want to pigeon-toe myself into just sport. I really tried to branch out.
Really funny how I’ve just been dragged back out. I want to ask you about the sport then. So firstly, tell me about what Alicia looked like as a child and, you know, and as a teenager, how you kind of progressed. Okay, so growing up… Shout out to my parents, actually, to be honest. They were my Uber driver for years until I got the keys, and they were just like, ‘Here’s your car, go.’ I pretty much had two things— sport and art— so that was like two things I liked, to the point where I actually got into a little like art class, like after school, kind of fun thing. Like, I don’t know, another activity like my parents are really into supporting our like extra yeah, like, kind of like, ‘Oh, this is really cool and stuff like that.’ Like, they never were like, ‘You can’t do this I apparently was always good at drawing.
I didn’t realize this. My parents didn’t realize this until my brother came along. Yes. And then they compared. Not to say my brother. He’s now an engineer. Okay. He’s different. And then, apparently, I got shoulder tapped there saying, ‘Hey, I should go to this like field trip to the museum and do this art thing. With, like, all older kids. I was the youngest by a few years. Amazing. And it was, like, a proper painting kind of… Like a workshop? Yeah. And it was, like, they only pick you if you’re, like… Like, good. Yes. Yeah, so that was kind of my art side. Now, my sport side, so my dad loves sports. Yeah. Like, I love sports as well.
We have a, so on the garage door of my family home, there is an imprint of every single ball known to man. That’s awesome. Are you allowed to play with them? It’s not like display balls. No, no, I mean, like an imprint, because the garage door has been smashed. Got it, got it, got it. Every window has been smashed. There’s like… You know how clocks have glass? There’s no glass. It wasn’t me, it was my dad. He did a forward drive in my living room and smashed the clock, and I was just like, ‘Oh my god.’ My mother had three children. But dad was the one that did the damage. Which is great, because we just blame it on Dad.
But, like, we all, and we all played, and this is something that’s really key: my brother and my dad didn’t go easy on me. Okay. There was no play like a girl in my house. That’s awesome. Hell no. In fact, it probably, like, you probably were better at many stages of it because you always had something to prove. Yeah, well. Like even like so my brother’s younger than me so it was like real good like even and dad taught dad taught me how to throw dad taught me how to kick a ball dad taught me like all these things and then so I think I’m trying to like do math here. So I think we’re the athletics though at school. Yes. My first sport was tennis, I remember that.
Yeah, I was literally going to say, well, I hear about ball sports, so how did you get into running? Yeah, so, well… Tennis was my first sport because it was down the road from my bubba’s house. And then, I’m pretty sure, I was swimming when you’re young, gymnastics when you’re young, which is key for coordination. You’ve got to learn to swim in this country. So that was that. And then there was athletics, say, at school. And my brother and I would win. Like, everything. Wow, so he was also really fast. Yeah, very athletic as well. Do you remember the feeling of realising that you were, like, good at running? I think it’s cross country was the same. I think that’s when I was like beating the boys. Yes.
I was like, huh, this is fun. And you play tag at school and you get everyone, or you never get caught. Like I remember being as a kid, and then I had, I actually got like. Kind of bullied, but it was more like jealousy from guys who… couldn’t beat me, weren’t as fast as you. My brother played soccer there. Yep. And for some reason, I didn’t join that year. So I think I would have been nine. And I hated going to watch. Okay. I just wanted to play. You just wanted to play. Oh, my gosh. And so cricket season came along. Yes. And I was like, I’m not watching. I’m going to play. And I was in a boys’ team. Awesome.
And, like, in the beginning, they were like, ‘Oh, it’s a girl.’ And then I kind of, like, earned my stripes a bit. Yes. But my dad took me and my brother to the Nets. We were, like, at… like, Collin Maiden Park, and we would play. That’s awesome. Like, we would drive to the nets and play, like, our weekends. Or in, like, winter, we’d kick a soccer ball. Yes. Like, our winters were, like, let’s go. to the park and like so much of you excelling in sport as a child actually comes down to how much practice you had with your dad and I guess your mum drove you around everywhere. And she said yes to every sport that you wanted to do. I think it’s like hours. It’s time.
It’s how many minutes, you know, how much time you actually spent doing everything. Yeah, that 10,000 hours thing. Yeah. So yeah, that’s my background. Those are my two life pillars as a child going through high school. I didn’t have a day after school where I didn’t do anything. Wow. Okay. For as long as I remember. Through my entire high school life, there was always… some activity after school which, now looking back, I was like, ‘That’s insane!’ It is, it’s hard— three sports I juggled. That’s awesome. I want to know. So from that, being busy all the time, it’s basically the beginning of the hustle that you bring later. Yeah, exactly. And the time management, it trained me to be able to manage my time, manage everything, because I would have a small window.
I was like, I need to get some. And I did art. It’s like, you know this. That takes a long time. Yeah. Like you gotta like get those like paintings done so I would at lunchtime try get it done so I would then have that time to go to training because I didn’t miss training. That was like a I’m I will be dead before I miss I would lose sleep me in my 30s has learnt that lesson that like Work is load, so you need to not be stupid about it. But as a kid, it was you go. You didn’t want to let anybody down. You didn’t want to be the one that fell behind. So you always kept up. Yeah, exactly. So that’s kind of wild.
And it wasn’t until, so I actually was a decent footballer. Wow. When I was, now looking back, I was like, that’s wild. So I played senior football when I was 14. Football is a New Zealand soccer. Like soccer. Proper. Yeah, football, football. Okay. Yeah, that’s awesome. I love hearing about girls that play football because it is such a fun sport. It’s so good. It wasn’t that encouraging. Like, I don’t know, like it wasn’t, unless you were really, really good. Or you had a brother. Or you had a brother. That’s what it is. That’s why I played. Yes, then girls didn’t, they didn’t get, you know, they just didn’t get pushed that directly. But now I think it’s changing. Oh, it’s huge. Yes. Huge. Like, I played, like, my primary school, I was the only girl.
Yes. Whereas I’m sure there’ll be a girls’ team. Wow. Even when my brother started playing. So when I played football, it was the age, I think I was like 10, where there was girls’ teams. But anything earlier, you’d have to play with boys. And my dad actually talked to me about this and was like, I think we should have put you in the boys’ team. Wow. You would have just done better. And the team would have done better to have you on the team. Yeah, well. Maybe. Which is actually really encouraging because a lot of girls probably didn’t do it when I was young because they didn’t want to play with the boys. I actually remember. I remember that we had, so I have a brother. And I had, we had some family friends with like four boys and they were like really good soccer players. And when we would hang out with them on weekends, I’d get to kick the ball. And I always remember I loved it. Yeah. But nobody ever. I said, well, why don’t you do it at school? I know. I just uncovered something. But I did love it. It was different from a catching sport. It’s not like netball. So you played netball? I played netball. Nice. But there was something about playing football that was really – a slight tackle? Yes. It was lots of fun. But I guess – anyway, it’s awesome. I love hearing about women who have done it growing up and I love seeing that now there are like full, like, I think we put my daughter, who’s six, in like for summer soccer, but everybody, everybody’s a girl.
Everyone, like, the girls playing, girls, at least they’re like, they’re not discouraged from doing it. And now there’s different pathways. Yes. So I remember when I was young, so I made the New Zealand Under-17 squad when I was 16. It’s got that track for the World Cup. And then there it was. Thank you. But. There was, there’s a squad of 24. Okay. And 21 travel. I didn’t make, I was in the 24, didn’t make the 21. And that crushed me. That was my first, and I put every single weekend, every holiday, I was in camp. Wow. Like it was like, as a kid, I was like, that’s insane. That is a bit wild, that 24 train and 21 go. Yeah. I feel like. I don’t know. I don’t know. Yeah.I guess maybe there’s only so many. So much sponsorship, or probably yeah, like you’re kind of like on the side, or something like just in case. Yeah, what did you think? I’m curious, what did that feeling of I want to say the big word. What did that feeling of failure in this instance? I mean, you trained, you did the training, you put the work in. What did that do for you? Are there moments where you look back and you’re like, ‘I’m not going to let that happen?’ Again, or is that has it done anything? Has it shaped you or are you just angry about it? That’s really interesting. Actually, I know, and it doesn’t make me… I’m like looking back now. I think it’s fine. Yeah, like I.
Because I had athletics simultaneously. Okay, you probably couldn’t have done both. No, no, I was getting a lot of pushback. And then I still tried to do athletics as much as I could. But I was like, ‘This is the reason I smash everyone on the fitness test. Or like, I’m faster than everyone.’ So they kind of were like, ‘We’ll let you.’ But there’s going to be a point where you’re going to have to drop it. Whereas like athletics was just like, ‘Yeah, have fun, like turn up and race.’ I don’t know, I remember, so it was a phone call. And all my friends got their call. And I didn’t get my call. And I cried for hours. I remember that. But I didn’t like…
Yeah, like, I don’t know if that got me angry because the environment it was in, it was actually, like, looking back, it was very intense. There wasn’t a lot of fun. It was, like, very stressful. Like, every single… Training was a trial. So because I had athletics, I was like, ‘All right, I’m going to have a break from football. I’m not going to do like summer. There’s always like, I don’t know what time of year it was, but athletic season was coming up and I didn’t want to like. Like, I didn’t want to play football during the summertime because there’s a lot of, like, rep stuff in the summer. And I was like, I just want to focus on athletics. I want a break.
And because I had that other sport, I was like, I kind of just shifted the focus. You didn’t actually have to focus on it.’ You didn’t have like a whole gap. You just filled it with more athletics. Yeah. And I was like, it’s fine. I’ll just go from this to this. And then I… I had the most insane season. Okay. Like, and I just focused on that and I didn’t go back to football. Amazing. Well, yeah, I mean, amazing in some ways. I feel like maybe, like, on one hand, leisurely, it’s great to do all sorts of different things. You know, it’s fun and you’re mixing it up. But sometimes if you want to be the best in your discipline, then you do just need to focus.
Yeah, well, they say now… What I do was probably the best. So what distance are you running at this time on the track? 400 was my thing. 400. The death one. 58 . 6 was my BB. That is fast. Yeah. That is very fast. I wouldn’t. What do people need to get now? Like what kind of speeds do they need to be doing to represent New Zealand? 51. And what did you get? 58. That’s pretty good though. Yeah. That’s pretty good. So. That’s amazing. You need to run to make the senior New Zealand team. I’m pretty sure it’s 51 flat. Wow. I’m not sure. Don’t quote me. It’s something. We’ll find out after this. It’s okay. So that was my thing. And yeah, so I just kind of continue that.
I then kind of, I’ve just been so used to. Training myself into the ground in different sports. So that balance thing, like cross-training. I took all that into one sport. Overtrained, injured. So talk to me about injury. Because that actually changed. That was like a fork in the road. That was a pivoting moment. So tell me about your injury. What that felt like. Yeah, okay. Um, God, I think my first one, my first one when I did my back in the gym or something, when I was like, I just turned fresh 18. And it was just a simple thing of like, I’m getting older. It gave me trouble for years. Yes. And that was it. And it was just like I was kind of used to bouncing back from everything when I was younger.
Yeah. And then. This one just. This one did. Differently. Yeah, and I couldn’t train as much and then, like, didn’t really get back to what I was. And it was, like, the chase to get back to what I was. Yes. I kept overtraining. Like, it was… Quite like, I wish I knew I did now about woman’s health because I reckon I would have been okay. Just like, no pain, no gain. It was real. Yes. That was like. Definitely like our whole upbringing was no pain, no gain. Like that area. Yeah. No pain, no gain. Kind of like take a concrete pill. Yes, yes. Suck it up. There’s so many. I feel like we could list them out. Yeah. That was like drilled into you from coaches. Wow. Right?Like stuff like that. Because I think they trained women like they train men. Yes. And we have menstrual cycles. And that is a big thing— it’s something that we like totally take. We just hope that we have to. I feel like we’ve been brought up to also just like suck it up for that too and not talk about it. Yeah, not really talk about it. Not really talk about it. Not really worry about like, I mean, there’s certain times of the month I now understand that you are faster than you could ever be. And certain times of the month where you’re supposed to take it easy. Yes. That helps you recover to be faster in the faster times. I check my app and I go, ‘Why do I feel like crap?’ Oh, that’s why. Wow.
I wish I had that when I was young. Suck it up. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Or like, ‘Oh, I’m not fit. Like something’s like wrong.’ No, nothing’s wrong. So, do you now train to your, to your cycle? Amazing. Yes. Sort of. Yeah. Like I’ll go harder when I know I can. Yeah. And then like I try balance in my life. How do you learn about that? So I’m going to shout out to my friend’s company called Femi. Oh, yes. That has taught me everything. Okay. Like if you follow them on Instagram, they’re very knowledgeable. They’ve got experts in the field. It’s… Is it Esther? Esther and Lydia. Yeah, I think I followed them as well. Oh, yeah, yeah, perfect. So, like, I actually did, so I actually did some work for them as well. Amazing. And I was, like, editing their educational videos. Okay. Sorry. It was great. I was like, I had to listen to it to cut it. And I’m like, oh, it’s just like notes. Just taking notes. I would like text them and be like, ‘Oh my God.’ Can’t believe it. This just changed my life. Okay. Going back a bit, back to the injury. So you were injured at about 18, but you still wanted to hang out with all your teammates. I still try to get back. But you ended up photographing? Them is that right? Yes, but I think I was 19. Okay, so it was after because I remember uh so my last year of school flunked it pretty much. So my in-year 12, so you know how like uh there’s like school nationals, which is huge.
Yes. In year 12, I came fourth in the 400. Incredible. And I was the youngest. All three girls were older than me. Yes. And I came off that football season. And my head was like, ‘Did I just come fourth in the country and not train properly?’ That’s amazing. So that was like, I’m going to try to win next year. And I overdid it. Keep trying to like, you know, get back to where I was and simultaneously start uni the next year, get this camera. The summer of 2013, I injured again. took my camera to the track to take photos of my friends. It’s at Mount Smart, where it was like there’s no stands— you just walk around and I was on the outside and like that’s exactly it.
I was like, ‘You remember the time on Facebook?’ So this is very millennial. Everyone who’s non-millennial is going to be like, ‘What?’ I’ll love it. I’ll love it. When we used to upload full albums. Oh my gosh. It was then. And I did that and I just changed it to public on Facebook. Oh yes. But they like, it was. Here are all these pictures from now that’s not a thing. So wild. It might come back. Maybe it’ll come back. They’ve got the carousel now. That’s kind of a vibe. Exactly. But I was like, ‘100 pictures of my friends’ and changed it to public so my friends could tag their friends. Tag themselves and tag each other. That’s right. Like, yeah.
And then, like, another at FedEx Auckland were like, ‘well, you can, this is really cool.’ Like they knew me from being on the track anyway. I was like, ‘oh, hey, like this is really cool.’ Next time. I’m like, ‘here’s a bib.’ I will let you go in the field. Wow. And just have some fun and like upload them to Facebook because it was great for them. Yes. They got free publicity. Yeah. And great shots. Exactly. They can share it. And you got to practice something that you hadn’t really. Yeah. I mean, one thing that, excuse my limited photography knowledge, but I feel like. shutter speed, right? It has to be really fast to be able to capture someone in the moment.
That’s what makes sports photography so amazing because you manage to capture them not blurry, like in a still. Yeah. And I think that’s what has drawn me to your work. You just said it, Frozen. They look perfect, but you can see in their face and there’s like sweat, whatever it is. Like that’s coming off them that you know that they have been they’re moving their fastest they are pushing their hardest but you managed to capture it in a still yeah that’s kind of nice you say that because there’s a lot there’s a little bit of a movement where I was just talking to another photographer about this she’s gonna know exactly is like some people would criticise that as boring oh no way like there’s like a weird like shift but yeah that’s what I love about the art of a still it is exactly that freezing that key moment in time.And you almost need to take like a hundred of them and you flip through, I mean, of that one moment, that one second that you need, you know, you need like the millisecond and it’s the millisecond that you have to find the right one and everything else has to be perfect. Because you get like the movement, you know, there’s down face, right? Yes, yes, yes. Exactly like that key frame will be in a bunch of like, I don’t know, like 20, 50. Yeah. Like, it’s more now because frame rates are higher. Yes. But there’s, like, yeah. And I love that. And you’re so right. And it’s also, like, it’s a bit of a sport in ourselves because we do have to anticipate. What’s going on?And I think I saw something that you basically have to like run along as well— so you have to be quite fit to be a sports photographer. Yeah, like you’re going up and down stairs trying to get yeah oh yeah. The best shot. Smashing PBs is brought to you by 40 Thieves, award-winning producers of New Zealand’s tastiest peanut butter, almond butter and superfood butters. Spoonful is packed with protein, healthy fats and all the goodness you need for fuelling everyday and epic adventures. Grab your next jar at your local Woolworths, New World, Pack and Save and the Warehouse Supermarkets and start smashing your personal bests. Well, I want to hear about the 2024 Olympic Games. Yeah, I saw some of your photos and they were just crisp. I feel like they just captured the moment.
So tell me about how you got to the Olympics. Was it a peak in your career?
Yep. So, okay, getting to the Olympics is really hard as a photographer. I’ll just put that out there. I still don’t know how I get accreditation. Like, generally, I am in denial. Okay. It’s that hard. So, pretty much… I got shoulder tapped from Athletics New Zealand, I want to say, end of 2014. 2015 is when I started doing work for them. Amazing. And so that’s kind of like for me, like that’s my sport. That’s pretty cool. And I actually did design work for them. So, anyway, I got, yeah, shoulder taps, 2015. That’s the start. Back then, I used to do design work. I don’t do it anymore.
But, like, there was, like, an international meet that we had in February that we still do. Yes. That I shot the first one. Okay. And then I started doing, like, the nationals for them. And I was like, wait a minute. I actually, like. Love this. I kind of want to try and do this at the Olympics. Which… fever dream to be honest it is you think like an athlete in like four year campaign. How am I going to tailor my work to get me to the Olympics? And I literally did just that. So around the same time I had my core life crisis when I decided to stop running and start pole vaulting. Yes. I also decided, you know. We’ll get back to that. I need to get.
I need to get experience because you’re not going to send a random. So how it works is each country gets an amount of quarter creditations, which are like gold. And then you get given them. They are given to you and whether you’re getting given them through a company or as a I get a freelance one, yes. What like that’s so amazing, like thank you, like I still don’t know how I get one, but talent, thank you, hard work, yeah, Grit. So pretty much like I knew those exist and I knew they were really difficult. Yes. And you need to have experience. And so there was the world championship. In London in 2017, and I emailed Athletics New Zealand, and be like, ‘I know there’s an accreditation; can I have it?’ And they were like, ‘We have no money.’ I was like, that’s fine.
Like, that’s fine. I just want to like, you didn’t want to get paid for it. You just wanted to go. Yeah. I just wanted to go. Like I knew there was no, and I was kind of like, ‘I just want to go and get that experience.’ And I just dropped some money. Yes. Went. And then I reached out to a local agency, and go, ‘Hey, I’m going.’ Do you want some work? So, like, I made a massive loss, but don’t care. You’re actively defining your future. You met the right people. You made sure you were in the right places at the right times. And you created the portfolio that’s… work for itself, and then you know, yeah, you totally earn your space.
Okay, like still, though, like I still could have done all that work. It’s like sport and not go— that’s true. Which is finally so I tried, but maybe. Oh, I’m going to say a big thing here. Maybe like, times in the past where you hadn’t made the team, you weren’t like scared to fail. So you’re like, you know what, if I put the work in, maybe, and it doesn’t work out. I’ll be fine. Like you knew that it is okay to fail and keep going. That’s actually a really good point. That’s actually a really good point on how maybe sport trained me for that. Because you fail. You fail. I’m stealing that. Okay, take it. I’m stealing that.
I mean, that’s kind of like, I mean, I’m super passionate about the idea that you just, you know, you have to push yourself to be your personal best, you know. Yeah. And it doesn’t mean it’s not just like run your fastest. I know that’s like the traditional idea of a PB. But it’s like all of the different things that you do to try and gear yourself up to being your personal best, you know, as often as possible. Yeah, that’s a good point. Yeah, it’s the same, right? And I guess it’s the same as like nailing that trick. Yes. If you’re like a snowboarder. Yes, doing it a hundred times. Yeah. And then you, like, you fall down 100 times and we get back up 101 times. Exactly. And stuff like that.
So, yeah, actually, that’s a good point. Like, I wasn’t afraid. And I was like, well, also, like, how cool was that experience? Like, I kind of was like. This is really cool. And I made so many friends there. Amazing. And we are still friends. That’s so cool. What goes through your mind during that chaos? Yeah, I love the chaos. But when you go into the… there’s a lot of prep. Okay. You’ve got to, there’s like A, B, C, D plan. London was the easiest one to shoot, just on how the logistics of the stadium. Okay. And like, so it was a very good first one. English-speaking country, little things like that. Whereas I could kind of hone in my craft, and I just knew there were certain things where I was like, ‘So you go infield for one jump, or one throw if you missed your out.’ Because there’s 15 spots infield.
So 15 different photographers are allowed to have a turn. Yep. And if you didn’t get it, you just didn’t get it. You didn’t get it. Did you sometimes not get it? No. Uh-oh. So, yeah, okay, you’re an expert. No, I’m actually thinking about that now. Well, you can’t. Yeah, you have to get it. You can’t mess. There’ll be times when, like, maybe the athlete didn’t clear the heights. Oh. But and so you shot at the height that you think they’re going to be at. You don’t get choice—yeah, they just go go in. Um, it’s easy for throws like um, you just kind of shoot the throw, okay? For Four layman’s terms, when you say ‘throw’? Oh, like javelin, shot put, discus, hard. But you kind of just…
I see. So you don’t get the thing they’re throwing, but you get the person and their expression. Yeah, and it’s kind of easier to get that one chance. Okay. Net events is harder, but you just get used to it. I remember going in my first time to photograph. It was either Tom Walsh and Jack O’Gill, or it’s Ben Lang. Been our it was one of as one of them four I’m sorry either Jam and Thorough or Shot Putters. Um, I remember walking inside infield for the first time and I had to remind myself all tracks are the same. Yes, you have done this exact image. No, no. My first in-fair was actually Eliza McCartney. Cool. That was my first ever in-fair. Perfect pole vault. I knew exactly my spot. That is amazing.Because it’s my spot. Love that spot and I go straight away. I want that spot and they take you to the spot. You can’t go in and go. Oh, where should I stand? Yeah, you have to plan it and they walk you in. They escort you so you don’t ruin the broadcast. Wow. Key. And I remember being like, ‘That’s my spot. I want it.’ One jump, actually. I think she didn’t get one. So they, the lady, looks at me and goes, ‘Do it again.’ And stuff. And then, which was nice. And it was that one kind of shot. I actually have a picture of her sticking her tongue out at me when she’s on the runway and I was like, ‘You’re busy Focus. Yeah, yeah, exactly.And I was like, because I’m like right there, which is kind of wild for them. I think that must be part of like having, being in New Zealand. Like, as me. Yes, but like having a friend who. Who’s done it before. Actually, let’s just, before I go there, tell me about pole vaulting because we haven’t actually talked about how you, okay, so you did athletics, you did, you know, you studied photography. Yeah. You ended up doing the photography paper and excelling at that. You shot your friends. Where does pole vaulting come into this? Well, we went on these trips together. There’s these meets called the Classic. and back in the day, like the clubs, quite often, like we would get a bus, and kind of, it was real fun.
Girls and boys, girls and boys, and so my sprint group went a distance, group went, and the what group went. So we became friends. I will admit. I’ve always wanted to do it. So I was a high jumper as well. I never mentioned that because I didn’t progress it, because I wasn’t that good. Um. But I did high jump, and I remember thinking, like, I really want to try pole vault. And when I went to my senior club, which was at Mount Smart, they said, the only place you can pole vault is at the AUT Millennium in the shore. One day, so one of my friends, Kerry Charlesworth, who was our number one for ages, injured, like a sad story, but like, I mean, she’s thriving life.At the moment, she was training, and she’s always been really supportive of this idea as well as all the other girls who you’re seeing now as well. Like I was like taking pictures of them for Athletes New Zealand as well, so they kind of like all got to know me and obviously knew me from like the trips and stuff. And then she was like doing some sandpit thing, and I remember being like, ‘Oh, can I have a go?’ And then I thought… Do people have their own pole vaults? Screw it. Or do you borrow them? She does, but no. At that time, it was just part of the… The top girls do, but otherwise we just have like a crate. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like a ginormous…Thing okay, so she’s busy doing some other thing. You see the pole vault sitting there, and you’re like, ‘Can I have a go?’ Yeah, well, she’s she’s using it, and I ask her, like, ‘Oh, like, can I hold it? Can I have a go?’ Like, I was I kind of, because I was So close with the sport as well. Actually, we’re going to segue a little bit. I forgot about this. There was an event that was just like a pole vault event that was being made, and I helped them out with like doing the designs and photo and marketing stuff for it. So I like kind of got really like. Like thick
in the event, and I was like close with everyone, and I was like, ‘oh I’m gonna join my friends yeah, that was it yeah, and I was like, oh I’m gonna yeah, can I join in? So were you good straight away? What does it take to be a pole vaulter? Oh, my God. It’s, like, I think a lot of people don’t realise how long it takes. Like, we had an influx in 2016 after Lies won bronze at the Olympics. Okay. Everybody watched it. Everyone was like, oh my God, that’s so cool. I want to be a pole vaulter. Which, how cool.
Apparently the phone at the club blew up. Wow. So like, that’s… That just shows. You seeing New Zealand on the stage, like on the world stage, was so inspiring. Representation matters in every aspect possible. That’s like proof. On why it matters, right? So like, yeah, seeing someone you identify with— oh my God, it’s a New Zealander. And a woman. And a woman. Seeing Zoe Hobbs at the Olympics as a sprinter. I think I cried. As she said, straight up, I was like, ‘She makes the final, I’m going to cry.’ She was an absolute hero. Amazing. And I feel like every single person can identify with running 100 meters. Everyone can do it. Yes, that’s right. So again, representation. And some kid is going to see that and be like…Aww. I can do that. Yeah, if she made it there, yeah, maybe maybe one day I’ll make it there exactly. So like that, so that actually happened after lies and there was a huge amount of holes, but I think people don’t realize that the progression is very slow. For me, I was like, brilliant. It means I’m not going to kill myself accidentally. I was like, perfect. In my mind, I was like, I’m only going to jump two meters. I don’t care. I’d kind of almost hung up the competitive side of athletics. Yes. But I didn’t want to leave the sport. I see. Because I enjoyed it. I still go. I enjoy being in the environment, seeing my friends, keeping fit, having some fun. Because I don’t want to do nothing.
I feel like I can’t do nothing in terms of… And also, as you said before, you still need to… It’s my side quest. But you also need to run around to… be able to shoot good photos so you need to find something to keep you fit and yeah, I mean, why not pole vaulting? Why not? It’s like the stupidest thing I can ever think of, but it is— it is the stupidest thing. So what does it feel like when you do propel yourself? Like, what is that like? Is it not… Terrifying? The best feeling ever. Is it? So I’m finally at that stage where I’m getting this feeling more, which is I just chase feelings. Yeah. I love that. And it’s like, you have rubber bands and you’re flinging them across the room.Yeah. And some of them flop, and one just goes, ‘wee! Yes. Pop up. That’s it. Have you done the ‘wee’? I ‘wee’ every day. Okay. Yeah. I also am very bad at speaking in the air. I’ll turn to my coach and be like, ‘And she’s like, land.’ Then talk to me. Me and my coach are the best banter because she’s actually younger than me. I’ve known her since she was like 14, Hannah 80, and we’ll just smack talk each other. While I’m in the air. And she’s like, ‘land.’ But you have time. Yes. So everything kind of slows down. Yeah. It’s almost like with the photography. And when you ping off that pole. It is so fun and stuff. So that’s literally what it feels like.This is just like the Olympics. We’re going to get an influx of more pole vaulters now after this. Maybe. Maybe. I literally just said how stupid it is. But yeah, no, it’s a very slow progression. And I had to get out of that distance runner weed to get stronger. Like you said, being strong. Yes, yes, yes. It’s funny how my back pain disappeared. Oh, interesting. When I started vaulting. It still comes back, but now it’s deserved. Okay. As in I took off too close. Yeah. I sat like a prawn for 12 hours. Editing. Or I’m in that, yeah, editing like a star, like that meme when it’s like, ‘Why is my back sore?’ Me. Or I’m like on the side of the track in the worst position. Ever.But you got the shot. And I got the shot. But I look stupid. Yeah. And I’m so leggy. It’s just ‘Daddy Long Ways’ on the floor. Do people sometimes shoot you? Yes. I love it. Because I made myself and I sent it to me and I always post things of me looking stupid. I think I just did one of me and the Olympics looking so dumb. On one hand, you’re like… like glamour shots of these and this is like what you look like though keep it real— right you’re right though like the strength and also being able to read the sport— like I can read pop-up really well. Which saved me for the Olympics. Okay, yeah. Going back to Paris. Yes. So Paris is my second one. Okay.
My first one was Tokyo. Wow. And I remember getting, when I got that accreditation, I cried. Like that was like, ‘Oh my gosh,’ like I cannot believe this is happening. COVID happened, thought the games wasn’t going to happen. The games happened, most insane experience. Like that was like life changing. After that, I got my canon contract, so that’s like, ‘What the hell is my life?’ You remember the call I was in denial, I was like, ‘Really? Is this a scam? Why Me?’ So deserved. So well deserved. I look at it and go, ‘Are you sure?’ Yeah. Like, you’re going to, okay. Like, up to you. So I was like, you’re a funeral. But no, I love them. No way. Supportive. I just go call them out.Can I try this lens? And they’re like, yeah, what else you need? Wow. That is such a dream. That is any photographer’s dream. So loyal and stuff like that. So really appreciative. Okay, so Tokyo first. But yeah, Tokyo was first. And so going back to Paris, like knowing, knowledge, a pole vault. Yes. So that thing where you have one jump, one throw? Yes. So… I went in and I got three girls in the pole vault and they’re on different mats and there are 16 in the heats per field. So there’s 32. And I was like. Because they actually didn’t give you one jump— they gave you a five-minute slot, because it was so hard to juggle all those people. And when there’s a lot of field events happening at the same time, it’s really hard because…
That amount of people, so I should say 15, but a lot of them are taken up by agency. Okay. And so there’s maybe only four. Wow. And like you’ve got other events happening, and it’s like pole vault is. Something you can shoot from outside— I see. So they kind of go here’s your five-minute slot. You have to then get out and go around the whole stadium. So it’s risky. You might not get your spot. But like, that’s it. I remember going to the guy. I was like, ‘I have three.’ Any chance I can get all three? I have a. I told him I have a list of priority. Yes. If you can say only one, I know. My like, there is like it’s literally ranking.
Like, my boss at home was just like, ‘You know, comms manager’ was just like. ‘This is your order.’ Yes. If you can only get one. Yeah. Who was your number? Who was the one? Oh, Eliza. Yeah. So like, it’s literally like, I did. And you know what? And like, I only just told Livvy, McTaggart this the other day. Yes. And like, I said to him, I was like, ‘Hey, they’re also on two different pits, which is a pain because I could have gone, the two pits are next to each other.’ Um, that kind of, on an angle. Okay. What do you call it anyway? Okay. Not in line. Yeah, like parallel. Yeah, but not quite like that. So you can watch both essentially from the stands. Yeah.
Um, and I said to him, I was like, they’re on two different pits. Cause normally it’s easy. You just go outside of one of them. Yeah. And I asked to sit in the middle of the two pits. So you could shoot one way, then you could shoot the other way. Yeah. Which is like. And that’s the only, and I said to him, like, look, all good if you can’t let me do it. I said, like, you know, like, the guy’s doing his job and I’m asking for a lot. That’s the thing. Never go on Untitled. Like, I never feel like Segway. I never feel like I deserve anything. I have to earn everything. So something like that, I’m like, what can you do? I’m just a stinky New Zealander.
Who’s on? On the runway, next I’m trying to look at, like, there’s like an Olympic sport for shooting. Olympic sports, oh my god, it is. And like, I’m even like trying to look at, like, the there’s live results on your phone. So people we’re always on our phones, doing that. But we look like we’re on our phones. I see, but like, there’s like it will highlight the next person. Okay, and so like, I’m trying with not loading. Yes, and I’m like, oh my god. And I’m like looking at the indicator, and I’m like peering through, and trying to figure out, in my head. I kind of know the order. How big is your lens at this point? It’s quite short because I’m actually shooting. Above me, but they’re over here.
And I’m like, who’s running? And so, and I had a few people to practice on, thank god. Um, and then like, I remember Livy came in, and I was talking to the guy, and And I was like, oh, like real quick, like while I was walking in. But I got all three. That’s incredible. Amazing. That is so cool. Oh, my God. And then I remember, and I just kind of give the guy a look. ‘Be like,’ I didn’t even look.’ I just looked at him and waited for him to give me the sign to leave. Okay. So, but it was literally, like, no one else would have been allowed to do that. It’s your drive. You were there and you’re like, ‘I have flown all the way here.’ These are my friends.
This is what I love. I will succeed. He saw it afterwards too. When they all came and gave me a hug, then it was like, ‘Oh my god, that’s really cool.’ I was like, ‘Talking with my coach— the coaches who were like my friends too.’ So yeah, things like that are like, ‘Yeah, amazing.’ What is it that gets you up in the morning? How do you stay this positive and this energized? Is it just innate, or is it, what is it? How do you learn this? I so always like chase something new. And just always try to push for something different. So, like, a lot of my stuff has been athletics, but this season I didn’t do as much. Yeah. And so it’s kind of like, okay, and that was hard.
Yes. And I’m like, okay, like how am I going to shift my focus and like another drive? And I’m starting to work on like some films and some short mini-series TV shows, getting my name in that world, and that has been so much fun. Personal projects are really good for a little bit of a drive. Finding your ‘why’—what’s your ‘why’? What’s your ‘why’? I don’t know my ‘why’. I don’t know why I said that, but it’s kind of like what gets you up in the morning. I do love my job. I get to meet— like amazing people— and like so many times, like oh, you remember there was around that time there was that reel coming out and be like, ‘I had a coffee with my younger self today So I remember watching that and I was in the ditch at the Domain photographing a giant tomato flying down the road for Red Bull.
And I was like, ‘I literally posted that and I was like… I was like kind of like waiting for them.’ I was like on my phone and I was like, ‘Oh yeah,’ I had a coffee with my 16-year-old Sal today and I’m sitting here in the ditch. I am literally in the ditch and there was this ginormous tomato on wheels flying down the road. But I have like, there’s three types of work. Okay. There is your bread and butter. Yes. Which is things that, I enjoy everything I do. Yeah. But your bread and butter is kind of the things that you probably wouldn’t do. For free. Yes. You know? You need to do it. It helps you get better. It gives you money, obviously. That’s the main one.
Pay the bills. But I still love them. So, you know, those things. And then you have the things you would do for free. Those are the things you might drop your rate for because you just want to be there. And those are very like, it’s those things that are… your why and get you up because I was like, those are things that are addictive. Those are things like, I cannot believe this is my job. When you get that feeling of like nailing that image, it’s those things. Oh my gosh, like, things that you’re like, I cannot wait to post on Instagram, things like that and then you have your third job, which you’re a combination of the two. I see you’re getting paid well and that’s your dream.
It’s almost being able to, it’s having those ebbs and flows. Like if you are only doing the stuff that you love, you might get burnt out. That’s so true. But having like the bread and butter, like the sort of easier jobs that pay well and you know how to do. That kind of keeps you going. And then when you do have those opportunities that come along, you will be able to throw yourself at them and be your personal guest. And recharge. Amazing. Like recharge your batteries because you don’t want to then hate the things that you should love. Fantastic. Okay, well, I have one final question for you. Smooth or crunchy? Crunchy. All right. We’re doing a thing, ready? We’re going to go out there and keep smashing your QB. Yes! I was like, cheers? Yeah, cheers. Drink the peanut butter. Thanks for listening to this episode of Smashing PB’s brought to you by 40 Thieves, New Zealand’s best peanut butter for fueling every day and epic adventures. If this episode If this episode inspired you, please like, subscribe and share with like-minded legends. Now go grab a jar of Forty Thieves from your local supermarket and start smashing PBs.
