Australian Olympic gymnast Lauren Mitchell has confirmed that she has no solid plans to compete this year as part of an interview in relation to her role as an Athlete Ambassador at the 2013 Australian Youth Olympic Festival. You can see the article in full at http://ayof2013.olympics.com.au/news/mitchell-s-mentoring-role, but here is a snippet:
The West Australian-born dual Olympian is living in the village with the young athletes, helping them train and adjust to the unique pressures of an international multi-sport competition.
"It's such a great opportunity," Mitchell said of the AYOF. "Being able to live in the village, learning when to rest and dealing with distractions as well as experiencing international competition like this at a young age is so beneficial".
The 21-year-old trains with a number of the girls on the team and says being able to help them prepare and watch them compete in the Festival is very rewarding.
"I think it's important just to be a friend," Mitchell said of her role. "They already have their parents and coaches pushing them to succeed, so I'm really just support."
Mitchell has no solid plans to compete this year, choosing to try and correct a long standing shoulder injury instead. Her previous achievements have not been overlooked, especially by teams from overseas.