MOESHA Earns Olympic Games Selections

WORDS: Tamara Hamilton PHOTOGRAPHY Wades photos and Supplied

From science scholar to sporting star!

As Southern Cross University alumna and scholarship recipient, Moesha Johnson prepares for the Olympic Games in the gruelling sport of OPEN WATER AND 1500 METRE SWIMMING EVENTS, THIS humble former student ambassador expresses gratitude to her supportive university community

Exhausted from a punishing schedule of racing, training and travelling from her German base to a high-altitude Spanish camp, then on to Brisbane for the Australian Trials, it’s little wonder the Olympic qualifier has been dubbed the
FIFO swimmer.

The 26-year-old Tweed Heads local has had little time to celebrate becoming World Champion in Doha, as part of the Australian mixed 4 X 1500m Open Water relay team, and her selection in the Australian Dolphins.

In July and August, Moesha will realise her dream of competing in two sports at the same Games – prior to 2024, just seven other Australian Olympians have managed the remarkable feat.

Moesha will compete inside Paris La Defense arena in the 1500m pool event, just one week before racing 10 kilometres along the iconic River Seine in the Open Water marathon.

Don’t be fooled by the romantic destinations. The sport of long-distance Open Water Swimming that brings her to these glamorous cities is brutal.

Moesha can’t wait for Australians to fall in love with the spectacle that blends endurance and strategy.

“It’s a tactical choice when to fuel and when to make moves,” she said. “You have waves pushing you and everyone is on top of each other. It’s absolutely chaotic.”

The sport demands a finely-honed body, a calculating mind and, it seems, a strong stomach as competitors jostle at pontoons, grabbing liquid carbohydrates to be swallowed while still swimming.

“Trust me,” she said, “it’s not delicious! The last thing you want to do is skol an overly sweet drink.”

What might give Moesha an edge over rivals is her fascination with the science behind elite performance.

Her curiosity about human health was behind her decision to study a Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

Supported by a Summerland Bank Rising Star scholarship, Moesha was among the first Biomedical graduates from Southern Cross University (Gold Coast) in 2019 – life-changing, in
many ways.

“I was the first in my family to go to university,” she said. “With the scholarship, I felt like I had an extended support network, beyond my family.”

“It’s truly special when people believe in you before you’re a champion. To have people notice you when you feel smaller, words can’t describe what that means.”

Her silver medal in the pool at the World University Games, in the final year of her degree, was a major turning point.

“It confirmed for me, that’s what I wanted to do,” she said. “But being a student-athlete is really tough.”

“I wouldn’t be able to say today that I’m a swimmer if I hadn’t had that support from Southern Cross University and my scholarship. The pressures would have pushed me out of the sport.”

Summerland Bank Chief Executive Officer, John Williams extended his team’s heartfelt best wishes to their scholarship recipient and said how deeply honoured they are to have played a small role in Moesha’s remarkable journey from academic excellence to Olympic qualification.

“Moesha’s unwavering dedication and resilience are truly inspiring, and we beam with pride as she represents Australia on the global stage,” John said. “Her success stands as a testament to her tireless efforts and determination.”

Her academic and sporting worlds continue to blend.

“My tertiary qualification is a ticket in my back pocket for the future, and most people in the sport can’t believe that
I have already completed my degree,”
she said.

“I’m always networking with people in the science and medical fields. I enjoy understanding what they’re talking about on a molecular level. My degree is definitely something that has helped me in my sport.”

As a first-time Olympic qualifier at 26, Moesha is considered a late bloomer in the sport of swimming, but that certainly hasn’t stopped her from setting goals
beyond Paris.

“Even if you come to your path later in life, that’s your journey and you own it,” she said. “If you want to chase it and are committed to it, you can do it. Don’t compare yourself to other people’s pace or journey.”

Moesha doesn’t plan to stop at 10-kilometre events. Despite the sacrifices, she is keen to make her mark in the 25-kilometre marathon swims that are popular with her German training teammates.

“When you’re on an international stage in sport, it’s quite lonely. I’ve been living overseas for a while now and the wins and losses, without community and family, mean nothing. They only become meaningful when you have your community around you,” Moesha said.

“I’m doing it for myself and the ones who believed in me all those years ago when I didn’t necessarily believe in myself. That support will mean more to me in Paris than it ever has.”

This humble athlete then wants nothing more than to celebrate on Australian soil surrounded by her family and farm animals, enjoy a local coffee and a dip
at Kirra.

“I want to say, ‘You believed in me then, and look! I’m here now. I’ve done it!”