Laura Taylor learned to stay calm under pressure throughout her elite swimming career, a skill which is proving invaluable in the next chapter of her life.
The 2018 Commonwealth Games 200m butterfly silver medallist will graduate with a Master of Occupational Therapy next month and has already begun putting her degree into practice.
Working in forensic mental health services, Taylor has found herself drawing on assets developed during her time as a butterflier.
“My swimming career has definitely taught me how to stay calm and composed when things aren't really in my control,” Taylor said.
“With patients, their presentations fluctuate and the skills I’ve developed in swimming and racing have translated into this new high-pressure, high-risk environment.”
It is Taylor’s second degree at Bond, having previously completed a Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science while juggling the demands of elite swimming.
Rather than viewing study as a distraction, Taylor believes it helped fuel a swimming career that included multiple Australian Dolphins teams and a world short-course title.
“Studying while pursuing sport was really beneficial for me and I don’t think I would have been as successful if I wasn't occupying my mind with something else,” Taylor said.
“That’s something that’s big in my current work — teaching patients how to participate in structured activities and live a busy life.
“My own experiences have impacted the way that I support people, especially when patients can find balancing multiple things quite challenging.”
While another Dolphins berth no longer holds the same appeal for the 27-year-old, the competitive streak that drove her swimming career hasn’t disappeared.
Since retiring from the pool, Taylor has turned her attention to running, completing a marathon last year.
She is already contemplating another.
“Since I retired, I've been back in the pool for a few weeks at a time and then I get a bit bored of it,” Taylor said.
“Last year, I had enough time to be able to do the marathon, which was so cool.
“One of my lecturers recently said, ‘Are you going to do it again?’ and I was like, ‘Well, now that you’ve put that into my head, I may as well try and do it while my body is still okay.’
“I feel like I always have to have a different goal and I guess that's ingrained in you as an athlete from a young age — to always have something to work towards.
“It’s definitely helped in how I've been able to progress through my new career.”
Taylor’s connection to Bond University extends beyond the lecture theatre and swimming pool.
Her father Jared is Bond’s long-serving Director of Facilities Management, meaning the campus has been part of the family for much of Taylor’s adult life.
But as she prepares to graduate, Taylor is reflecting on a remarkable few years of change.
“I was talking to Mum the other day and I said, ‘Who knows where I’ll be in three years' time, because three years ago I was swimming every single day,’” Taylor said.
“Just to see how much life has changed and the opportunities that I've been given — and also worked towards — has been really amazing.
“I feel incredibly grateful for all of the opportunities I’ve been given and it’s so good to feel like it’s all coming together.”