In the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games, I am interviewing a number of interesting people. Today, I have the great pleasure in welcoming Pam Sullivan to the blog. Pam is mother to champion swimmer Eamon Sullivan and P&G Mum Ambassador.
This interview made me teary. The focus behind the words is about loving and supporting your child rather than on success and I love that.
Kelly: P & G’s focus for the London 2012 Olympic Games is to honour mums and their special role in supporting our Olympians. What does this mean to you as a Mum Ambassador?
Pam Sullivan: I feel privileged to be part of P & G’s Proud Sponsor of Mums campaign. Raising an Olympic hopeful is hard but rewarding and it’s great to be acknowledged in this way. I think Eamon’s sponsorship with P&G as Gillette Ambassador is fantastic and being a Mumbassador has given me the opportunity to work with P&G and see more of Eamon in this Olympic Games year.
Kelly: How, and at what age, did you identify the special talent in Eamon?
Pam Sullivan: Eamon had always been a good swimmer, but it wasn’t until he was chosen to represent Australia on the Athens Olympic Team that we had discussed Olympic dreams.
{Pam with Eamon as a baby}
Kelly: How did you create quality family time amongst the pressures of facilitating a training schedule?
Pam Sullivan: We have always been a close knit family, so we always made sure we had sat down to dinner together so we could talk and share our day’s happenings. We had regular family holiday trips down to a farm stay when the kids were young, as they’d go fishing, milk cows, go to the beach and spend quality family time together.
“We always made sure we had sat down to dinner together so we could talk and share our day’s happenings.”
Kelly: Is there a balance between encouraging excellence yet not pushing too hard?
Pam Sullivan: Don’t put pressure on them. Let them find their own way, but be there to support and encourage them.
{Pam with Eamon as a toddler}
“Let them find their own way, but be there to support and encourage them.”
Kelly: From your experience as a mother, what qualities are important to instil in kids in order for them to have the confidence to follow their dreams and reach their potential, whether that be Olympic Gold or not?
Pam Sullivan: Spend time with your children. Listen to them. Ensure that they know you love them through both words and actions. Encourage self believe and follow the motto “if it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing to the best of your ability” as you can never be disappointed if you know within yourself you gave it your absolute best. Give them the skills to find their goals and then let them fly.
“Give them the skills to find their goals and then let them fly.”
Kelly: Do you have a proud moment to share?
Pam Sullivan: Eamon has given us many proud moments, so would like to share a couple with you. Eamon breaking world records in the 50m and 100m freestyle was just amazing; Eamon getting me on pool deck for a hug after making his first Olympic team in 2004 (Athens) made me feel a special Mum; Eamon being modest with all his achievements and staying grounded, makes us very proud.
“Spend time with your children. Listen to them. Ensure that they know you love them through both words and actions.”
Pam’s Necklace
I love the necklace Pam is wearing in the pictures and a friend showed me where to get one. It’s a Elk necklace and you can purchase it here.
P&G ‘Thank You Mum’ Campaign
P&G, Worldwide Olympic Games Partner, are running a special campaign in the lead up to the London 2012 Olympic Games. The ‘Thank You Mum’ Campaign recognises and celebrates the mums behind the athletes by thanking mums all around the world for everything they do. Join thousands of others and thank your mum through the Thank You Mum App on Facebook.
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