Before the Beep: The Process Of Aussie Distance Standout Lani Pallister
Australia’s internationally acclaimed distance freestyler, Lani Pallister, is the daughter of 1988 Seoul Olympic swimming finalist, Janelle Elford, and champion surf lifesaving triathlete, Rick Pallister. Seemingly “born to swim,” she has experienced the highs and the lows of her sport.
Lani shot to stardom with her four gold medals at last year’s World Short Course Championships in Melbourne, earning her the Female Swimmer of the Meet award. The former Sydney teenager grew up swimming in the surf in Sydney and is now preparing for a tilt at the 2024 Paris Olympic Trials on Australia’s Gold Coast under renowned Olympic gold medal coach, Michael Bohl. Lani provides an insight into her racing preparation…and includes some surprising answers.
What do you feel is your best swimming accomplishment to date?
In all honesty, my greatest accomplishment would be qualifying for the long course World Championships in Budapest in 2022, going from the worst year of my life in 2021 (experiencing debilitating health issues while dealing with missing the Tokyo Olympic team) to then having a bronze medal in the 1500 (first Australian to do so at a World Championships after finishing fourth in the 400 freestyle as well). So, in a matter of six months, I went from not even being able to make the Australian team—and pretty much wanting to quit and having nothing to do with the sport—to being top three in the world!
What was running through your head when you accomplished that goal?
After the 400 in Budapest, I was devastated because I was out-touched by just 8-hundredths of a second for the bronze medal by America’s Leah Smith. That was the first event, and I was so nervous before the race, having not swum (at a major senior) international meet before. So having that event finished and out of the way when it came to the 1500 final, I just took in the atmosphere and everything, and treated it for what it was.
Not putting any pressure on myself in terms of winning a medal or wanting to swim a certain time, I just wanted to get behind the block, and I thought to myself, “Just enjoy the moment” because more than anything, I didn’t even expect to be there, so being in that final and having that opportunity and then swimming my best was pretty cool.
MENTAL PREPARATION: HOTEL
hat is your typical mental preparation in your hotel room the night before a big race?
I try not to think about it. I have this rule at home that unless I bring up swimming, then no one else in my family speaks about it. So it’s a really good thing for me rather than let it consume my whole life—being able to talk about it at different points in time—and also putting it in the back of my mind.
At Worlds, Bri Throssell was my roomie, and the night before, we just sat and watched movies and sat on our phones and just scrolled through Instagram.
It was a case of not overthinking it, and we just relaxed. It is important to remain a person as well as an athlete. If you think about it too much, you can overcomplicate things…and that’s when you overstress instead of allowing you to hit the race the way you want to hit it.
Is there any particular ritual you do…movie you watch…food you eat?
I always have some sort of pasta whether it’s like a triple pesto gnocchi or just spaghetti. I always carb-load the night before, especially before an 800 or 1500 freestyle, being longer distances. I don’t think that’s ever changed; that’s pretty staple.
Are you more “the-keep-to-yourself type,” or do you seek out friends?
Being an incredibly bubbly person, I will speak to anyone who wants to have a conversation—even if it’s when I walk past someone and say, “Oh, hi…how you doing?” And if they answer that question, then I normally get stuck there for five or 10 minutes! I’m just about happy to talk to anyone.
And before the start of every meet, I always watch one of the CrossFit Games documentaries—always! And I actually forced (teammate) Brianna (Throssell) to watch one with me at World Champs. I just think it’s really interesting watching other sports…like CrossFit—people throwing around super heavy weights, and with the crowd and the environment they compete in, it helps put me in the mindset of “That’s what I’m going to do”—but, obviously, not with heavy weights, but just with myself in the pool, and I think that’s a kind of cool comparison!
MENTAL PREPARATION: WARMUP
Do you do a wake-up swim the morning before your race? If so, what does that warm-up look like?
I really just stick to my pre-race warmup, and that never really changes—from the 200 to the 1500—so like a 400 aerobic swim through, then a couple of 50s, 15 meters fast, then some more 50s medley order (drill/swim)…rolling through everything. And then depending on how I feel, I’ll do some 100s (descend 1-3) to get a feel of the aerobic pace and then a couple of 50s pace, finishing with a 25 dive, and then I’m out. That’s me, done—and that’s the same warm-up for morning and at night. It’s the same warm-up that I’ve done since I was 12 years old—and it’s always worked for me…so I’m not changing that anytime soon.
What time do you head to the pool for your final warmup? What does that final warmup consist of?
Coach Michael Bohl likes us to get to the pool an hour-and-a-half before we race. I get into the water for activation an hour before I race, so that only gives me 30 minutes to talk to people, complete the dryland warmup and get changed. So I normally push it out to an hour-45 or two hours before so that I actually have a buffer in case I do get distracted.
MENTAL PREPARATION: BEHIND THE BLOCKS
What is going through your mind when the starter calls your name?
I try and smile with a little wave for all my friends at home who stay up ’til all hours of the night watching. I don’t want them to think that I’m not enjoying myself, and I don’t want to stand there looking really serious. But I tend to get a little bit tingly—it’s about two minutes after your name is called and you have to be in the water. So once the camera comes and I wave and the cameras pass, there’s a mental switch, and it’s “Game On.”
What is your behind-the-block routine?
When I walk out, I go to my block and change the block setting to 3…and then I go back to the chair behind the block…and then in no particular order—but normally—it’s take my shoes off first…then track pants and jacket…and I’ll walk to the left side of the block and splash water down the front of my suit twice…splash one more time and rub it down the back of my suit…and I’ll stand up, slap both of my legs at the same time a couple of times behind the block…and then I’ll stand at the lefthand side behind the block—it’s very specific—and I’ll put my left leg on the block. I first saw Brit Elmslie splash herself in 2016 and thought, “Why does she do that?’ So I tried it, and it’s just become my thing now!
When you are racing, do you like to stick to your own race or do you feed off the energy of the other competitors?
I do tend to stick to my own race, and I’m pretty fortunate that I was in that race when Ariarne Titmus broke that (400 meter freestyle) world record (at the Adelaide Trials in 2022). My coach, Michael Bohl, and I talk about it all the time, that I have enough composure that even though she broke the world record, I stuck to my race plan and swam my best time—the first time in three years. I do notice where other people are, but that’s not going to affect what I’m doing because I don’t know what their race plan is, and they don’t know what mine is, so as long as I’m executing my race plan and doing what I need to do, then I’m happy with that.
MENTAL PREPARATION: READY ROOM
What is your ready-room ritual? Do you listen to music…talk to other people?
I arrive dressed in my jacket and my pants, and at World Short Course, there were two ready rooms. For the first one, you arrive 15 minutes pre-race, and I’d put my cap on…and when we were about to move into the second room, I’d pull my suit straps over, and I’d be holding my goggles. I’ll sit in my chair, shake my legs down a little bit, and not try and use too much energy.
When it comes to talking: At Commonwealth Games, Ariarne and Kiah Melverton and I know each other pretty well, so we were just happy to sit and chat. At World Short Course before the 400, Leah (Smith) just chatted away.
Give me a general overview of your ideal ready room.
The rooms are in an enclosed space, so you don’t have people walking in and out—I’m happy to have just the eight girls sitting in that room. And as long as I have at least one person to talk to, then I’m fine. And I like it a little bit cooler so I’m not overheating…but, truthfully, I’m not too fussed.
GENERAL PHILOSOPHY
What is your overall philosophy on mental preparation?
Mental preparation is something that is done before race day—not having to think about the race and stress about the race on race day. I talk through my race plan and talk through different mental strategies and how I’m feeling with my psychologist. When you have prepared so many times, when race day comes around, it all should just flow naturally. You should have practiced it throughout the 22-week preparation for the Trials or a World Championships.
Mum would always just say to me, “Just go and have fun—everything is done in training.”
How has that philosophy evolved over the years?
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve matured with my racing, but my philosophy has stayed pretty much the same: I’m not going to race just for the accolade…I want to race to become the best person I can be, put down my best effort on the day and produce the best race I can possibly do.
So if it comes with a gold medal or a bronze medal or even a fifth-place finish, if it was the best race I could have done, then I’m going to walk away and see where I can improve the time and on the execution.
There have been races when I’ve finished sixth in a best time and I’ve been over the moon…and others where I’ve won in a slow time and thought how terrible it was!
What advice would you like to give young swimmers?
My advice to young kids would be not to take things too seriously. When you are training, you are going there to do a job, so take that part seriously. But remember: It’s not the be-all and end-all at 12 years old. Have fun, don’t specialize too young. Swim every event on the program—although I was adamant I was going to be a 100 butterflyer, and I turned out to be a distance freestyler! They are so polar-opposite events in a way, but it just happened to fall that way—it wasn’t even a choice.
As long as kids are enjoying what they are doing…and as long as they communicate to their coach and their family…and as long as they’re not doing it because there’s an expectation to do it, but doing it because they want to do it—then you can’t go wrong!
Any news on mollie O’Callaghan injury? Is she still racing at worlds?
Great article.