KZ: Hi Stacey! How did you feel when you qualified for the Olympic Games in Paris?

S: Very happy and proud of myself for achieving my goal after a long time of hard training and competing all around the world.

KZ: Congratulations! As this is your second time heading to the Olympic Games, what do you think you learned from your first experience?

S: I learned to be confident in myself and to stay as relaxed and clear-minded as possible. I will be marching in the Closing Ceremony, which I am really excited about because I wasn’t able to be part of it in the Tokyo Games.

KZ: That's going to be an amazing experience! Do you have any pre-competition traditions to help you focus before competing?

S: I make sure I pack everything I need the day before, and go to bed early - which allows my mind to relax. I remind myself to trust my body, trust my gut, and be confident. I have done all the hard work to get where I am and to trust myself and my decision-making. I will also do mental visualisation to get me in the fighting zone.

KZ: What often surprises people when you talk about Taekwondo?

S: People are always surprised when I talk about how hard the training is and how sore our bodies are after a training session - and I then finish by saying that I love it and it is a lot of fun. A lot of people don’t understand that we must be under a certain weight division to compete and if you don’t meet your category, you will be disqualified. The other surprise is that if you lose your fight, you are out of the game straight away - there is no round robin.

KZ: Awesome! Which fictional character would you like to compete against?

S: I would like to compete against Black Widow, I believe her martial art skills and mine could be a pretty cool battle to watch.

KZ: We would definitely love to see that. Other than Taekwondo, is there a skill you have that you believe deserves a gold medal?

S: Gold medal for Mario Kart!

KZ: Wow! When you were a child, did you have any hobbies that gave you useful skills for Taekwondo?

S: Growing up I loved playing soccer and softball. I believe soccer gave me better cardio fitness and leg-foot coordination, and I believe softball gave me better hand-eye coordination, and made me better at using both arms.

KZ: Are there any other sports you’re keen to watch while you’re in Paris?

S: I am very keen to watch the Matildas play if possible, and the female Rugby 7’s team.

KZ: Are you looking forward to competing against anyone in particular at the Olympic Games?

S: I look forward to competing against the athlete from China and winning against her.

The Paris Olympic Games will be held from July 26 to August 11, 2024!

For the main interview with Stacey and the rest of the Paris Games Special, including interviews with athletes in Breaking, Sport Climbing, Taekwondo, and Surfing, grab the 'Space Is The Place' 2024 issue, out now!