Haileybury Voices - Mia Scerri (OH 2022)

🎙️ NEW EPISODE | Haileybury Voices, the official podcast of the Old Haileyburian Association, where we go Beyond the Blazer.

From Little Athletics to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, which get underway this week, Mia Scerri (OH 2022) has turned years of hard work, resilience and determination into the opportunity to represent Australia on the world stage. 

In this inspiring episode of Haileybury Voices, Mia reflects on the journey that has taken her from a promising young athlete to an Australian representative. She speaks candidly about the discipline, resilience, setbacks and sacrifices that have shaped her career, while paying tribute to the unwavering support of her family, coaches, mentors and friends. 

With humility, gratitude and determination, Mia offers a powerful insight into what it takes to pursue excellence, overcome adversity and chase your biggest dreams.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:05

Welcome back to Hay Liberty Voices, the official podcast of the Old Hailiburians Association. I'm Russell and I'm Shankar. And this is a show where we go beyond the blazer and share the journeys, lessons, and stories of the Hay Library community.

SPEAKER_01 0:20

Today's guest is one of Australia's brightest young athletic stars. Since graduating from Hailiberry in 2022, she has represented Australia on the international stage, won national titles, and established herself as one of the country's most exciting young athletes.

SPEAKER_00 0:37

From Pacific Games gold medals in Australian championship success to recently being selected to represent Australia at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, she's proving that hard work, resilience, and belief can take you a long way.

SPEAKER_01 0:53

And perhaps most importantly, she's doing it all with humility, gratitude, and a deep appreciation for the people who have helped her along the way.

SPEAKER_00 1:03

Mia Scary, welcome to Hailibury Voices. Yay! Mia, thank you so much for coming in today, only a couple of weeks before you depart for the Commonwealth Games. Let's start at the beginning. You graduated from Hailibury in 2022, but your athletics journey began a long way before that. When you think back to your time at Haylibry, what are some of your strongest memories?

SPEAKER_02 1:32

Uh yeah, definitely just everyone that I met through the school and just the APS system in general. I think I'm definitely still close with a lot of the people I met through Haylibry. Some of my coaches that are still have a big impact in my athletics I met through school and other APS schools or Hailibury in general. So yeah, just meeting a whole different bunch of people while I was at school, and yeah, they definitely still mean a lot to me now and my athletic pursuits and everything to do with yeah, my life now. So yeah, definitely just the connections I made through the school.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

And my understanding is that you started your Hailibury athletic career as an eight-year-old.

SPEAKER_02 2:23

Yes, I did.

SPEAKER_00 2:24

Running in the under 13 4 by 100 meter relay. That is extraordinary. You were running five years below your age group.

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Yeah, I mean, I still remember it to this day. My sister was doing a competition just um through Hailibury, and I was running just up and down in like the gutter next to lane one every race I could, and it was Mark Reed at the time, came up to my parents and was like, Does Mia want to have a go? Does she want to jump in a lane? So yeah, I jumped in and my first competition was the four by one. I didn't even know how to use blocks or anything, so just gave it a crack and yeah, continued every year since then.

SPEAKER_00 3:04

So was that the official start your of your athletics career? Had you done little athletics prior to that?

SPEAKER_02 3:10

Yeah, so I started in life saving when I was just five years old at down at Hampton Lifesaving. Um, and my older sister was involved in athletics um at Sandring Hamble Lath, so I started there a few years later and yeah, net never stopped. I think I did a lot of sports when I was young, but it was definitely athletics that I loved the most.

SPEAKER_00 3:30

And you must have set some sort of an APS record because I think you I was speaking to Mark Reed the other day and he said that you have competed in over 50 APS athletic events, and that includes two years of non-competition through the COVID period.

SPEAKER_02 3:48

Yeah, I think Mark Reed definitely had a lot of belief in me, especially when I was, you know, just starting out in young. Um yeah, he he gave it a crack for me. He whatever I wanted to do, whatever event, um, yeah, just tried. And yeah, it was great to contribute a lot to the APS system. I think the first year I started we were probably last or second last. And yeah, the last few years we ended up winning a premiership. So um, yeah, definitely was along the journey with Mark Reed as well. And yeah, it was great to have the outcome in the last few years.

SPEAKER_00 4:20

Great to have such great coaches at Hayleybury. Obviously, Mark being Hayley's Director of Athletics and Craig Motram there now as well. Tell us a bit about how you balanced your, you know, reasonably elite athletics back in the day with school extracurricular activities and academic requirements here at Hailebury as well.

SPEAKER_02 4:38

Yeah, I think the school is definitely really understanding of um what I wanted to do outside of school and as well as during school. I think um I trained a lot outside of the school hours as well. So when I was coming um to the Tuesday and Thursday trainings, they were definitely understanding of yeah, what I had done. But then at the same time, I wanted to do everything as well. I wanted to do the curricular activities and I was really involved in anything hailerbury throughout me. So yeah, they definitely encouraged me to do everything which which I loved.

SPEAKER_00 5:07

You've mentioned a couple of uh influential teachers and mentors. Are there any others throughout your academic time here at the school or other extracurricular activities as well that that supported you and and believed in you?

SPEAKER_02 5:20

Yeah, I think just the encouragement I got from all teachers when I was in classes. I think um, yes, I was involved a lot in athletics, but then when I was in the classroom, it was very specific that I was there to learn and do my best in the classroom. So I think yeah, I enjoyed that it was quite segregated that I wasn't expected anything less for me just because I did um excel in my athletics. And yeah, definitely when I got a lot older, my a few teachers in specifics definitely encouraged me to be resilient in my learning and um yet had it high expectations for me, which I which I did love.

SPEAKER_00 5:58

You must have been a dream when in the house athletics, you must have uh your teammates would have loved you.

SPEAKER_02 6:04

Yeah, I I think so. I don't know. Um yeah, everyone was just completely supportive, which was always good. Never had a problem with anything like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:13

So good. Um elite sports requires discipline, sacrifice, and commitment. Looking back, how important was Haylibree in helping you develop those habits?

SPEAKER_02 6:24

Yeah, I think I started Hailibury when I was three years old, so I've always been involved in everything the school had to offer. And I think because I was so involved in every subject, every co-curricular activity or elective, um, it's hard to be, you know, excellent at everything. So I think the resilience it took to be involved in so many different types of activities at the school and be held at such a high standard for everything. Um, yeah, it definitely taught me resilience. Like I, you know, did I don't know if they still do the tattoo, the yeah. So I think that, you know, I wasn't the most extroverted child there was. So I think, yeah, being involved in that, um, which is like an acting sort of performance, um, yeah, it taught me to stick at things that I wasn't very comfortable at doing. Um, and yeah, I think it's taught me a lot now to have the same mindset in everything I do.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

Awesome.

SPEAKER_00 7:21

Mia, was there a moment during your school years when you realised that athletics could become something more than just a hobby?

SPEAKER_02 7:30

Um, I don't know. I think not until I probably graduated school and just the last few years it's called sort of clicked with me. I think I was so focused on, you know, my academics at school and a life outside of athletics, which I which I still am. Um, but yeah, I hope to always do my athletics alongside um career aspirations and obviously my studies at uni. I think yeah, I really value a life outside of athletics, and it's a short career athletics, it's not my whole entire life. So um I definitely, when I do retire, want to be excelling in other things and always be occupied.

SPEAKER_00 8:06

And what are you studying at uni?

SPEAKER_02 8:07

Um, I'm in my fourth year in accounting and finance at Monash.

SPEAKER_01 8:13

Very different to athletics.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

Yes, no, it is, which is which is good. I love it.

SPEAKER_01 8:17

We often say here at OHA, once a Hale Brean, always a Hale Bruin. As someone only a few years out of school, do you still feel that connection to Haylibury community?

SPEAKER_02 8:28

Yeah, definitely. I think in all aspects of my life, I've come across old Hayley Barians they didn't even know went to Hayley, they might have graduated 30 years ago. And there is there is a big connection with not just Hayley Brie, but just APS schools in general, I think. Um yeah, just coaches and just people I met interstate overseas. Um always surprise me when they're like, oh, I went to Hayley too. Um but yeah, there is, I do feel a deep connection when I do meet someone that was part of the same school as me, and yeah, the same the same system I went through.

SPEAKER_00 9:01

And on behalf of the OHA, thank you for staying connected. Let's talk about your journey, Mia. Athletics isn't a sport where success obviously arrives overnight. How did a young girl from Melbourne become one of Australia's leading hept athletes?

SPEAKER_02 9:18

Yeah, I think when I was young, I was always encouraged to give everything a go. Um, I was never scared of failing at anything I tried. Um, yeah, like I said, I started in life saving, then gave athletics a go, and yeah, just continued it ever since. I think I was just a really competitive child, um, especially with the influence with my older sister. I want to do everything she did and I want to be just as good as it. Um so yeah, she definitely made me a competitive person at everything I did and just wanting to be the best at anything I tried.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

Now, for those who aren't athletic experts, explain what makes the Heptathlon such a unique event. You're essentially competing in seven disciplines over two days. What makes it so challenging?

SPEAKER_02 10:05

Yeah, I think it's one of the only events in athletics where you're guaranteed to be competing for the two days and coming back for the second day. We spend two whole days with our competitors. Um we're eating lunch, dinner, breakfast with them. So it is an interesting dynamic being so close to the people you are um competing with. Like it's it's a challenge to you know want to go out and do your best, but then it's also why I love the event, just being so close to all um, yeah, all the competitors. And I think the most challenging thing is when one event doesn't go the way you kind of want it to go, to still rock up to the next event and you know, be in a good mindset and know that it's not necessarily all over and yeah, to still give it a give it a crack.

SPEAKER_00 10:50

You've already represented Australia on the world stage and competed against some of the best young athletes in the world. What's been your proudest moment so far?

SPEAKER_02 11:03

Yeah, I think the proudest moment would have been the World Under-20 Championships um in Peru in 2024. Um it was the biggest competition I'd done at the time coming fourth there. But yeah, most recently, definitely the national championships that just passed this year. Um, I think it was a big breakthrough for me. Every event kind of went way better than I expected it to go. So yeah, it's a competition I'll remember for a long time, I think. Yeah, it's just the people that were around me and supported me during not only those two days, but you know, last few years for it to all come together was really special.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

Has this come a little quicker than what you expected, Mia? What was your expectation going into those Australian championships?

SPEAKER_02 11:48

Yeah, I think I always had, I always do have belief in my abilities, but I never really thought I would be able to win the competition, I'll be honest. Um I was so focused on myself and you know getting every event as perfect as I could that I do believe it sort of just all aligned and and all happened. But yeah, all the girls are so supportive. So I think yeah, it was something that I didn't think I'd win my first national champs, just second year being a senior, but yeah, definitely grateful for the experience.

SPEAKER_01 12:20

Where did this strong belief come from?

SPEAKER_02 12:24

I I don't know. I think just the support from especially my family, I think they definitely believe in me more than I believe in myself sometimes. And yeah, they they remind me that why why not me? You know, like why can't I just be as you know good as everyone else? I think so. Yeah, just being around them, they definitely um make me as confident as I can.

SPEAKER_01 12:45

Yeah, I love that. The Pacific Games was a special moment. Winning gold and setting a champion record, championship record, while wearing the green and gold must have been absolutely incredible. What do you remember most about that experience?

SPEAKER_02 13:01

Yeah, it was to this day probably the craziest experience I've had overseas. We um Australia only took a small team of I think 20 athletes for athletics at least. Um we stayed in sort of a boarding school situation, so a lot of people in every room, um, something that I just wasn't quite used to. And the team was selected for um an opportunity to qualify some athletes for the Olympics for the next year. So just being a part of those 20 athletes that were at the best they could be in the sport and being around them for two weeks and living with them, and you know, I learned so much from them, and I think that really helped me perform at my best just being around those type of people and those mindsets.

SPEAKER_00 13:46

How do you find the time to train for seven events? Tell give us a bit of a give our listeners a bit of an understanding as to what your week looks like and trying to combine each of those disciplines into your training week and to excel at those disciplines as well.

SPEAKER_02 14:03

Yeah, well, now that I've graduated from school, I definitely have uh more flexibility of when I do train. Um I spend about half of the year in Brisbane where I'm um yeah, really dedicated to my training, and that's that is the main focus. But when I'm in Melbourne um trying to manage it alongside my full studies, I'm full-time at uni's, so um yeah, I train six days a week. Um I try and cover every event at least once a week, and I think it's just yeah, discipline, and I'm I'm used to the process now, and um just being my coaches and everyone around me really adapt to my schedule and what the focus is at the time.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

Do you have a coach for each discipline?

SPEAKER_02 14:45

Um I have one main coach, Ralph Newton, who yeah, definitely schedules everything for me and programs everything, and then when I'm in Melbourne, I work in with other squads and other coaches under Ralph's guidance.

SPEAKER_00 14:59

So, the biggest news of all, of course, you've been selected to represent Australia at 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. Um, congratulations, firstly. When did you receive this news and what was your reaction?

SPEAKER_02 15:14

Yeah, I received the news a couple weeks before um it was made public. I was um just in the gym in Queensland, which is ironic. But um, yeah, honestly, I just I could not believe it. I just at the start of the season I didn't really think about it too much. I knew it was a really hard team, especially this Commonwealth Games to qualify for with such a small team going. Um but yeah, I think it only really settled in when I came home back to Melbourne and was with family and friends that it really well hasn't truly sunken in yet, but a bit more that yeah, this is this is actually happening.

SPEAKER_00 15:48

Is there a big contingent of the scary family heading over?

SPEAKER_02 15:52

Yes, we do travel in in big numbers usually, but um yeah, my parents and sister will be in the stands in Glasgow, which is really exciting.

SPEAKER_00 15:59

Fantastic. And what's you know your overall expectation? Obviously, the heptathon you could consider that you're competing against the rest of the Commonwealth, but also you're competing against yourself, I guess, to a certain extent in each of those events and uh and the point score that that you generate over the over those seven events.

SPEAKER_02 16:15

Yeah, I definitely I do hope to PB and be at my best in Glasgow. I think um Australians' multi-events are really at a high at the moment. Um yeah, I don't think it has ever been so competitive just within Australia. So I definitely um me and Tori will be the Australians competing. So yeah, I hope that we can make Australia proud and yeah, just show everyone in athletics that Australia are talented in the multi-events.

SPEAKER_00 16:40

And what a great time to be involved in Australian athletics with some unbelievable role models, the just holes of the world, and um some magnificent uh field event athletes, uh track event athletes as well. Australian athletics is at an all-time high at the moment. You must be thrilled to be going away with so many great mentors.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Yeah, no, it's definitely an exciting time to be to be a part of it. I think um yeah, everyone has been lifting each other up and seeing what other people are doing in other events does, you know, make you feel like you can do the same. And I think um, well at least the Australian Hept Athletes watched the boom that the decathletes have um had in the last few years with you know Cedric, Ash, Dan, Alec, all of them. And um when the Decathlon was at its best, I think yeah, everyone everyone did excel. So I think the hept athletes are seeing the same thing now with a lot of Australians um, yeah, at the best that's ever been. So I think we could really do something huge.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

That's huge, yeah, lovely. I saw your announcement online, and the one thing that stood out was your gratitude. You wrote, I'm going to the Commonwealth Games, so grateful for the opportunity to represent Australia in Glasgow. Endlessly thankful for my people. Who are those people who have helped you get to this moment?

SPEAKER_02 18:01

Yeah, definitely, definitely a lot of people have helped. I think, you know, I've been a part of a lot of coaching setups or um, yeah, just different people in general. Everyone, I've learned so much from everyone I've been like come across. Um, but yeah, definitely, definitely my family. I think when I start athletics, it was just my mum picking me and my sister up from school, um, and would go to the track and just do as many events as we could in the hours. So I think, yeah, definitely my mum, my dad, and my sister um just have helped me a lot and just been there every single moment. So just to share it with them is um yeah, I'm really grateful for.

SPEAKER_01 18:37

When did you know that this pursuit was going to be the pursuit that you chose?

SPEAKER_02 18:41

Um I don't know. I think I've always enjoyed athletics, especially from you know when I was young, but I think it wasn't only until probably I got to 15 or 16 where I thought I really wanted to give this a crack. And yeah, just the people around me and the coaches that I was a part of had a lot of belief in me. So I think with their encouragement, I thought, yeah, this is this is what I want to do. Yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_00 19:07

Now every athlete sees the medals, the national titles, and the team selections. What people don't see are the early mornings, the setbacks, the injuries and the sacrifices. What does representing Australia at the Commonwealth Games uh mean to you?

SPEAKER_02 19:24

Yeah, I I definitely recognise that I couldn't have done it just on my own. I think I've had a lot of yeah, setbacks and um things happen over the last few years. So I think just working hard um and just yeah, just showing the people around me that with their support and guidance um it was made possible. And yeah, I won't be just representing myself when I do compete, but yeah, everyone's support with me. I think we all we all deserve the moment as well.

SPEAKER_01 19:51

Yeah, nice. When you walk into that athletes' village in Glasgow and pull on the green and gold, what do you think will be going through your mind?

SPEAKER_02 20:01

Oh yeah, I don't know, probably a lot of things. I think I'm just honestly super grateful. Like I know um not everyone gets this opportunity, so I don't I definitely don't take it lightly. Um but yeah, I'm just I'm super excited to be just amongst the atmosphere. I know Australia really gets behind sport and it's it's in our culture, so yeah, just I'm gonna be taking in everything I possibly can. Um yeah, because I know it'll be something that I definitely do look back on in years to come. So I definitely want to make the most of it.

SPEAKER_00 20:34

And you mentioned uh the challenges before that you face along the way. What's been some of the toughest obstacles that you've had to overcome in in this short period in the in the in the sport?

SPEAKER_02 20:45

Um yeah, so in main thing is in 2024 I experienced my first injury um and then I moved coaches, completely different environment. Um and this was all just before I was competing in my biggest competition, the world under 20 champs. So I think, yeah, at the time it was super difficult for me. That was a competition that I tried to qualify for two years ago and and just missed out. So I definitely put a lot of pressure on myself that I wanted to be at my best for those championships. And I think yeah, just to be going through that difficult time of not knowing will I even be on the start line or if I was, how prepared would I be? Um, yeah, it was challenging, but looking back now it was probably the best thing that did happen for me. The change in coaching structure, um yeah, I think is solely the reason why um I am now where I am. So at the time it was super difficult, but I can recognise now that you know it was probably the best thing for me.

SPEAKER_00 21:40

What what over over history and over time, what um is perhaps the the best age for a hept athlete to be peaking in their sport?

SPEAKER_02 21:51

Yeah, I think I mean it's probably different for everyone, but late 20s, even early thirties is when history is Shown you're strongest in the heptathon. Yeah, I think it just is very difficult to put seven events together and you learn so much about yourself. Like I'm completely different to how I train now to five years ago, so I couldn't imagine what I'll be like in another five years.

SPEAKER_01 22:18

Yeah, right. Now in this section, it's all about lessons and reflections. Elite sport teaches lessons that apply well beyond the track. What has athletics taught you about resilience?

SPEAKER_02 22:31

Yeah, it's definitely taught me a lot about resilience. I think I've come to come to realise that everyone has their go and everyone has their opportunity as long as you stick through it. Um yeah, I've had coaches just remind me if you just keep showing up and keep putting in the work, your time will come. So I think, I mean, yeah, it's shown in other people's careers that as long as you stick by it, you'll have you'll have your turn and everyone does have their moment in the sport.

SPEAKER_00 22:59

Now things really go perfectly in the heptahlon. We know that's a unique event. How do you stay mentally focused when an event doesn't go your way, but you've still got maybe six more to go?

SPEAKER_02 23:13

Uh definitely something I've gotten a lot better at as I got older. I think when I was younger, if it wasn't perfect, it was it wasn't great. Um, but yeah, I think just moving on from every event, even if it is good, I get I get like five minutes to celebrate or five minutes to be um a bit disheartened about it. I think it it is positive for your um competition to recognise if something doesn't go well, but um yeah, just try and put it put it aside and only when I finish the competition am I allowed to really bring it off again and only if I have a solution to what actually was the problem. Um but yeah, main thing is just forget about it and um yeah, put it aside and focus on the next event.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

What advice would you give to current Hayley Burry students who are chasing ambitious goals, whether that's in sport, business, academia, or the arts?

SPEAKER_02 24:03

Yeah, I'm I'm probably a bit biased as a multi-ventor myself, but definitely just giving everything, everything you go. Like I said earlier, never be afraid of failing at something or not doing well. I think, especially when I was young, I gave every single thing crack. Um, so it's only now that you know I I am certain that I wanted to study accounting and finance or I wanted a career in athletics, only because I did give everything, everything crack. So never left, yeah, never left anything unturned or yeah, never had any regrets.

SPEAKER_00 24:37

Many young athletes dream about representing Australia one day. Now that you've achieved that goal, what would you say to the younger version of yourself, the five-year-old Mia, who was just starting out in little athletics?

SPEAKER_02 24:50

Yeah, I'd probably tell her to just really be patient. And um, yeah, when I was young, I definitely wanted everything immediately, and I'd always, you know, question why things weren't happening or why I wasn't at my best all the time. But yeah, looking back, everything does happen for a reason. I think as long as I just show up every time, give it my best, um, yeah, I wouldn't regret anything. So probably just calm down, be a bit more patient would be the best, yeah, best advice I could give her.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

Yeah, nice. Um, and when you think about the future, the Commonwealth Games, world championships, maybe even the Olympics, what excites you most about the journey ahead?

SPEAKER_02 25:31

Yeah, I think just continuing to I don't know, travel across the world and meet new people, experience different cultures. I I've had so much fun already in my career. Um, yeah, just meeting a whole group of people and just being in different locations, things I'm not used to and challenges I've faced. I think yeah, I'm just continue to be excited to how many how many places I can go, travel the world, and just yeah, do what I love everywhere. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:58

Unreal.

SPEAKER_00 25:59

Hailary's produced some pretty good athletes over the last 10 years. Geordie Williams, Amy Bunnage, of course, have two strings. You know, maybe one day you're gonna be in that same screen and goal team with Amy and Have Two, that would be fantastic.

SPEAKER_02 26:14

Yeah, no, it definitely will. I think we've done a lot of competitions during school and outside of school together. It's it's always special, you know, experiencing those things with each other. We yeah, we spent so much time during our Hay Livery um yeah, career together. So yeah, hopefully one day we're all representing Australia together.

SPEAKER_00 26:32

And why does staying connected to the Hay Livery community still matter to you?

SPEAKER_02 26:37

Yeah, I think just trying to have an influence on the younger people coming through. Um I've tried to still be involved in athletics at Hay Livery coaching as much as I can. I think I just I know what it felt like to be that age and having a lot going on and a lot of things thrown at you. So yeah, it means a lot to just be able to support the younger um generation and um making sure they they can reach what they want to reach as well.

SPEAKER_00 27:04

Okay, May up, time for our famous spitball round. One word answers only, please. Are you ready?

SPEAKER_02 27:15

I am, yep.

SPEAKER_00 27:16

Okay, here we go. These questions have been given to me, so here we go. Sprint or jump?

SPEAKER_02 27:23

Uh definitely jump.

SPEAKER_00 27:24

Training or competition?

SPEAKER_02 27:26

Um competition.

SPEAKER_00 27:28

Morning or afternoon session?

SPEAKER_02 27:30

Afternoon, I'm definitely not a morning session.

SPEAKER_00 27:33

High jump or long jump?

SPEAKER_02 27:35

Uh long jump.

SPEAKER_00 27:36

Shot put or javelin?

SPEAKER_02 27:38

Shot put.

SPEAKER_00 27:39

Commonwealth games or Pacific Games?

SPEAKER_02 27:42

Um I would say Commonwealth Games.

SPEAKER_00 27:45

Toughest heptathon event?

SPEAKER_02 27:47

Um probably the hurdles.

SPEAKER_00 27:49

Favourite heptathon event?

SPEAKER_02 27:51

Definitely the long jump.

SPEAKER_00 27:53

Green and gold or club colours?

SPEAKER_02 27:56

Uh both special, but I'd say green and gold.

SPEAKER_00 27:59

Give me a give a club a shout-out.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

Sandra Cam Athletic Club.

SPEAKER_00 28:03

Favourite athlete?

SPEAKER_02 28:05

Um, probably Katarina Johnson Thompson growing up, always loved watching her.

SPEAKER_00 28:11

This is controversial. Melbourne or Glasgow?

SPEAKER_02 28:16

Um I haven't been to Glasgow yet, so I'm gonna say Melbourne.

SPEAKER_00 28:20

Yeah, that'd be nice, wouldn't it? Yeah. Music or silence before competing?

SPEAKER_02 28:25

Uh bit of silence, always good.

SPEAKER_00 28:28

Pre-race nerves or excitement?

SPEAKER_02 28:30

Mixture of both, but probably more excitement.

SPEAKER_00 28:33

Biggest supporter or supporters?

SPEAKER_02 28:36

Um my family in general, but probably my older sister.

SPEAKER_00 28:40

Most memorable competition?

SPEAKER_02 28:42

Uh the nationals that just passed.

SPEAKER_00 28:44

One word that describes resilience.

SPEAKER_02 28:48

Um always having to go. That's more than one word, but we'll give it to you.

SPEAKER_00 28:53

Thank you. One word that describes representing Australia.

SPEAKER_02 28:57

Uh probably pride.

SPEAKER_00 28:59

One word that describes Halibury.

SPEAKER_02 29:02

Um Support.

SPEAKER_00 29:04

One word that describes the OHA community.

unknown 29:08

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 29:09

Probably support us. That's pretty good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 29:13

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 29:14

Very good. Mia, thank you for joining us and sharing your story.

SPEAKER_00 29:17

It's been incredible watching your journey so far, and we're excited to see what comes next.

SPEAKER_01 29:22

We'll all be cheering you on when you represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. The entire Haybrew community is incredibly proud of what you've achieved.

SPEAKER_00 29:31

And thank you for showing the next generation of Hayeburians what's possible when talent meets hard work and perseverance.

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To our listeners, thanks for staying connected.

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Because once a Hayeburian, always a Hayeburian.

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And remember, we go beyond the blazer because every Hayebrewan has a story worth sharing.