Sunshine Coast beach volleyball duo Georgia Johnson and Caitlin Bettenay have their sights on the 2024 Olympics after developing their skills in the United States.
They were to be among 160 teams at the Queensland Open at Mooloolaba on Saturday and Sunday (January 9-10) which has been postponed due to the COVID lockdown.
The pair have had success at events on the state circuit since returning from the US, where they spent four years playing in the top national college competition (NCAA).
“It was an amazing opportunity,” Johnson said.
“The sport is so much more developed in the US. They start playing at such a young age there and by the time they get to college their skills are just unreal, so it was really cool to play in that high intensity environment.”
Johnson played with Georgia State University at Atlanta, Georgia. Meanwhile, Bettenay was with Portland State University in Oregon and San Jose University in California.
“We’re some of the first (Australian beach volleyball) athletes to graduate from that high performance pathway in the US and come back home,” she said.
“We both had great team rosters and coaches in professional systems.
“GSU’s head coach Beth Van Fleet was an incredible mentor for me. She shared with me her love of the sport and taught me that being a good person is always more important than just being a good athlete.
“So, we’re trying to be trailblazers for that pathway, so the younger athletes can see it’s a really great opportunity and you can study and play at the same time there.
“We’re really keen to advocate it, especially for girls. There’s lots of scholarship opportunities available. It’s great life experience and you grow up quickly.”
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Great ambitions
They’re determined to make an impact on the state, national and international scene.
“With travel restrictions at the moment it’s hard to set goals but within the next year or 18 months we’ll hopefully get back overseas and into some world tour events,” she said.
“It’s the next stepping-stone for us, to move on to the four and five-star events where we’ll be able to potentially work towards the Olympics.
“The 2024 Olympics is something that’s within reach for Caitlin and I.”
The 22-year-olds have represented Australia at beach and indoor volleyball as juniors and now train with Sunshine Coast coach Peter Jones.
The Queensland Open will see teams competing in open, under-19, under-17 and under-15 divisions.
The under-15 teams will compete as two, three or four-a-side, while other divisions will be two per team.
