Q and A

One of the questions most commonly asked of me is whether I have information about myself that could be useful for school projects.
Here l I have decided to put some information together for use in school projects - if I've left something out just send me an email and I'll do my best to help you out.Click on the contact page for my details.

How often do you train When I am in full training I swim six days a week for 2 hours. I usually swim 2.4km each session. Each session usually involves a warm up swim of 400 metres, then a main set and swim down. After a session I stretch the muscles I have used to help recover for my next session.
I also get a sport massage once a week ( the kind that hurts!) and see a nutritionist to make sure I am eating healthily.

Do you play any other sports I ride my handcycle ( a three wheeled bike you pedal with your arms) for cross training, about for 20km 4 times a week. I have even raced it occasionally. When I was a kid I played wheelchair basketball and tried athletics. I even held the state record for discuss for a while. These days I don’t have time for sports besides swimming and handcycling. But I live on the Maroochy river and enjoy paddling my kayak. I also love sit skiing when I go on holidays to the snow.One day I want to do a triathlon.

Why do you like Swimming The thrill of competing and bettering my times. I love setting goals at the start of the season and working towards them. I also love being fit, exercise is kind of addictive!

Marayke is an unusual name, where does it come from Both my parents are of Dutch heritage and Marayke is a typical Dutch name. However in Holland it is spelled Marijke, and my parents changed the spelling because they thought Australians would pronounce my name wrong. So I might be the only marayke! It’s handy- I can get my own name as a hotmail email and web address.I have been to Holland 3 times, once for swimming and absolutely loved it.

Do you follow a special diet: I am vegetarian
Favourite colour I like pink,hot pink and lime green, turquoise, purple- and I love wearing the green and gold for Australia.
Favourite food Feta cheese and greek salad
Do you have Any pets? I LOVE animals and growing up had many pets- fish, chooks, cats, dogs, a bird, mice, rats, guinea pigs- even a hermit crab. My favourite was my dog Sally. She was a west highland White Terrier and she would walk under my wheelchair so that all you could see from behind me was her tail wagging out the back. Now I live in a unit and am not allowed to have pets. I do have two Siamese fighting fish called Comet and Fred.
Dream holidays I fantasise about snorkeling on the Great Barrier reef and an over water bungalow in Tahiti or the Maldives.
How many medals do you have- Heaps. I don’t even know how many
Where do you keep your medals? My two Athens paralympic medals are hanging on a giraffe statue in my loungeroom. It’s kind of a joke. One day when I was trying to decide where to display them I hung them there– and they’ve been there ever since. The silver from Beijing came in a gorgeous silver chinese silk box, which I have on display.My other medals are in storage crates in the shed.
What countries have you been to Thailand, New Zealand, Holland, Germany, England, Scotland, Egypt, Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Monaco, Vatican City, Greece, Singapore, America, Argentina,Austria,China.
What are your hobbies I like reading biographies and auto biographies, making cards and jewelry, shopping for clothes, kayaking , handcycling
What music do you like? Delta Goodrem, Kylie Minogue,Madonna,Rogue Traders U2,ABBA,Midnight Oil, Savage Garden.

Q & A