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| Human Interest | |
|---|---|
Further Personal Information | |
| Residence | Brisbane, QLD, AUS |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Club / Team | St Peters Western: Brisbane, QLD, AUS |
General Interest | |
| Hobbies | Watching movies, going to the beach, shopping. (olympics.com.au, 24 Mar 2012) |
| Memorable sporting achievement | Winning a silver medal in the 400m freestyle and gold in the 4x200m freestyle relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India. (ryannapoleon.com, 2012) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Why this sport? | At age seven he returned from a swimming competition empty handed, while his sister "taunted" him with a trophy she had won. "I decided out loud, then and there 'I'm gonna make sure I always win'." |
General Interest | |
| Most influential person in career | His parents. (swimming.org.au, 2011) |
| Hero / Idol | Swiss tennis player Roger Federer and Australian swimmer Grant Hackett. (Swimming Australia, 16 Jun 2010; Queensland Academy of Sport, 16 Mar 2010) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Name of coach | Michael Bohl |
| Coach from what year? | 2007 |
| When and where did you begin this sport? | He took up training with school at age five in Gosford, Australia. |
International Debut | |
| Year | 2007 |
| Competing for | Australia |
| Location | Sydney, NSW |
Further Personal Information | |
| Occupation | Athlete, Lifeguard |
| Languages | English |
General Interest | |
| Nicknames | Rhino (swimming.org.au, 2011) |
| Sporting philosophy / motto | "Over the years I have learnt that if you want to exceed your expectations in the racing pool, you must also exceed them in the training pool. Success comes with hard work." (ryannapoleon.com, 2012) |
Sport Specific Information | |
| Coach from which country? | Australia |
General Interest | |
| Other information | SUSPENSION He was banned three months by FINA for failing a dope test in November 2009. Although FINA acknowledged it was an innocent mistake after he took an incorrectly labelled asthma medication, it was decided his ban would commence on August 20, 2010, which made him unavailable for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi for which he had already qualified. He appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration of Sport [CAS] and the court decided the ban should be backdated to June 15, 2010, which enabled him to compete in Delhi. (theaustralian.com.au, 14 Sep 2010) EARLY DAYS His earliest experiences in the pool were not memorable for him. "I don't actually remember my first swimming lesson, but mum tells me I was a bit of a handful. While my older sister Chloe eagerly jumped into the water, I sat on the side having a whinge because I was too scared. Eventually, bribed with a blue Power Ranger [toy], I got into the pool. Naturally, I hated it. I struggled with my asthma, was allergic to the chlorine and managed to develop swimmers ear. Mum thought we'd give it a rest after that." CHARITY He has been an ambassador for the Sunshine Butterflies since early 2011, which develops awareness, supports and raises funds for children with disabilities. (ryannapoleon.com, 2011) TATTOOS He has a tattoo of his family crest on his ribs, the word 'family' on his right foot, an hour glass and 'time won't wait' written through it on his left foot, and the words 'Better to conquer yourself, than to win 1000 battles' on his hip. (olympics.com.au, 24 Mar 2012) |
Further Personal Information | |
| Higher education | SkillsTech: Brisbane, QLD, AUS |