BLOGS
(Amy with James King at their Year 10 Leavers)
Friday, 6 May 2016 - Off the bike with Amy
Hello people,
I want to start off by telling you a little bit about myself that most probably you do not know. I am a very shy person at the start, but when you get to know me, that changes very quickly. I grew up in the small town of Penguin, West Pine; yeah you did hear that right, Penguin is a town of a population slightly under 4000 on the north west coast of Tasmania. I grew up on a property of 7.5 acres planted with lots of fruit trees and vegetable patches. Many days were spent in the garden with a bowl filled with icing sugar picking the fresh super sweet berries dipping them in as much icing sugar as possible and enjoying every moment, until a few hours later when the stomach aches would start. This was a daily occurrence. Yes, for those that know me I have a massive addiction to sugar that started at a very young age.
I grew up with my brother Michael (31) and 2 sisters Rebecca (28) and Sarah (25). For anyone that has grown up on a farm knows, that when looking back on stories, you can only think HOW ON EARTH did something more serious not happen. From pushing each other out of 3m high trees to tying snow sleds made out of roofing iron to the tow bar on the car and smashing around the paddocks until we fell out. To my brother tying my sister to his motorbike with a rope around her waist and starting to ride off slowly telling her it would be great training for her up and coming running carnival at school, that was until he decided to go a little bit faster than her legs could take her. Life was full of fun adventures most of that mum and dad knew nothing about (that we knew of). All the best farm life stories start with ‘Remember that day when mum and dad were not home’.
I started my education at a small primary school in Penguin called North West Christian School until half way through Year 3 where I moved school until the completion of my primary education (Year 6) at Leighland Christian School Burnie. I then transferred to Leighland Christian School Ulverstone from Year 6 through to 12. I was known as the biggest ‘Tom Boy’ as every lunchtime I was always with the boys playing soccer and football, until around Year 7.
My best friend from Year 3-through to Year 12 (James King) says he can remember clear as day; “I came home from school and sat down at the table with mum all upset and let out a big sigh, I looked at mum and said, "mum... Amy's a girl!" Mum laughed and asked what I meant and I said, "she's acting all girly and doing her hair and make up and stuff." James recalls," I think you had started to hang out with the girls a bit more than with us boys and it might of had something to do with school making you wear a dress or a skirt. What I loved most was just being able to do all the things I loved doing with you! I still claim that I made you the cyclist you are ‘cause I think we rode bikes around West Pine once. You played footy, cricket and soccer with us boys at school and weren't one of those annoying girls that just stood in the middle of the field and I'll always remember coming to your house and climbing trees outside or mucking around in the barn. I honestly can't think of anything I hated, except for that moment when I realised you were a girl, but that was inevitable I suppose.”
In Year 11 and 12 (College) I studied English, Math, Psychology, Sociology, Health and Sport Science. My best subject at school was Psychology, by far; I always found the power of the mind very interesting and it really amazed me. However, I was never the best student at school, I found it very difficult to concentrate for long periods of time and was often getting distracted or in trouble for distracting others. I really did enjoy being at school but my schooling has become one of my biggest regrets in life. If I had my time again I would do things very differently and take it a lot more seriously even in the athlete life I live today. During school I played a couple of sports outside of school including Little Athletics, Basketball, Triathlons and duathlon before starting to concentrate purely on my Cycling in Year 6.
One New Years Mum and Dad took us kids to The night on the terrace. A New Years event held in Burnie, Tasmania with a big cycling race called a criterium followed by New Year’s fireworks and lots of carnival rides. I loved watching the cycling the most so much that Mum and Dad decided to take us to the New Years Day Carnival in Burnie. Another carnival around a outdoor cycling track, where they had running races, wood chopping, and track racing. I really loved watching the cyclist racing around the track. I really enjoyed riding my BMX bike around the farm but that was the day I decided I wanted to start cycling. Mum and Dad surprised me after school picking me up and then taking me to the local bike shop. I borrowed a bike for the day and joined other riders of my age on what cyclists call a ‘bunch ride’. I loved it so much, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I was just hooked from the beginning and there was no turning back!
I want to start off by telling you a little bit about myself that most probably you do not know. I am a very shy person at the start, but when you get to know me, that changes very quickly. I grew up in the small town of Penguin, West Pine; yeah you did hear that right, Penguin is a town of a population slightly under 4000 on the north west coast of Tasmania. I grew up on a property of 7.5 acres planted with lots of fruit trees and vegetable patches. Many days were spent in the garden with a bowl filled with icing sugar picking the fresh super sweet berries dipping them in as much icing sugar as possible and enjoying every moment, until a few hours later when the stomach aches would start. This was a daily occurrence. Yes, for those that know me I have a massive addiction to sugar that started at a very young age.
I grew up with my brother Michael (31) and 2 sisters Rebecca (28) and Sarah (25). For anyone that has grown up on a farm knows, that when looking back on stories, you can only think HOW ON EARTH did something more serious not happen. From pushing each other out of 3m high trees to tying snow sleds made out of roofing iron to the tow bar on the car and smashing around the paddocks until we fell out. To my brother tying my sister to his motorbike with a rope around her waist and starting to ride off slowly telling her it would be great training for her up and coming running carnival at school, that was until he decided to go a little bit faster than her legs could take her. Life was full of fun adventures most of that mum and dad knew nothing about (that we knew of). All the best farm life stories start with ‘Remember that day when mum and dad were not home’.
I started my education at a small primary school in Penguin called North West Christian School until half way through Year 3 where I moved school until the completion of my primary education (Year 6) at Leighland Christian School Burnie. I then transferred to Leighland Christian School Ulverstone from Year 6 through to 12. I was known as the biggest ‘Tom Boy’ as every lunchtime I was always with the boys playing soccer and football, until around Year 7.
My best friend from Year 3-through to Year 12 (James King) says he can remember clear as day; “I came home from school and sat down at the table with mum all upset and let out a big sigh, I looked at mum and said, "mum... Amy's a girl!" Mum laughed and asked what I meant and I said, "she's acting all girly and doing her hair and make up and stuff." James recalls," I think you had started to hang out with the girls a bit more than with us boys and it might of had something to do with school making you wear a dress or a skirt. What I loved most was just being able to do all the things I loved doing with you! I still claim that I made you the cyclist you are ‘cause I think we rode bikes around West Pine once. You played footy, cricket and soccer with us boys at school and weren't one of those annoying girls that just stood in the middle of the field and I'll always remember coming to your house and climbing trees outside or mucking around in the barn. I honestly can't think of anything I hated, except for that moment when I realised you were a girl, but that was inevitable I suppose.”
In Year 11 and 12 (College) I studied English, Math, Psychology, Sociology, Health and Sport Science. My best subject at school was Psychology, by far; I always found the power of the mind very interesting and it really amazed me. However, I was never the best student at school, I found it very difficult to concentrate for long periods of time and was often getting distracted or in trouble for distracting others. I really did enjoy being at school but my schooling has become one of my biggest regrets in life. If I had my time again I would do things very differently and take it a lot more seriously even in the athlete life I live today. During school I played a couple of sports outside of school including Little Athletics, Basketball, Triathlons and duathlon before starting to concentrate purely on my Cycling in Year 6.
One New Years Mum and Dad took us kids to The night on the terrace. A New Years event held in Burnie, Tasmania with a big cycling race called a criterium followed by New Year’s fireworks and lots of carnival rides. I loved watching the cycling the most so much that Mum and Dad decided to take us to the New Years Day Carnival in Burnie. Another carnival around a outdoor cycling track, where they had running races, wood chopping, and track racing. I really loved watching the cyclist racing around the track. I really enjoyed riding my BMX bike around the farm but that was the day I decided I wanted to start cycling. Mum and Dad surprised me after school picking me up and then taking me to the local bike shop. I borrowed a bike for the day and joined other riders of my age on what cyclists call a ‘bunch ride’. I loved it so much, I couldn’t wipe the smile off my face. I was just hooked from the beginning and there was no turning back!