London - NSW Institute of Sport

eMMA AND HOLLy LINCOLN-sMITH
standing
Two sisters
ta
“A sister can be seen as someone who is both ourselves and very
much not ourselves - a special kind of double.” - Toni Morrison
One sister has achieved her childhood dream; the other is close to
making hers a reality. One spends her time flying along the ice; the
other bides her time in the water. For every difference that draws
these two athletes apart, there is a family bond that brings Emma and
Holly Lincoln-Smith back together.
Raised on Sydney’s Northern Beaches they were born into a sporting
pedigree, with both parents heavily involved in sport during their
formative years.
Emma chose running, a sport that came naturally to her. She
competed in both track and beach running from a young age with the
dream of someday representing Australia. It wasn’t until 2004, when
Emma was 18 that her sporting career took an unexpected turn.
The Australian Sports Commission launched a talent identification
program with the aim of improving Australia’s performance in lower
profile sports. Emma was selected to trial for skeleton, a winter sport in
which you slide head first down an ice track, reaching speeds of around
150km/h. Seven years later, Emma is now an Olympian and supported
through the Institute’s Individual Scholarship Program, which allows her
access to the facilities and services that the NSWIS has to offer.
“Although I have trained all over the world, the gym at the NSW
Institute of Sport is probably the best gym I’ve trained in, and the support
I have received from all areas of the organisation has helped me achieve
my goals,” said Emma.
Holly found herself heading into the water when she was young, both
in surf life saving and swimming. It was around the age of 13 when she
fell into the sport of water polo, beginning her career playing with the
Sydney Northern Beaches club. Having Sydney Olympic water polo gold
medallist Debbie Watson as a school teacher, it was no surprise that
water polo quickly became a priority in Holly’s life.
“Debbie really encouraged me to play polo, she has been an amazing
mentor throughout my career,” said Holly.
Rewarded with an NSWIS scholarship at age 15, Holly was a raw talent
that current NSWIS Women’s Water Polo Coach Ryan Moar has worked
10 // the edge // nswis.com.au
stORy JAMes yOuNG phOtOs GeTTy IMAGes
hard to mould into a world class centre forward in the pool.
“Holly showed promise and potential from a very young age. She
has overcome many hurdles along the way and if she can continue to
improve and grow as an athlete she has every chance to achieve Olympic
success,” said Moar.
Success has not come easily for Emma or Holly, with family tragedy
and major injuries placing pressure on their dreams.
It was in 2005 when their mother Vicki was diagnosed with breast
cancer; a disease that now affects one in nine women in Australia by
the age of 85. Their father Marcus also underwent open heart surgery to
remove a tumor on his heart. Vicki has now gone five years in remission,
Marcus has recovered, and both use the strength gained from their
experiences to support their daughters in their pursuits.
In 2009 Emma saw her Olympic dream coming near. A year out
from the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games, she was sliding
the best she ever had, and went into the off season brimming with
confidence. Holly had a great year after being selected into her first
world championship team and coming away from the 2009 FINA Aquatic
World Championships named Australia’s most valuable player of the
tournament. Both were unaware that their biggest challenge still awaited
them.
In September 2009, their eldest sister Jessica Lincoln-Smith passed
away, bringing their world to a crashing halt. Jess had battled anorexia,
depression and bipolar disorder for around 12 years, illnesses that are too
common amongst young women in today’s society.
“I remember being there when my parents and I were told – I
remember it so well, but it is a blur at the same time,” said Holly.
Although Jess had been sick for over a decade nothing could prepare the
family for the finality of death. “Even now I cannot believe it’s real and
the finality of it hits you at the strangest times. Times when all you want
is a hug from your big sister but you can’t, and times like Christmas and
birthdays are always hard.”
Only four months out from the Winter Olympics, Emma was faced with