Lauren Wise may be not be training and studying in Canberra as planned, but the young basketball star is making great strides in her first year at the Australian Institute of Sport nevertheless.
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Set to turn 17 in July, the former St Patrick's College student began her AIS scholarship midway through last year and was enjoying a breakout run of form and health before being forced home by the coronavirus outbreak.
After representing Tasmania's under-18s at Albury-Wodonga's Country Cup in early January, Wise took part in a national development camp before settling back in at the Centre of Excellence.
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She then took part in the CoE's two season-opening wins in New South Wales' Waratah 1 League before being sent back to Launceston mid-March to a world of running programs, weight training and Zoom sessions.
Despite the enforced spell away from campus, the teenager remains optimistic about her progress.
"I came off glandular fever, I had that at the end of last year so I had three months off there," Wise said.
"From that I think I've gained a lot of strength and more confidence in what I'm doing on the court and off the court - just being able to build on myself and my skills and everything like that.
"We've got the individuals we do with our coaches and that's positional kind of work, post moves and little ball skills and stuff like that and I think that's really improved my game."
Even in moving to Canberra, the six-foot-four post player has not been without familiar faces.
Fellow Tasmanian talents Taran Armstrong and Reyne Smith are also training with the CoE, with Launceston's Sejr Deans visiting in February for the under-20 nationals.
"I see them at school and walking around the courts and we have a casual hang."
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FAST FIVE - Q and A with Lauren Wise
Who's your basketball hero?
- Throughout my life I've always looked up to Lauren Jackson - we play the same position and she's an amazing basketballer on and off the court. I think she's a really good role model for a lot of people and me especially.
Biggest influence in your basketball career so far?
- That's a really hard question, I don't want to offend any of my coaches. I think on a skill development base probably Mark Radford our head coach, but then on a bonding or emotional pathway Sarah Veale. She's been there all throughout my growth, she's been there from under-14s.
Do you have hobbies outside basketball?
- I'm pretty bad at other sports I think so I just do art and cooking - I like baking a lot. I've been doing that a lot of the time at home since there's nothing else to do, so I've just been baking everything every day just to keep myself busy - and to eat it after.
What's your signature cooking piece?
- For my desserts I've got this Nutella cookie I make, so I make a ball of Nutella and put it in the cookie so if you break it open it's kind of like oozing out. Also I went fishing with my uncle in the holidays just past and we caught some fish and I took it home and seasoned that and just made a nice dish with fish and salad and chips. It's going to be my second job I reckon if I don't succeed at basketball, I'll just go and make a bakery.
What kind of art do you do?
- I usually just do drawings. I did art all throughout school, so I've done all kind of mediums. They make you work with everything so I've done clay painting, drawing, shading and just built up another thing that i can do.
Hamish Geale
Hamish Geale is a senior reporter at The Examiner. Got good news? Email: hgeale@examiner.com.au
Hamish Geale is a senior reporter at The Examiner. Got good news? Email: hgeale@examiner.com.au
