OH4612/13 COPYRIGHT: State Library of Western Australia / Centre for Stories
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STATE LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA Transcript of an interview with Rachael Lynch STATE LIBRARY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA - ORAL HISTORY COLLECTION DATE OF INTERVIEW: 11th July 2020 INTERVIEWER: Kristen Marano TRANSCRIBER: DURATION: 49 min., 45 sec. REFERENCE NUMBER: OH4612/13 COPYRIGHT: State Library of Western Australia / Centre for Stories NOTE TO READER Readers of this oral history memoir should bear in mind that it is a verbatim transcript of the spoken word and reflects the informal, conversational style that is inherent in such historical sources. The State Library is not responsible for the factual accuracy of the memoir, or for the views expressed therein. Disclaimer - E&OE (Errors and Omissions Excepted) in the transcribing. Bold type face indicates a difference between transcript and audio, as a result of corrections made to the transcript only, usually at the request of the person interviewed. FULL CAPITALS in the text indicate a word or words emphasised by the person interviewed. Kristen Marano There was going to be some big achievements. Your 200th game. You'd also been named international goalkeeper of the year. So, some really big achievements in your 14-15 year career. And then that was right about the time that COVID had broke out here. It was breaking out around the world. So, can you tell me a bit about if you go back in that time, what that was like for you? Because those are two very different realities. Racheal Lynch Yeah. I mean, I've reflected on a lot because this, this whole period, so I guess being altered a little bit for me, because I'm now thinking forward a little bit and what the future is gonna hold for me. And, um, when I look back on the last couple of games that I played, we played here in Perth actually. And firstly, I shared the game. So, as a goalie, um, you know, obviously you want to be the dead leg one on the pitch. I got to the point this year where I won the award international goalie for a year. Um, and then I'll still sharing game time. So that was pretty frustrating, I think, you know, 14 years. And I've worked pretty hard to, I guess, secure my spot and help the team have success. And to then, um, you know, be leading into an Olympics, individual titles are pretty rare in our sport, but I guess being recognized as the best in the world at something, um, you know, is reasonably significant. I was still struggling to get a full game for Australia. So, going through some emotions there, I had, um, uh, knowing that the games were in Perth and they were the last ones we were going to have here for a little while. I decided to fly my mum and my Nana over to watch, um, my Nan she's, well they are both big supporters of mine. They live over in Melbourne and, um, yeah, my Nan's finding it harder and harder to travel. She's got emphysema, so can't really be on planes too much. So that was, that was pretty special to get them over here. They stayed with me and I got to watch the games and absolutely loved it. Um, and yeah, so that was really cool. And I also had a coach that's coached me for many years. She's, you know, the reason I'm here, she was a goalie coach. She came to watch she'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer. So, we went on a bit of a, um, a travel spray, I suppose. She got told she had three months to live and has managed to last over a year and has since passed away, but catching up with her over here, knowing that she got to watch me play, you know, she watched my 200th game. She was part of, um, the presentation when I got my award. So that was all very special to share that. And um, yeah, and I guess leading into the Olympics who was feeling pretty anxious around a few different things to do with that, but that's sort of natural for an Olympic year, I think. And then, you know, in COVID popped up, it was sort of like, well, as a nurse I've I felt pretty obligated to do the right thing and also help out. So that's why I was pretty keen to get into the hospital, but it felt pretty conflicted because we were continuing to train when I felt like we shouldn't have been and eventually the Olympics got postponed. Kristen Marano Sounds like a big roller coaster of emotions. How did you navigate that time if you're willing to share with us? 1 Rachael Lynch Looking back now, it was, there's definitely lots going on. It was funny there. So when I got this award and it was announced at training and then we had the games in Perth and there was lots of family here and, uh, lot of Australian people were here. My parents, my mum and my Nan and my best friend actually organized a birthday drinks. So it was on the Sunday afternoon after our games. And I was just pretty, I think over everything frustrated about only playing the half game we lost as well. The last game we played against Argentina, the pro league was supposed to go to Europe that got cancelled that weekend. So, lots of things were happening and I had my friend's drinks and um, that day I had a nap cause I was just super grumpy. Mum and dad were at my house and um, I woke up and got ready and I have this sort of ongoing battle with my mum about wearing my hair out or down. You know, I’m sporty so I just wear it up. Anyway, so I woke up and it was actually my Nan, who was like, 'Oh, I wish you'd wear your hair out for this dress,' because they were coming too, they were invited. I was like, 'You're making me not want to go, don't do this.' And I was just in this worst mood. Right? Finally vibrating, my friend offered to pick us up and I was like, no, it's fine. Like I'll drive and nothing to drink all of this and just was filthy mood. Anyway, she ended up picking us up. We got down there and turns out it wasn't for drinks. It was a huge surprise party for my award. I walked in and my whole team's there, all of the staff, like family, because they'd been over for the game. So they all stayed on, you know, some of my friends parents, obviously, um, mum and Nan were with me and I walk in and it's not so, and I'll just like 10 minutes ago, I was so angry. Like I didn't even want to come. And I said to my friend, I'm like, you're lucky. You're a good friend because you're the only reason I'm here. Had it been anyone else's drinks, I wouldn't have gone. Um, but it was just this, this weekend of, you know, so many emotions that I think it was obviously the start of COVID, but not to the extent of what we're going through now, you know, no one was sort of feeling that back then because it wasn't real, um, but I think the pressure of everything happening with hockey and, um, that was, that had built up so much that part of the COVID stuff coming in was almost like a relief for me. And it did stop. It was like, I felt like I could breathe again because all this pressure and everything that was happening, you know, I was nervous about my position in the team because I got this award, but we still couldn't get around, and all of this was happening. So it was like when, yeah, when we got totally in the mix was being postponed and I was just like, almost felt like, yeah, relieved. That was sort of the main emotion. I can remember You know, like physically I can do all of this and it's fine. It was just sort of like, yeah, I dunno. It's just finally in my head, like I could just stop thinking about all that stuff cause I'm a bit of an over thinker anyway. And um, yeah, no, it was just a sort of a weird thing that all of a sudden that yeah. Relief is the only way I can describe it. 2 Kristen Marano Well I think what you're describing reminds me of sort of the power of helping other people. Sometimes in these moments where all the focus is on us and there's a lot of internal reflection, when we're able to step out and do important work, like being a nurse on the front lines and a pandemic. Just stepping into a volunteer role, whatever it might be. I think that, yeah, that helps us get out of our heads. Rachael Lynch Well it's perspective, I think. And that's always been really, really important to me. That's why I've worked my whole career because I know that I need that. And I think as a nurse, you just, it's incredible perspective.