Hall's "dreams and goals" ready for Tokyo test

Published 2:00pm 11 August 2021

Feature picture: From left - Kirralee Hayes, Lakeisha Patterson, Harley Connolly and Brenden Hall at the staging camp in Cairns last week. Picture Wade Brennan Swimming Australia

Brenden Hall made the decision to defend his Paralympic crown five years ago, as he stepped off the gold medal podium.

That moment is now just 14 days – and 5880km – away.

Hall, from Mango Hill, will next week fly to Japan with the Australian Paralympic swimming team chasing a hat-trick.

His goal is to add the 400m Freestyle S9 title in Tokyo to the gold medals he won at London 2012 and defended in Rio 2016.

Goals and dreams

“Everyone has their own goals and dreams,” he said, from the squad’s camp in Cairns. “Mine haven’t changed from when I stepped off that dias in Rio.

“Making the decision after that swim, where you become a champion or want to become a defending champion ... I’d like to try and keep it. That’s the goal.

“I’ve done the hard work. When the time comes in Tokyo, we’ll see the results.”

Now 28 and a veteran of the Paralympic team, Hall said the major difference ahead these Games (August 24-September 5) was the “time to try and prepare”.

Job to do

“We’ve had a five-year cycle hoping the body was able to hold up and push through that extra year,” the former Grace Lutheran swimmer said.

“(Under COVID restrictions) some things are easier to navigate because don’t have all that choice on your hands. But you have a job to do."

The routine of the staging camp has been set and preparations have been "repetitious".

“You have to go through the motions and when the time comes hope all the pieces fall into place, like a nice puzzle," Hall said.

Pretty tough

“The last eight months training, for me, has been pretty tough. Some of the times I’ve hit I haven’t been able to since before 2016 and 2012.

“Hopefully some exciting times will come out of that in the next three weeks.”

Caboolture’s Lakeisha Patterson, who trains with Hall at Burpengary Aquatic Centre under coach Harley Connolly, will also be on the plane.

So too Kirralee Hayes, from Genesis Aquatics in Bray Park, going to her first Paralympics and Blake Cochrane, who was at Southern Cross but is now with USC Spartans.