Five Minutes With … Kiera Austin

In what is a very exciting time for netball in Australia, NSWIS athlete Kiera Austin is on the rise. In 2016 Kiera was part of the NSW U21 team that won the national championships and she has since gone on to support the NSW Swifts in their 2016 campaign.

Kiera adds to her already busy schedule by studying veterinary science at university.

In my spare time I like to…

Catch up on my favourite TV shows or meet up with my friends (as well as my parents) for lunch.

What inspired you to start a career in sport?

It was only within the last year or two that I really thought about having a career in sport, before then I would still play but would be thinking of how exciting it would be to study overseas or even go on a travel gap year.

Although I’ve always had a natural passion and flare for the game, what has really inspired me recently is the increasing level of competitiveness and attention netball is receiving as well as the opportunities it is presenting to me. I love having my friends and family being able to see me play and to recognise why I give so much up to be where I am today.

What sporting achievements are you most proud of?

This year particularly I was proud of just being able to train and bench with the NSW Swifts for a few weeks. When I first tried the dress on, I think I stayed in it the whole afternoon.

The most memorable part was walking out onto the court each game. I couldn’t help but have the biggest smile on my face every time I heard the crowd clap and cheer for us. Having girls looking up to me and yelling my name for an autograph for the first time is also something I will never forget.

What do you do in your training that you believe is the key to your success?

At training it is always expected that 100% effort is given and that’s what I believe makes the difference between those who are successful versus those who are not. It’s so important to constantly ask questions on the court and in the gym to be the best athlete you can be.

Are there any athletes that inspire you?

I always find myself watching videos of all sorts of athletes and their success stories, how they’ve overcome unique adversity to achieve success. I don’t have a single athlete that I look up to as all of these athletes inspire me in some way, but I’ve never strayed from my favourite quote my dad always tells me from Muhammad Ali, “Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”.

What is one thing most people would not know about you?

One thing that most people wouldn’t know about me is that I have a very big family on my dad’s side. My dad is one of thirteen, which gives me around thirty first cousins and makes my oldest aunty 80 years old. However they all live in Scotland and I have no cousins that live in Australia!