5Q's w/ Engine Athletes - Part 2

We put forward 5 noteworthy questions to some of our awesome Engine athletes following on from round 2 of the Ocean6 series. Here’s what they had to say!

MATT BEVILACQUA

How would you summarise your performances after the first 2 Rounds?

Not overly satisfied with where I am at. A couple of missed opportunities that made it hard to come back from. Hopefully warming into it the same as last year!

What are your goals for the remainder of the series?

Definitely to get a round win and finish up on the podium of the Series overall would be a great result considering where I am at now.

How do you structure your training during the season compared to your off-season?

Much more power and intensity with a little less volume than the off season. Frequency of sessions stays the same for me throughout the summer, although with a session less in the taper weeks.

How do you manage to keep on track with training and nutrition throughout the holiday season?

Nutrition wise - Always making sure I have lots of healthy food available at home as well as just being prepared and organized for busy days to have readily available clean snack options. Training - I do try to have a little break over Christmas. For me it’s about focusing on resetting at home and relaxing a bit to get ready for a big 3 months racing in the new year... which is hard!

Top 3 tips for aspiring Ocean6 athletes?

1. Stay consistent and focused with your training. Always. 

2. Be mindful of recovery/rest and your mental stress levels. 

3. Try to be open-minded and learn something from everyone and every mistake.

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MATT POOLE

How would you summarise your performances after the first 2 Rounds?

I’m really happy with my first two rounds of the series. Usually I have a slow start out of the blocks but two 2nds is great and I’m looking forward to the next four rounds to come.

What are your goals for the remainder of the series?

I want to stay consistent and be on that podium. If I can do that I think it would be hard to lose the overall title. Anything can happen in surf and all the boys are super-fast so I need to be fired up before every round.

How do you structure your training during the season compared to your off-season?

I’m 30 so I definitely make a pretty big effort to focus on recovery and structuring my training week around specific quality sessions. It’s very hard to gain fitness during the season without cooking yourself so you want to juggle a quality workload with adequate recovery. That way you are fresh, fit and fast for every race.

How do you manage to keep on track with training and nutrition throughout the holiday season?

Haha.. I love training, I love winning races and I love to party! You’ve got to find a healthy balance to all three. Being fit and healthy is important, but you’ve gotta live a fun life as well. Someday this lifestyle will all be over and I want to be able to smile and know that I enjoyed it!

Top 3 tips for aspiring Ocean6 athletes?

1. Train hard. 

2. Enjoy the sport. 

3. Always challenge yourself!

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JEMMA SMITH

How would you summarise your performances after the first 2 Rounds?

I’m really happy with my first two rounds of the series. Usually I have a slow start out of the blocks but two 2nds is great and I’m looking forward to the next four rounds to come.

What are your goals for the remainder of the series?

During the season, my training is more structured around the beach and spending a lot more time on my craft doing ironman, board and ski sessions. In the off-season, I try to change it up a bit (eg. swap to a kayak).

How do you structure your training during the season compared to your off-season?

During the season, my training is more structured around the beach and spending a lot more time on my craft doing ironman, board and ski sessions. In the off-season, I try to change it up a bit (eg. swap to a kayak).

How do you manage to keep on track with training and nutrition throughout the holiday season?

Whilst it is often hard to stay disciplined and keep to my normal routine over the holiday season, I always just try to remind myself of my goals and what I want to achieve- and that usually drives me to stay on track with my training and nutrition.

Top 3 tips for aspiring Ocean6 athletes?

1. Enjoy yourself- make sure you love what you are doing. 

2. Learn from your mistakes- it allows you to keep improving.

3. Believe in your ability- know that you can do it!