Michelle Jenneke: “Dancing Hurdler” Silver Medalist Youth Olympic Games 2010 Singapore

Michelle “Shelly” Jenneke was born on 23rd June 1993 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She became an internet sensation, as the “Dancing Hurdler”, after footage of her pre-race warm-up dancing was captured at a 100 metres hurdles heat at the 2012 Junior World Championships in Barcelona and went viral. One version of the video has amassed more than 25.46 million views on YouTube. The footage has since been broadcast on media outlets worldwide.

Career highlights of Michelle Jenneke

• 1st place (100m hurdles) – 2010 Australian Junior Championships
• 1st place (4x100m relay) – 2010 Australian Junior Championships (Australian record)
• 2nd place (100m hurdles) – 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, Singapore
• 4th place (“Swedish medley” relay) – 2010 Summer Youth Olympics, Singapore
• 3rd place (100m hurdles) – 2011 Australian Championships
• 5th place – (100m hurdles) 2012 World Junior Championships in Athletics, Barcelona, Spain

In January 2013 Jenneke was ranked tenth on AskMen.com’s 99 Most Desirable Women 2013. She is one of the athletes featured in the 2013 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue.

Michelle Jenneke Silver Medalist Youth Olympic Games 2010 Singapore, Pre-race warm-up dancing YouTube Queen with 25.46 million views is in conversation with Namita Nayyar, President Women Fitness.

 

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You started at a very young age of ten years at the Cherrybrook Athletics Club and reached the pinnacle of success by winning Gold Medal at Oceania Youth Championships 2010 Sydney and Silver Medal at Youth Olympic Games 2010 Singapore both in 100 meters hurdles. What factors do you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: I think there are many contributing factors to the success that I have enjoyed in my athletics. I think the main ones are the support, development and encouragement from others and the enjoyment that I gain from the sport, which motivates me to want to improve myself and keep being competitive at what I love to do.

Balancing Athletics and education together with having time to just relax and spend time with friends is a real juggle, my family plays a huge role in making this possible. Previously my High School, Hills Grammar and now the University of Sydney give me the flexibility to make Athletics a priority when necessary.

My amazing Track Coach Mick Zisti, my strength and conditioning Coach Jason Howell and my Physiotherapist Nathan Halliday all keep me in the best physical condition possible.

Then there are all my friends within Athletics and my training squad who all make Athletics a fantastic experience and a truly enjoyable place to spend time. Winning races is always nice, but for me the motivation is the desire to improve my times and achieve new personal bests, whilst having a great time doing it.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar: What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: My training schedule consists of two or three track training sessions a week and two strength and conditioning sessions at the gym each week. Besides that, most of my exercise is non specific and more for enjoyment than for training purposes.

I am not a great swimmer but I love spending time in the pool or swimming at the beach during summer. I don’t get much time for team sports anymore but I played soccer for 11 years and played lots of sports as I was growing up, so I still love kicking a ball around or playing Frisbee or touch footy etc. with friends.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: No I don’t have a special diet, my diet changes depending on what phase of the Athletics season we are in. During the off season, I like to be a little heavier as it gives me the advantage of training with weight on, so I eat pretty much anything during the winter months, I love dairy products, biscuits, chocolate and lollies so I am not a great role model for healthy eating for most of the year. Once the competition season comes around I drop weight and eat a much healthier diet, with a lot more fruit and vegetables and red capsicum, grape tomatoes and berries replace my sweet tooth cravings Regardless of the season I always eat a lot of carbs and Pasta or potato are a daily must, plus I eat quite a lot of meat.

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Michelle Jenneke on Women Fitness:

I think any organisation that encourages people whether they are male or female, young or old to get active in life and enjoy it, is doing a great job.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding girl athletes who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in the field of women athletics ?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: I think the key is to enjoy yourself and choose a sport or event that you love to do. I think people succeed in the things they love to do more than the things they are just good at. Aspire to be your own personal best, don’t just focus on beating others. Success is more than being the best, it is about achieving your own best.

Not everyone can make it to the top, I myself am a long way from being the best, but I strive to better myself and in doing that I achieve personal success.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: How did you feel before and after your memorable win of Silver Medal at Youth Olympic Games 2010 Singapore ?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: Firstly being selected to represent my country for the first time was a huge surprise and very exciting for me as it was the first year that I had won nationals so I was not expecting to get selected for the small Youth Olympic team. At the time, I had never competed in an international team, so everything was new and exciting and such a wonderful experience and I made great friends on the team.

Before the heats I was pretty excited but not really nervous, I was having the time of my life in the Olympic village and race day was just another great day, I was just so excited just to be there that I had no expectations about how I would go, I just really wanted to achieve a PB. Making the A final was definitely another unexpected surprise, I genuinely did not expect that. On the morning of the final I was pumped, my family, coach and team mates where all cheering me on and the Singapore spectators were really enthusiastic, it was a great atmosphere. When I crossed the line in 2nd place it was incredible, I think I surprised a lot of people that day, including myself. Even my coach was in tears and my family and all the Aussies were going crazy, it was a pretty unforgettable moment.

The Singaporean people were amazing and everyone I passed seems to either congratulate me or wanted an autograph or photo with me, it was amazing. I actually got stopped by so many people that I almost missed my bus back to the Youth Olympic Village, it was crazy but made for such good memories.

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Ms. Namita Nayyar: You have done bold photo shoots with Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, how you are so body confident and advice to your compatriots?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: I’m not sure they were that bold, I think I was one of the most covered women that SI have had in their issue. As an athlete I spend most of the year in nothing much more than a crop top and little lycra shorts, so you get used to showing a lot of skin and thinking nothing of it. I don’t always love the way my body looks, but I have much more important things to think about than how I look or what people think of the way I look. I think my advice to people is fairly simple, wear what you feel comfortable in.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Your pre-race warm-up dancing at a 100 meters hurdles heat at the 2012 Junior World Championships in Barcelona that went viral on YouTube has now amassed more than 25.46 million views. Tell us about this dancing warm-up and how you came up with this idea? Your reaction to such an internet sensational phenomena?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: The warm up dance came about at Nationals in 2009 when I was 16. It was the last day of a four day competition and I had competed every day and was feeling pretty tired. In warm up for my 100m final I was really flat and my coach said I just had to find a way of pumping myself up before the race. When I got to the start line, they started playing music and I just started having a bit of a dance to it and then ran my fastest ever 100m sprint and I have been doing it ever since.

When the video started going viral I was on holiday in Europe with my sister, so other than messages from my friends telling me I was trending and then going viral, I didn’t really know what was happening. I came back to Australia for a few weeks after that, but I was more focussed on seeing family and friends rather than focussing on what was happening online. I think my family and friends were more excited than I was. I then travelled to Tanzania doing volunteer work for 3 months, so I think I escaped most of the hype.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: You participate in 100 m, 100 m hurdles and 4×100 m relay races which one is your favorite and why ?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: I actually like to have a go at a number of other events, but yes, they would be my most regular events, however I haven’t run many 100m sprints in the last few seasons. I love the team work in relays, but generally I find straight running a little boring. I love the hurdles, it is definitely my favourite. I like that it is more technical and that you can constantly make little changes, which keeps it interesting.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: Who has been your biggest influence and motivation in your path to success ?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: I run because I love it, not because I aspire to be like anyone else, so I guess my biggest influence would be my desire to go faster and my motivation to enjoy life through my sport.

Ms. Namita Nayyar: What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?

Ms. Michelle Jenneke: I think any organisation that encourages people whether they are male ot female, young or old to get active in life and enjoy it, is doing a great job. I would say to everyone reading this ‘Love life and live it, don’t let it pass you by’.

Women Fitness Team thanks Michelle Jenneke for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and shall also like to thank Nicky Jenneke who made this interview happen.

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