Crisis passes for Rebecca Perrott

Press, 7 April 1979, Page 60

Crisis passes for Rebecca Perrott

By

KEVIN TUTTY

Three months ago Rebecca! Perrott had reached a point'' in her swimming career, 1 where retirement was a pos-P sibility. But the crisis has] passed, for six months at] 1 least, and she has found the| ! motivation to continue to! 1 the American championships; 1 in August. In December, before she], (left for the KB Games inl| Australia, Miss Perrott was], (finding it difficult to moti'vate herself for competition;, and was not enjoying the 12|‘ to 14km of training each], day. |] She was having seriously (doubts whether she would be available for the Ameri- j ( can titles at Fort Lauderdale ■ in Florida. . ' But a successful trip to 1 (the Australian champion-’ [ships in Perth in February,

(and then pleasing times at ithe New Zealand, champion- ' ships in Christchurch last (month, have given Miss Per- , rott a new lease of life for [training and racing. I Her future career also (caused Miss Perrott some, [concern. She wants to be-, (come a primary school-’ I teach’er, but she has resolved [that problem. At present she; i is attending university part-; time, working part-time, and! training, an arrangement [which suits her. When she I finishes swimming she will (apply for training college. ] The Moscow Olympics (next year are still in the [distance. “I will see how I feel after the American championships.” said Miss Perrott. this week. She qualified for the American meeting at the New Zealand championships. Since the national cham-

I pionships she has had a [ week off, but is now back | into a heavy build-up for ] Fort Lauderdale, swimming up to 14km a week.

j “I have found the training more interesting since the ; nationals and I have more [enthusiasm for it. After a I hard session I feel I've achieved something.” ’ Miss Perrott said she was [very pleased with her times] lat the New Zealand cham- | pionships. She recorded bet- ’ ter times this year with less training, than she did at last ; year’s championships which [were the last chance to ’qualify for the Edmonton (Commonwealth Games. In her three main events , last month she recorded 158.5 s for the 100 m freestyle (59.9 s last year); in the [[2oom freestyle 2min 3.8 s i(2min 6.15) and in the 100 m ’butterfly Imin 3.6 s (Imin 14.75).