Kim Pham
26 July 2016: After enduring two shoulder surgeries earlier this year, swimmer James Roberts has put in a phenomenal effort to qualify for his place in the 4 x 100m men's freestyle relay at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
The University of Canberra alumni had just eight months to prepare for the Olympics trial vowing to train "smarter not harder". It paid dividends with Roberts posting 48.32 qualifying time at the Australian Championships to secure a spot on the team.
"I was determined…I just wanted to put myself in the mix and see what I could do. I wasn't expecting to come third that's for sure. I was aiming for top six finish but my time was my second fastest ever," he said.
"It was a bit of a surprise for me but I'd worked hard for it!"
This will be Roberts' second Olympics having competed in the 4 x 100m men's freestyle relay at the 2012 London Olympics.
"Competing at an Olympic Games is like no other event. I am so proud to take part in my second Games, a little older and wiser than 2012," he said.
"Swimming in London was the largest and loudest arena I have competed in, so I think it definitely helps to have some experience in knowing what to expect."
The team were medal favourites at the London Olympics but finished fourth in the final just missing out on a medal.
"Being favourites at an Olympics means nothing. It is completely up to the team on the day and anything can happen. We are in a great position going in and are definitely looking to improve our result from London," he said.
"Relays are a team effort. Although we competed individually to be selected for the relay, now we are teammates competing for a common goal. It is a special thing to be part of the relay. Nobody wants to let their teammate down and we swim for each other, not for ourselves."
Roberts is a proud University of Canberra graduate completing a Bachelor of Communication in Advertising in 2015. Since then he has returned to his hometown on the Gold Coast and juggling his preparation for Rio while also completing a traineeship at a financial planning firm.
"I chose UC because of their strong affiliation with the AIS. Their flexibility and support helped me pursue my dream of representing Australia which I have now been able to do at two World Championships and two Olympic Games."
The Rio Olympics start on 5 August.
Read more about our UC Olympic Games and Paralympic Games representatives:
