QUT's top dance academic has a Skeleton in her closet that's powering Australia's Winter Olympic dream.
When Associate Professor Gene Moyle isn't overseeing QUT's world-renowned dance courses she is the official sport psychologist for the nation's Skeleton team, helping Michelle Steele, Lucy Chaffer and John Farrow mentally prepare for a peak performance in Sochi.
Skeleton is arguably the most hair-raising of winter sports, with athletes plunging head first down the Luge and Bobsleigh track at speeds of up to 135 km/h, enduring as much as five Gs of force on some bends.
"Funnily enough, the athletes don't find sliding scary at all," said Professor Moyle, who is the Head of Discipline for QUT Dance in the university's Creative Industries Faculty.
"I support the team with everything from performance-enhancement strategies, team dynamics, managing being away from home for up to five months non-stop each year - all the challenges that any individual usually experiences when balancing their career, work, study and life in general.
"Ultimately my goal is to best support the athletes' preparation in striving for their Olympic goals."
The leap from shimmying to sliding is not as large as you might think.
Performance psychology skills are applicable to any situation and Professor Moyle regularly uses her expertise to coach her dance students.
A former professional ballet dancer, she began studying psychology while taking a career break and now holds both a Masters and Doctorate in Sport and Exercise Psychology.
"I ended up working with the Olympic Short Track Speed Skating team as one of my first elite sport engagements after finishing my Masters and my love of winter sports grew from there.
"I've worked with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia/Australian Institute of Sport's Skeleton program since it launched 10 years ago as a talent identification program, and I've worked with athletes through the past three Winter Olympics, including the 2014 Sochi games."
"I have watched each of the athletes develop and feel very privileged to have been a part of their journey. They are a fabulous bunch of athletes and a pleasure to support."
Michelle Steele became Australia's first female Olympic Skeleton contender eight years ago in Torino. Sochi will be the first Olympics for Lucy Chaffer and John Farrow, who have competed in the sport for approximately eight and four years respectively.
Professor Moyle believes the team has a chance of adding to Australia's medal tally, but admits it is a tough sport to predict.
"The exciting - and also frustrating - thing about Skeleton is that only hundredths of a second separate the competitors. One small change in driving the sled, or dragging a toe on the ice, and you can drop from 1st to 18th place instantly."
Professor Moyle said, while Australia's elite winter sports athletes often outperform some of their summer counterparts when it comes to world rankings and World Cup medals, they do not receive the same levels of funding or local recognition.
She is encouraging Aussies to show their Winter Olympic spirit and send messages of support through the Australian Olympic Committee's Fan Wall.
Steele and Chaffer take to the Sanki Sliding Centre track in the early evening of Thursday February 13 (Australian time) with Farrow following on Friday February 14 for their qualification races. Final medal heats take place on the evening of the 14 and 15 February respectively. Medals are awarded based on the fastest combined total time over the athletes' four races.
Media contacts:
• Julie Dunstan, Media Manager, Australian Olympic Committee, julie.dunstan@olympics.com.au
• Kate Haggman, QUT Media, 3138 0358, kate.haggman@qut.edu.au. After hours Rose Trapnell 0407 585 901.
