Aussie Para Nationals Approach
Cochrane and Templeton are two names you’ve probably seen numerous times at Australia’s domestic competitions. Two of our longest standing F-Teamers, Blake Cochrane and Jake Templeton are about to embark on their 10th Australian Trials together as teammates, with yet more Australian Team selections on the line.
USC Spartans since 2011 and 2013 respectively, Blake and Jake have lived together, trained together under the prowess of the late Jan Cameron and now Nathan Doyle, and have even worked together. Paralympians and world record holders, these two have been through it all, not to mention the rollercoaster they both endured in 2021 with the drama that was Tokyo.
Cochrane is an OAM and 4-time Paralympian, known for his excellence in the Men’s SB7 100 Breaststroke. At the age of 30, he posted one of his fastest career times last year in Tokyo, and now stares down the barrel of a potential 4th Commonwealth Games and a 5th World Championships. Balancing having a family and work adds to the challenge of competing at the elite level for Blake but, if anything, it helps him to maintain balance.
Two of the older athletes in the Para swimming circle, they recognize and acknowledge the task ahead of them with the youth coming through. “Qualifying for Dolphins teams is becoming increasingly challenging with so much talent coming through the ranks,” Cochrane said.
In just over 3 weeks the two will be embarking on their 10th Australian Trials together. This year success at the trials could yield a spot on the Madeira (Portugal) World Championships Team. The trials is also the final chance for many athletes to post a time for Commonwealth Games (Birmingham) selection. That’s right, April 9-12 in Adelaide is a pretty big deal.
Jake Templeton is eyeing off a berth for not only his second World Championships, but also his first Commonwealth Games. “The Commonwealth Games is inclusive of Para athletes but this year is the first time my classification will be showcased”, he said. “As a result I want to make my mark and stand on the podium in Birmingham later this year”.
After a challenging 3 years, Jake continues to fight and battle to get back on the team. In 2019 he missed the Australian “A” time by 0.3 of a second, and last year he achieved the “A” qualifying time for Tokyo but was not chosen. “Last year’s trials and the months that proceeded were to be honest the hardest months of my life. To be told I wasn’t going to Tokyo having done all that was asked of me was heartbreaking.”
Brotherhood is a term that resonates with the camaraderie of the F-Team men that we’ve seen come out of USC. “We bicker and we throw banter, but it’s all to push one another and get the best out of each other,” Jake said. As the boys gear up for yet another trials, we wish them all the best.