How Kim Ravaillion Played Netball For Australia Before Playing A Single National League Game

Kim Ravillion is one of the most experienced mid-quarters in Australian netball,

but her journey to get there looked very different to those who came before her.

At age 19, Kim became the first player to make her international debut

before even playing a single national game.

Now Kim has 60 diamonds caps to her name,

alongside back-to-back championships with the Queensland Firebirds.

But giving birth to her daughter Georgie in 2020

blocks in as one of her favourite achievements to date,

and now she's back stronger than ever.

My name's Sophie and I'm the producer here at the Female Athlete Project.

This week, Chloe caught up with Kim,

the current captain of the Queensland Firebirds,

with just a few weeks left in this year's Super Netball season.

This episode is brought to you by Athena Sports Nutrition,

who are changing the sports nutrition game for women.

It's a vulnerable and raw chat about the highs and lows of netball,

and we hope you enjoy it.

Kim, welcome to the Female Athlete Project.

Thanks for having me.

I'm very excited to have a chat.

Before we get into where you're at currently with your netball,

can you take us back to your childhood and describe Kim as a little kid?

Kim as a little kid.

When I picture myself back in the day,

all I can imagine is my backyard and how I was always,

like, outdoors, either jumping on the trampoline or shooting the basketball hoop.

Yeah, I just absolutely loved being outdoors.

When I think about the athletes in the family,

I definitely wasn't it.

It was definitely my brother and sister.

They had just that natural athletic ability,

and I was the one that would always try so hard to beat either of them,

but, yeah, it would just never happen.

But it's funny now that I think about it,

they had the ability, but I had the heart,

and that's what kind of got me to where I am today.

It's crazy.

Where do you think that came from?

Do you think that was just an inherent thing in you?

I just had that competitive drive.

You know, I would lose when I was younger,

and I just stopped playing because I just wanted to win so bad.

And my brother and sister would just beat me so easily,

and they'd pull me.

Like I saw a loser and things like that,

but little did they know that that instilled so much fire in my belly

that one day I was like, I'm going to beat these guys.

And then it turns out I'm the only one who progressed as an elite athlete,

so I win there.

It was very character building.

While you're telling that story, I'm picturing back in my childhood,

I was in the middle of two brothers.

I would like, when I would lose, I would like sprint into my bedroom

and like sit against the door and just be so salty and disappointed.

It's quite embarrassing.

It's quite embarrassing to reflect on,

but maybe that's what makes us good athletes.

Oh, I think so.

I look at my little girl now, Georgie, and I see the same thing in her.

She, last night, was trying to make me like a Play-Doh pizza, you know,

and she was trying so hard not for it not to fall.

And I was just like, don't look at me, mum.

And I got her.

And she dropped it.

She just spat the dummy.

And I was like, oh, that is me.

I was like, oh, that is me.

What is it like having a little daughter and thinking about your career?

Like, how are you going to be as a parent when she gets a little bit older

and might be really athletic and good at sport?

Oh, I feel like having gone through all of it myself,

I'll have a few, like, good words to say to her just to get her through.

Like, last night, even prime example, I was like, all right, just try again.

You can do it.

And she was just like, don't talk to me.

Don't talk to me.

Don't talk to me.

Don't talk to me.

Don't talk to me.

Don't talk to me.

Don't talk to me.

Don't talk to me.

You've got to be calm with it.

I feel like I'm a calm voice for me, even nowadays.

I don't tolerate, like, someone yelling at me very well.

I'm such a, like, you've got to speak to me calmly because it instantly relaxes me.

And then I get straight back into a good mindset and focus.

So, yeah, I guess learning in my own journey, that'll help me to apply that

to hopefully still be able to pursue my athletic path.

I want to come back to that because I think that,

you know, leadership and communication chat is a really interesting one.

But can you tell us, where did you first find this love for netball?

Was it in the backyard with your siblings?

Oh, the love for netball.

So, my dad was a soccer coach.

And so, he threw me, my twin sister, Jess, and my brother straight into soccer.

And funnily enough, I was terrible with my feet, so they threw me into goalkeeper.

And I loved it.

I love soccer.

But then one weekend,

one of our best friends, her name's Natalie,

he was playing netball.

And I was like, oh, I don't want to play netball.

The girl is poor.

Like, I was definitely a tomboy growing up.

And then I went to watch her play.

And I just remember my twin and I, we were just like, wow, this is so fun.

Like, can we get on?

Can we go?

Can we have a go?

And they're like, no, you've got to sign up.

So, following weekend, we signed up and seriously had the best time.

I remember when I first went to throw the ball in, I threw it over my head.

And it was just like, yeah, it was so fun.

I just remember, yeah, those younger years playing netball.

And like, obviously, Jess and I are in the same team, so we just pass to each other.

Yeah, we just have so much fun with it.

But that's kind of what instilled the love at a young age for me.

Yeah, that's really cool.

When was it that you kind of started to notice, I might actually be all right at this sport?

Oh, it wasn't until I was probably 15.

So, mum, like, I think mum saw it in me first.

Because we had a little fear in our family of, like, going to the next level.

Even throughout primary school, we would, you know, kill the swimming carnivals and the athletic carnivals and cross country.

We would just never go to regionals.

I just, like, didn't want to.

And our teachers would be so disappointed in us.

They'd just be like, come on, you're, like, wasting your talent.

And so then...

It wasn't until mum was like, I'm going to put you into some trials, the trial for the New South Wales state team.

And I remember going there and I come from an association that wasn't very strong.

So it was literally myself and probably one other girl who was trialing.

And there was just all these, like, I just wanted to see all these girls from great teams.

And I was like, there's no chance I'm making this team.

But I'll give it a crack.

Didn't really care if I made it or not.

I was just like...

I was just like...

I'll just do it because mum put my name down.

And then after trialing, I was like, no, I'm good enough.

I can do this.

And then I missed out.

And from missing out that time, yeah, that's what it was like.

That competitive beast in me came out again.

And I was like, no, that's not good enough.

I hated that feeling of not seeing my name on the link.

And that's kind of when I was like, all right, I'm really going to have a go here from that moment.

Where do you think that fear in the family came from about taking it to the next level before that?

I think...

I've got an older brother.

He's two years older than me.

And Jess and I looked up to him.

And we used to just watch him play soccer and see how good he was athletically.

But he never went to rep level.

And I just was like, oh, Chris didn't do it.

So why do we have to do it?

I obviously scared him.

So it just, I don't know, kind of scared me.

Yeah.

And then, yeah, it wasn't until mum kind of threw me into it that I just had to have a go.

And then I felt that, yeah, that urge to really go for it when I missed out.

And it was in, what have I got, 20, no, it was pre-2014.

When was your, can you remind me when your Diamonds debut was?

I've got it in my notes here somewhere, but I can't find it in the right paragraph.

2013.

2013.

And you debuted before playing in the top level of the domestic league.

What was that like?

Yeah.

So I kind of done it in reverse, you would say.

Hadn't played a professional game of netball.

And then got the opportunity to play for the Australian Diamonds before making my ANZ championship debut at the time.

So it was surreal.

It was like a, oh, my God, moment.

And I was in the under Australian 21 team at the time with all my teammates ever in Jamaica when I got the phone call from the Australian Diamonds.

And, yeah, I just remember being on the phone to her.

I actually thought I was in trouble because I got called to the coach's room.

It's always a scary moment.

And then, yeah, like I was in trouble.

And I was like, what's going on?

You've got a phone call.

I was like, oh, what's happened?

And then when it was Lisa Alexander on the phone, I was like.

Oh, my gosh.

And I just had this thought that she was going to ask me to come join the team.

And when those words came out of her mouth, I was like, no way.

Is she kidding me?

And, yeah, I remember the coach was going, come on.

Do you want a shampoos?

And I was like, am I allowed?

I'm on tour.

But, yeah, it was just such a cool moment.

Yeah.

One that I look back on and think how cool I got to do that before even playing like a professional netball game.

Yeah.

It's quite.

It's quite an incredible feat.

How did it feel walking into that program as quite a young person in what is an incredibly well-established team?

Yeah.

It was very.

I'm not the.

I'm very shy type.

Particularly back then.

Not now.

But, yeah, it was just so not intimidated, but just nervous because all those girls, like ladies, were my idols.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Playing like alongside Moni Girard and, you know, Cath Poff and Erin Bell, all these big name players.

I was just like, no way.

I've watched you guys on TV my whole netball career.

And the fact that I get to line up against you sisters in arms and see the end.

And I'm like, how cool is that?

But, yeah, I just was like this little young.

They all called me Little Rav.

They still call me Little Rav.

As it shook.

But, yeah, it was just such a real moment in the fact that I got the opportunity to step

out on the court and make my debut over in England, playing alongside Moni Girard was

just like, I was like, oh, my God, that is, yeah, probably one of the best memories in

my netball career, to be honest.

That's really something special.

How does Kim now compared to Little Rav back then?

Well, Kim now.

I guess so much has changed in terms of, yeah, I'm literally putting myself in that mindset

now, who I was then to who I am today.

I've learned so much about myself and what I am capable of.

I've built adversity.

I've built resilience.

I, you know, I'm just so grateful for the past.

I'm so grateful for the pathway that I've had throughout my netball career that has

transformed Kim to add up to that.

And the fact that I get to be that role model for Georgie and just share those experiences

with her as she grows up is something that I'm so grateful that I got to play this game

for.

What have been some of the biggest challenges that have developed that resilience in you?

So many.

I think so many people would probably think that.

I, you know, had this awesome career and I was so lucky, but not many people know that

it wasn't all smooth sailing.

Early in my career, when I was 17, 16, trialling for the New South Wales State team took me

three times to actually make the team.

So I had set back the first time, which I was talking about, and I didn't really care

in that one.

But then the next time I tried.

I really wanted to make it.

And I had so many people at the time in that moment tell me that you're doing, you've

trialled so well, you're definitely going to make it.

And I just got my hopes up and thought, oh, my God, this is it.

And then I missed out again.

And it wasn't until the third time lucky, third time, that I literally blocked everyone

out, trialled the best that I could and just thought, look, if I don't make it, I'm going to

make it.

Then maybe I need to choose another sport and gave it my all.

I checked the list again and my name was there.

And it just showed that, you know, persistence, hard work, that work behind the scenes when

no one's watching, the ability to switch off mentally, listen to those closest to you and

just do the work on your own game is what really helped me to get into that team that

year.

What was your experience like going through pregnancy, giving birth to George?

And then coming back to play at the top level?

Oh, my God.

My experience through pregnancy, it was another highlight of my life.

At the time when I felt pregnant with Georgie, I was actually going through a bit of a lull

with my netball.

I wasn't enjoying it at the time.

And I was in Melbourne playing for the Collingwood Magpies.

And I was really considering going back and playing for the Queensland Firebirds.

And I remember having a chat with Ads about.

I was going back and we'd be apart, but we didn't have to get the time.

So it was just all like, this is happening.

And so then a couple of weeks later, I found out that I was pregnant.

And I was so happy.

It was like I went from this, like, not depressed, but like real sad kind of netballing.

And then found out that God or someone said, no, we're going to put you on another journey

here and give you another, like, lease in life to experience motherhood.

And now that I think about it, I'm so lucky to have fallen pregnant because so many women

struggled to fall pregnant.

And I just happened to fall pregnant.

It was just like a miracle for me.

And it is a miracle when women fall pregnant.

It's so hard to fall pregnant.

And I didn't realize that until I fell pregnant, that it was a miracle.

Like so many women struggle to get pregnant.

And I just happened to be one of the lucky ones.

And so that experience for me, I was so lucky throughout my whole pregnancy that I didn't

experience any nausea.

I was able to train throughout my whole pregnancy.

It was almost like I was training for a grand final for birthday.

Yeah.

I was like pumped for it and I was the strongest I'd ever been pregnant.

Like the hormones kicked in.

Yeah.

Wow.

I couldn't practice 45 bench press when I wasn't pregnant.

I was benching like 50, 55 kilos.

How good.

And then post pregnancy, I now bench 60.

I'm like motherhood's what gave me these like iron levels or like strength.

But yeah, it was pretty crazy how good I felt throughout the pregnancy.

And then the birth experience was even better.

I remember it took me, it took me probably, I think it was like 12 hours to like go through

the process of, what is it?

Labor?

Yeah, labor.

That one.

I've got a comment.

Mine's like, why do you dilate?

Yeah.

The dilating process took about 12 hours.

My stomach, sorry, my abs were so tight on top of my belly.

But yeah, the process of delivery for Georgie took 15 minutes.

It was like a quarter of a nipple.

I love that analogy.

The doctor was just like, holy crap.

Like, yeah.

I was just like, I don't want to do it again.

Like the adrenaline was sick.

I was just like, this is awesome.

That's amazing.

And then like seeing her come out and then putting her on my chest.

I was just like, I looked straight at Adam and I was like, oh, I'm like, we created this

human.

It's so crazy to think that she's half me and half you.

She was way more like him at the time.

But it was just like, yeah, one of the best moments in our lives.

And then in terms of like, obviously post-Georgie and then getting back to being physically at

the top of my game, it did take me probably like two or three months to kind of get back

into the groove of training.

But yeah, I did.

It did take my time.

But I also listened to my body and if I could push myself, I would.

And if I needed a day off or break, I would.

But I felt so good post delivering Georgie that I was back into it pretty quickly.

And then it was in that COVID time or that COVID period and I was in the hub and the

games were all on the TV.

And I was like, I reckon I should go back and play.

But like, obviously.

The only team I would want to play for is the Queensland Firebirds and that meant staying

away from Adam and Melvin.

So that was probably the hardest conversation we've had to have.

I was only 27 and I was nowhere near done with playing elite sport or netball.

So we came to the agreement that I was to live out my career and achieve all my goals

because that's what's going to bring out the best version in me.

And I would have no doubt.

I would have no doubt that I was going to be the best player in the world if I didn't

have to play for it.

And he was very supportive of that.

And he kind of just pushed me to get back to full fitness and just go for it.

Because we were only going to ever do it with Georgie and not any other kids.

So she was going to experience her mum and dad being all the athletes together.

And so whilst it's been very difficult being away from Adam and we've had our ups and our

downs.

But coming back to play elite netball has been everything I wanted and more.

My first year back, I think I won almost every award, which is pretty sick.

It's amazing.

Yeah.

Got the captaincy role.

And now it's just, yeah, I feel like I kind of ticked everything off if I wanted to and

more.

And I'm super grateful that I've had, yeah, the opportunity to do all of that and that

I've had someone so supportive to allow me to do that.

Yeah.

And yeah, now I am here and I'm still trying to see what else I can offer.

But yeah, I'm kind of at like this point in my life now where I feel like I've kind of

done everything.

How do you feel being at that point?

I turned 30, I think we were born the same year, I turned 30 last year.

And it's weird when you reach that milestone, it's almost like suddenly conversations start

to shift from people in the sporting environment to thinking about retirement and thinking

about being the end.

Is it something that you want to push away?

Like I feel like my body's still good to go and I want to keep playing, but is it something

that you start to think about or where do you sit with that?

Yeah.

So it's funny you say that because it wasn't until I hurt my spine that I really thought,

ah, okay, my body's telling me I need to slow down.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And it was at the end of last year that I really thought, okay, I need to put myself

first.

Yeah.

And as much as that stubbornness inside me was like, no, no, no, you've got one more

year than me, my body was saying otherwise.

And even the rehab, like I actually thoroughly enjoy rehab because I love training and I

love working to a goal, get that.

But yeah.

I just had this moment where I just had to look at Georgie and say, all right, you need

to be able to carry her.

You need to be able to actually have more babies in the future.

Like what is more important to you at this point in your life?

And my life has gotten better of me in terms of my, yeah, I want my life to be great.

More than I want to be an athlete.

Mm.

How did that process go for you going through back surgery?

It's weird.

We're kind of talking, cause I've had the same back surgery, the microdiscectomy, and

it's a pretty confronting process as a young person.

Like I always thought it was a surgery for older people, like to think about getting

back surgery at a young age is quite confronting.

What was that process like for you?

Yeah.

So cool that someone else has had this.

Yeah.

Totally relate.

Well, it was so scary, hey, cause I am one person, I'm sure you're the same that, you

know, you do everything right.

You do your recovery.

You push yourself to the absolute max, and you just feel like it's drilled in you at

such a young age that you need to be the strongest you can, the fastest you can, eat the right

food, do your recovery, like, and then when this happened to me, the herniated disc, and

I lost the feeling down my left leg, and woke up in the middle of the night going to the

toilet, just having that no feeling in my leg, I was like, what, what have I done?

You know?

And it wasn't up until that point where, like I said, you're thrilled to do all those things

that it was actually like, no, no, you've actually got a 30 year old body now, you need

to change the way you're doing things.

And so it was more about the recovery side of things and not so much pushing myself to

the absolute max, where I was like not walking at the end of the day, because I was like,

oh yeah, I feel like I've pushed myself, I can't walk, this is great, you know?

But now it's like, nah, you don't push yourself like that.

You want to push yourself.

Yeah.

You want to be able to be walking at the end of the day and feeling good.

So it was just changing that mindset of how you train your body.

And it wasn't until I had that bloody surgery that I had to realize that, and that's what

I'm trying to teach the younger girls coming through now, is that you need to adapt with

your age.

The wise head teaching the young kids.

Yeah.

Because I would just, I'm such a competitor that I didn't want the young one beating me.

I always wanted to beat the young one.

Set the example.

Be that leader from the front.

And you know, you're never going to beat me.

You have to try so hard to beat me.

Like I've got Macy Gardner, who has always wanted to beat me in a yo-yo.

And up until I had the back surgery, I couldn't do the test in the yo-yo, and so she's got

.

And then I remember I finally got picked up to do the yo-yo with her this year.

And she beat me.

And I remember her coming up to me and going, oh, I beat you.

And I was like, no, you didn't.

Dunk out.

I'm half the athlete I was.

But I said, it's your time.

Like you proved it.

It's your time to be the center for this team.

Yeah.

I love that.

That was such a good moment as well, because she always tells me that I'm her idol.

And I'm like, well.

And I can see some of that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I love that.

And I can say, it's capabilities.

I love that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And I can see so much of her in like, in me.

And so it just makes me so proud to think that even being in the team with her, now that

I get to mentor her, you know, see her like right on the side.

And just, you know, make sure that she's ready for the next 10 years of her career, so that

she doesn't end up the way that I did.

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double the daily dose of iron compared to men? Get ready to take your performance to the next

level with Athena. I love that mindset shift that you've been through because it's such

an interesting thing. I think in sport, it's so often drilled into like you touched on about

doing all the right things, being the hardest worker, staying late. And I don't think there's

enough education around as your body ages and changes and you go through chronic injuries or

acute injuries that you actually do have to adapt your training. And it's this weird thing because

it sometimes feels like you're not able to do as much. And it's a real battle internally,

but it means if you do too much, then your body is punished and you can do then less,

and you can't do it with your team anyway. Yeah. Yeah. It was such a learning for me.

And I feel like netball is on the right path. I know that in the AFL, you get the first four

years going in early during the pre-season and then the fifth or whatever years go into it a

bit later because they've got that training age. Yeah. And I feel like we need to introduce that

into our sport as well, that the young ones, fresh off the top, need to come in and do a full

pre-season. But the older ones that have been there for a while and have that training age

can come in at the halfway mark and still be ready to go for that full round one.

And I'm like, yeah, I'm a prime example of that. Someone who's got training age and will

probably take me four weeks to get back to fitness kind of thing. But yeah, I'm just like,

that's kind of how it should be because yeah. Like I was obviously having a

partner in the AFL and Adam, the way that he goes about his business, I'm like, oh my God,

I've learned so much from you. And even in the netball program in the way that they run things.

Yeah. Earlier you touched on your communication with Georgie, even though she's only four years

old, but you talked about the fact that you like being communicated to in a way that is not

aggressive and yelling and things like that. You respond well to,

what would you call it? Just like effective, more gentle communication, I guess.

Yeah. Calm, direct communication. So like, for example, when I'm doing a yo-yo,

this is a prime example. And someone's like, come on, you can do it. Instantly heart rate goes up.

I start to get stressed. But if someone was to go, you've got this, you've got this,

you can do it. Instantly I'm in the zone. Just calm my breathing.

Yeah. I love that. Is that something you have communicated to your teammates and coaching

staff about? Because I don't think that's done enough where it's an individual approach to the

way people want to be communicated to. Yeah. I feel like now a day, the program

has grown so much. We've got so many different like wellbeing people coming in, sports psychologists

coming in. It enables the group to really share their individual ways of one, receiving feedback,

and delivering it and how they like to receive it. So we do have those conversations. It is hard

because you've got to do it to everyone. But I, yeah, obviously being a captain and a leader

needs to build those relationships with my teammates and yeah, kind of get to know them

individually and know how they will respond. But for me, yeah, that was one of the biggest

things. I'd make it known. I'd be like, don't yell at me.

I love that. And yeah, that's kind of the way I give or deliver most of the things I say to my

girls. A question I've been asking athletes on the podcast recently that I'm always curious on

the answer is what is your favorite failure? I did say this. My favorite failure was not

checking my period app to say,

I was 12 days late. Wow. That's cool. I like that.

That's so good. And now you've got a very cute little kid.

Yeah. That is awesome.

I think if I had a check, I would have known. I wouldn't change it for the world.

That's really cool. You've learned throughout your career to also manage your nutrition and

your diet. And I think you've had a couple of iron

events. Yeah.

And you've had a couple of iron confusions throughout the process as well.

Yeah. I actually had probably three over my career. And now I've found ways to incorporate

iron into my diet. Actually, the best part of the new Athena brand that I'm a part of,

they have iron in their supplements and in their protein bars. And I absolutely love them because

it just helps me top up my iron. But yeah, I have found that I'm so full of energy,

I feel like even when I was an athlete without G, I was more tired. And now having G,

that is one of the main things I really focus on is that I have enough energy for one,

being an athlete and being one. Because doing both is exhausting. And then you never want to

feel guilty. But some days you struggle and you're tired. But if I'm managing my iron levels and my

energy levels, then I know that I'm going to be the best athlete and the best mom.

So it's been a work in progress, but I'm finally getting...

I'm finally getting there. And yeah, spending most of my time with G is always fun.

That's really special. Reflecting on your career today, you've had some

very big victories and big awards. Do you have a favorite?

Yeah. Yeah. All amazing memories. But I'd have to say 2015 AIMS Edge Championship Grand Final,

my first Grand Final win, was the best. Best ever.

That feeling of you finally got a win because it took us three years to finally get...

We came second twice. And then the third time, lucky... Maybe it happens in three in my life.

Third time lucky, we got the gold against New South Wales Swift and it was like a robbery.

I watched the game back and I think, how the heck did we win that?

But it happened. And yeah, I just remember being in complete shock, all of us were.

And just...

All the celebrations post that game were, yeah, ones that I can still remember clearly.

Yeah, that's really special. And the remainder of the season for you, what's it looking like?

This season?

Mm-hmm.

Oh, God, that's a great question. I think I'm currently trying to get over a little calf injury.

So, yeah, I'm actually doing a little bit of coaching on the bench.

Love that.

It's been really, really fun and different.

And challenging in its own ways.

But I'm really loving it, seeing it from a different side.

And also, I think it's going to help my own game, seeing it from a different side.

And then hopefully when I get back out there, potentially next week, training again.

Yeah, I can...

Whatever I've told the girls to play, it's my own game and help them out.

Just that last little few weeks that we've got left, I'm going to really end this year on a high.

Do you see a potential future in coaching once you do finish?

Yeah, for sure.

I really enjoy it.

I do a fair bit of coaching away from playing.

Obviously with the Playbook coach and doing one-on-one sessions with the young netballers already at the moment.

I really enjoy it.

I love hearing that one of my girls has made a team and how excited they are when they do do that.

So that gives me a real thrill.

But I would love to get into an elite environment and coach girls that are elite.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Elite athletes.

And yeah, just I love doing the analysis of it all and coming up with defensive and attacking structures and just figuring out ways to beat opposition.

I really enjoy doing that stuff.

And still off the court, you and your sister Jess started your own business, Ravs Fitness.

Can you tell us a bit about that?

Yeah.

So back in 2019, post giving birth to Georgie, obviously we went through that COVID period.

And everyone was stuck at home.

We came up with a full body weight home program and we just put it out on our Instagram for free for everyone to join in, you know, and just be a part of a bit of a community that one exercise helps you mentally.

But just yet enable you to talk to other people online because it was very isolating that period.

So we had like 500 people do it.

And so we were like, oh, okay.

Well, that's good and all being free, but maybe we should actually make some money off this.

So we decided to put together a really good eight week program and then, yeah, put a price on it.

And so that eventually went into the Ravs Fitness staff, where now we kind of offer almost everything.

We do Pilates, we do strength programs, home gym programs, pre-postnatal workout, a bit of nutrition on there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And we're going to add the Athena brand into it as well.

And yeah, just really, it's something that we love doing, something that I love doing.

I love being physically active, I love taking every block when it comes to my health and just, yeah, even being that role model for Georgie, she's always watching me work out.

So it's always in her sight when she sees me doing things.

But yeah, this app is just something that I do.

Away from netball, it's a good outlet, but yeah, something I really love and am passionate about.

It's really cool how well-rounded it is.

Like, I feel like I can tell how important the holistic approach is for you on the court, but also off the court in the business as well.

So it's really cool that you guys have incorporated so many of those elements into it.

Yeah, for sure.

We have all these ideas and Jess and I are guilty of like throwing it all in, but we need to make sure that we master it.

It's the one individually and, you know, we started with the netball programs and targeting, you know, young little netballers and so that's something I'm really good at.

And then Jess's side is obviously the Pilates parties and she's such a gun at that.

And so we kind of stick to our strengths and then we slowly introduce other things and yeah, it's really taken off and we love it and we love hearing the feedback from our clients.

And yeah, now it's just about so many people are doing it now.

It's just like, all right, what's the next thing that we can do to, you know?

Make ours the best.

So it's good.

It's challenging.

But yeah, we love it.

I love that.

And to finish us off, can you tell me who has had the biggest impact on you as a person?

Biggest impact on me as a person?

I would 100% have to say my dad.

It's not the actions, it's what he says and what he says in the moment.

So a big example of his words is,

When I did miss out on that state team, our New South Wales state team at 17 years old, I just remember going to dad and just saying,

Dad, I just think I need to play a different sport.

And he just said, do you love it?

And I was like, yeah, of course I do.

Because I'm like, why would I be so upset if I didn't?

And he said, well, he's like, you're only 17 years old.

There's no chance I'm letting you give up on this.

And he's like, you're going to do.

To make sure that you're in that team next year.

And he said, if you love the game, you're going to do whatever you can to make sure that even if the next year you trial and you don't make it, that you gave it all.

Because he just said, you didn't give it your all yet.

Just give it one more chance and just don't give up on it.

And so he just always knows what to say.

And yeah, I'm forever grateful.

With that, he's just, you know, he's my biggest supporter.

He just hits me between the eyes and doesn't beat around the bush.

And yeah, he's just always wearing my face.

You know, blurting it out on Facebook and his Facebook posts don't even make sense.

But of course, it's Facebook.

My friends are like, your dad's so funny, he can't spell.

I was like, oh, it's a thought that counts.

But he just, yeah, he always says the right thing.

And yeah, he's part of the reason why I kept playing the game.

And yeah, forever grateful for him.

That's really special.

Kim, thank you so much for your time today and for your real honesty and vulnerability.

It's been a really special chance to get to know you a little bit better.

So thank you so much.

Thanks for having me.

I've loved it.

Thanks so much for listening.

If you got something out of this episode, I would absolutely love it.

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