UPDATE - STEPHANIE RICE

Hi Everyone.

The countdown is on with only 2.5 weeks till we leave for the staging camp for the PanPacs in California.

This month has been a lot more positive as far as training goes. Bohly & I have seen a steady progress forward which has given me a lot more confidence in my preparation for the PanPacs. We have altered my training program to support my shoulder and I am working up the kilometers each week. We have been compensating with extra training sessions of spin classes on the bike and hill runs. I have been doing extra work in the gym as well to help support and strengthen the shoulder and it is noticeably stronger. I am managing heavier weights and I did 5 chin-ups last week. Yeahh!

Currently I am swimming 45km/week which is a huge improvement from the 12km/week I was pushing out only 4 weeks ago. Read more.... 

Susie O'Neill relative on track for London 2012

Two years until the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics ticks by on Tuesday and Queensland rower and relative of Susie O'Neill, Sally Kehoe, is on track to be among the medals in 2012.
Kehoe recently returned from Europe after a successful World Cup campaign earned her a silver medal in the women's double scull and a top five finish in the women's single scull. The two-time World Junior Champion is back now at the AIS in Canberra preparing for this year's World Rowing Championships to be held in November in New Zealand.

"I was really happy with how I performed overseas. We tried out a few different things and I'm now feeling confident for the World Rowing Championships," said Kehoe. "We will have final Australian selections at the end of August but everything I do is with London in mind. Beijing was disappointing but ultimately a great experience and as an athlete you just get the Olympic bug and want more."
Drawing inspiration from family relative Susie O'Neill, Kehoe says that a medal is the only acceptable outcome. "As a kid I would watch all of Susie's races and she's always been a hero of mine. I don't think I can achieve her medal haul but just one would be nice."

"I'm sure our family has very good genes for determination and work ethic, and that makes all the difference going for Olympic gold," said O'Neill. "Two years is still a long time but Sally is focused and determined to get there, and she can approach her second Olympics being a much wiser athlete. I'm sure she'll do well in London."

WORLD PERSONAL TRAINER DAY: Celebrate World Personal Trainer Day on the 20th August by engaging with corporate Australia to focus on the importance of health and work/life balance.
This year's World Personal Trainer Day will bring together Personal Trainers with the local business community for free Personal Training or group training sessions. Read more.... 

GOLF

ALPGA Newsletter now available - click here

KIMMINCE TO MISS SEASON

Konica Minolta Queensland Fire and Southern Stars pace bowler Delissa Kimmince has announced she will take a 12-month sabbatical from the game to pursue a career as a fire fighter. Kimmince, 21, informed Queensland Cricket on Friday that she would not be a part of the Fire squad for the 2010-11 season and will shortly commence training with the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service. She has been replaced in the squad by University of Queensland pace bowler Lynda Petherick, who was a member of last year’s Fire team. Kimmince, who made her national debut as an 18-year-old and has played 10 ODIs and a Twenty20 International, met with Queensland Cricket Chief Executive Officer Graham Dixon and new Fire coach Andy Richards to outline her decision after being named last month in the Queensland squad. “Dee explained that she wanted to embark on a career and felt that it wouldn’t be fair to Queensland Cricket or to her new employers if she tried to juggle an elite sporting career as well enter the workforce,’’ Richards said. “At this stage, she has told us that she is looking to reassess things next year to see what her options look like. It’s a blow to us, but we do understand the challenges the girls face when it comes to balancing career and cricket.” “We’re pretty fortunate though that Lynda is available to slot in. She had a tough time of it with injury last season but she’s very keen to have a big summer,’’ he said. Kimmince also met with Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars coach Richard McInnes to advise him of her decision. Kimmince will miss all of the 2010-11 Women’s National Cricket League.

The early rounds of the competition will serve as an important selection trial before the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars – the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 champions – meet England, winners of the 2009 ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup and 2009 ICC World Twenty20, at home in early 2011.

For more information, please contact:
STEPHEN GRAY - Media & Public Relations Manager

SQUASH: Camilleri downs Wee while Corren also wins in Hobart

Queensland's Lisa Camilleri made it five tournaments in a row when she downed top seeded Malaysian Sharon Wee in five games in the final of the Tasmanian Open squash tournament in Hobart on Sunday.
Camilleri had to come from 2/1 down in the decider to outlast the Malaysian 11-7, 10-12, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6 and claim her 11th title on the Women's International Squash Players' Association (WISPA) tour.
In the men's final South Australia's Mike Corren notched up his 28th win on the men's professional tour when he saw off a tenacious Nathan Stevenson 11-8, 11-7, 11-5.
Camilleri, the world number 39, and the 34th ranked Wee are separated by only five places on the WISPA rankings and they were evenly matched throughout.
After losing the first game Wee came back to win the next two, only for Camilleri to regroup and take the match into a decider.
"That last game was close," Camilleri said. "It was 5-5, then 6-6, but then Sharon seemed to fall into a bit of a hole but it was a pretty exciting match."
The 27-year-old from Tully in North Queensland has now won all five tournaments on the 2010 Australian Squash Tour so far.
She plays the NSW Classic in Sydney later this week before having a week off ahead of the Queensland Open in Rockhampton.
She then has another week off before the Australian Open in Canberra beginning on August 10.
She admitted that she was beginning to feel the strain of playing so much squash over the past two months.
"I'm getting a little tired it's been a tough week," Camilleri said.
Corren is also feeling the strain of a heavy schedule and revealed he was pulling out of the next four tournaments, including the Australian Open, because of a lower back injury.
"I've started favouring my left side to protect the right and it's just getting worse," he said.
"I'm really disappointed because I had a good chance of winning a couple of them.
"But it has to be fun to play these events, and at the moment I'm not having much fun."

BASKETBALL

Nominate now to be a "Star of the Stadium" for Basketball Queensland, as a player or referee. Click here for more information.

EQUESTRIAN

The 2010 Equestrian Land Development Young Rider and Disability Modifications Para Equestrian National Dressage Championships saw over 200 horse and rider combinations gather at Queensland's Royal Toowoomba Showgrounds from Thursday 24 June through to Sunday 27 June for 4 days of spectacular competition. Riding her beautiful warmblood mare, Larundel Gelata, Susan and her support team including her carer, groom, and coach, attended the event. 
Gelata and I had been training hard in the lead up to the event. We had great support from local equestrian clubs that enabled us to practice the new Para Equestrian tests at open dressage competitions against able-bodied riders, this competition experience proved crucial to our preparations. Read more....

Young Guns on and off the court

The region's best young netballers gathered at Assisi College in Upper Coomera over the weekend to learn vital leadership skills. Already Young Guns on the netball court, the 17 netballers and six coaches from the Brisbane South and Golden South Ergon Energy Regional Netball Academies gathered to take part in the Mission Young Guns in2leadership program delivered by Laurus Consulting. Laurus Enterprises Managing Director Stephen Scott said the program helped introduce personal leadership as a key component of netball success. Read more....