Have you ever wondered what a Physie Champion gets up to in the off season? What does a physie girl do when she doesn’t have her weekly class to attend?! Here is a glimpse of what Emma Funnell the 2018 Open Senior 28 and over champion, has been doing in her time off over the holiday period.

What do you like to do in the physie break?
When physie is all over for the year I really enjoy taking a break and spending as much time outside as possible with my family and friends. This summer has involved lots of visits to the beach – fulfilling promises to take my niece swimming, hiking in the Kosciusko and Namadgi National Parks and trying to beat my time climbing the Sublime Point escarpment trail at home in Wollongong!

What’s your favourite hobby or something that people might not know about you?
I work for the Commonwealth Government Department of Finance. I have a background in strategic communication, organisational change and culture and am currently leading the department’s preparation ahead of the Federal Election this year. I have been in the public service almost 10 years and highly recommend it to any physie girl looking for a move to Canberra!

How do you keep fit, healthy and flexible over the break so that you’re ready for the new year?
I like to keep fit and active all year round and over the break keep up regular training at my local gym and F45 studio. I’ve also just registered for a half marathon in April 2019 so have added running to my schedule to prepare for that!

Do you have a favourite personal quote you either heard or have made yourself?
I don’t have a favourite quote but I do have a few principles that guide my approach to physie (and life more generally).

• Work hard, and invite and respond to feedback. I try to bring my best to every practice and seek out honest feedback from my coach, my sister, my mum and even sometimes my dad! I’m also my own biggest critic and spend a lot of time reflecting on my physie and writing lists of things to fix.
• Play to your strengths. We’re not all built the same, and so we each bring something different to the physie floor. I try to focus on and be confident in my own strengths rather than worry about the things that might come more naturally to others.
• Do it because you love it. There are many things I love about physie – friendships on and off the physie floor, sharing it with my sister – Christie, belonging to a team and a club, and the valuable life lessons it teaches. These are the things that have kept me coming back for 30 years and that outlast any success or disappointment along the way.