THEY compete in vastly different sports and face equally uncertain futures, but Olympic silver medal-winning rower Kate Hornsey and former Test cricketer Jason Krejza delivered similar advice to a room full of impressionable young Tasmanian athletes yesterday.
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Both rammed home the message to seize the golden opportunity being presented to the sporting hopefuls.
``I told them to grab it with both hands and realise what a ridiculously good opportunity they had ahead of them,'' said Krejza, whose rollercoaster career saw him cut from the Tasmanian squad last month.
Hornsey, 31, who was Tasmania's top performing London Olympian, added: ``I jumped at the chance when I was asked to do this because when I was younger I was pulled in other directions and would think it's ok to miss a day's training to go out with friends.
``But I had to have a hard look in the mirror and decide did I want to make the most of this opportunity or did I want to go out for that drink with friends?
``I remember being this age and at the time I never thought I'd go to an Olympics. That seemed so far out of my reach. But then people like Simon Burgess and Darren Balmforth made me realise what I was capable of and could strive for.
``When you're this age you don't think you'll ever get there, but if you put your mind to it you can.''
The pair joined paralympic sailor Matt Bugg in sharing their experiences at an elite athlete performance induction at the Tasmanian Institute of Sport's Silverdome headquarters.
Organised by Stewart Pither, manager of athlete and coaching development at the TIS, the course aimed to educate young scholarship holders in how to combine their sport with their lifestyle, with subjects ranging from injury prevention and budgeting to alcohol responsibility and leadership.
Krejza said he had not given up on cricket and would continue to play for University in Hobart and seek a Big Bash League contract.
But in his first year of a nursing degree, the 30-year-old said it was something he wished he had begun earlier.
``Twice before I've started courses but had to pull out when I was picked for the Test team and the world cup,'' he said.
``That's probably not a regret but something I wished I had worked out better now that I'm coming to the end of my career because it's good to have something to fall back on. But sometimes circumstances change.''
Among the scholarship holders hearing the message was youth Olympic champion middle distance runner Hugh Nicklason, of Hobart.
``It's good hearing from all the top athletes about their experiences,'' he said.
