Interview with Australian Women’s Star Elli Darwinkel

1- Can you give us a bit of a background of your Dodgeball playing career, and how you ended up representing your country?

I started playing dodgeball casually about 8 years ago in Melbourne. I started on a team with my sisters and a bunch of friends playing for fun. I fell in love with the sport and the community vibe, and then got involved in playing at the competitive level. Over the years I’ve worked to continue improving my skills and developing my strengths as a player, and I’ve been lucky enough to represent Australia with the Dodgeroos each year since the first Asia Cup in Melbourne 2015.

2- Any highlights from your international career? Best games etc?

Every international tournament has been a highlight, having the opportunity to represent Australia. No one game stands out as my best game really. One moment I remember recently at the Asia Pacific Championships was against Hong Kong, our first match of the tournament, I was feeling the nerves set in starting in the wing, but then I took 2 catches in a row early on and felt my confidence come back and just settled in to enjoy the match, and the rest of the tournament.

3- You were a leader of the Dodgeroo’s team that won the World Cup in 2016. How did it feel to lead your nation to success? Any particular stories that you can share from that amazing moment?

This was absolutely the biggest highlight of my Dodgeball career. We had very little experience playing with the cloth balls and rule set, so we trained extremely hard, developed a strong team strategy, but didn’t know what to expect. We also knew the European countries would be much more comfortable with the style of dodgeball than we were. It was a great tournament. We played Austria in the final, they were a fantastic team, very competitive, and they had beaten us in the round robin. We had really bonded with the Austrian women, so we swapped hoodies with them before the match, we walked out wearing Austrian gear and they walked out in ours, to show respect, support and sportsmanship for each other. The standout was the moment we won the match, it came down to a 2 v 1, I was on the court with Rowena and I kept saying to myself just don’t go out, stay in, as soon as the whistle blew to end the game we started celebrating, and all of the Australian contingent ran on court into a massive group hug and cheer. It was so overwhelming I was teary, it was just a truly incredible and unforgettable moment.  

4- What’s your workout routine and training like in preparation for the 2018 Dodgeball World Cup? Any tips you can lend to aspiring dodgeball players?

This year my focus has been on injury prevention and strengthening. My routine involves a mix of gym sessions throughout the week, including cardio, HIIT, Pilates and Yoga. I’m building in strength and conditioning for my shoulder to prevent injury, and for my hip to manage a previous injury. I’m also introducing a diet focused on whole foods and macro counting to ensure I’m fueling myself properly to improve performance.

My tips for aspiring dodgeball players is to keep working at improving and have balance. It’s important to continuously work on improving your skills as a player, my focus is on improving mental strength, and developing an understanding of the game and strategy to play smart. I’ve also seen a lot of overuse injuries, particularly in the throwing shoulder/arm, so I think it’s important to balance how much you play and train dodgeball, with strengthening and conditioning exercises to prevent injury.

5- As of late you’ve taken a larger role in coaching and developing players for your local club Skye Rainbows. Is this an indication of what you’d like to do when your playing career is over?

I’m really enjoying working with the other captains to lead and develop the Skye Rainbows. As an experienced player I really like working with and developing new players, sharing what has worked for me, and seeing them improve. It is something I’m interested in continuing when I finish my playing career. We currently don’t have any females in coaching roles, I think having a female role model would be really valuable for the future of dodgeball, it is something I would have loved to have when I started playing competitively. But I do hope I can continue my playing career for another couple of years!

6-  How does it feeling knowing that in a few weeks you’ll be playing in one of the most famous stadiums in the world, Madison Square Garden?

I can’t wait! As an NBA fan I’m really excited to just go to MSG, but to have the opportunity to play there, especially defending the Women’s World Cup title, is amazing. It’s a huge step for Dodgeball as a young sport, I couldn’t have even imagined this opportunity when I first started playing.

7- One of the core beliefs of the Asian Dodgeball Federation is our #StrongerTogether campaign. So we’d love for you to share your thoughts on who you believe some of the best players in Asia-Pacific are. Who should we be looking out for?

Of course I’m really excited about our new players in the Dodgeroos, especially Krista Leveleky from my club the Skye Rainbows! One of the best female players in the Asia Pacific is also our own Lakita Seigafo, an absolute boss on the court, I’m glad she’s on our side! Malaysia have some really strong players, like Awatif. I’ll also be looking out for Nur Shahisah from Singapore.

8- Any predictions for Australia at the World Cup? Can the Dodgeroo’s Women (the team you helped lead to World Cup success) defend their title?

I’m confident that if we play to our strongest and smartest the Dodgeroos will be really competitive across all divisions. The women’s team are aiming to defend the World Cup title!

9- Any lastly, how do you think the other Asia-Pacific nations will go at the World Cup? Any nation you’d like to single out for being a favourite for success on this stage?

Asia-Pacific are sure to be strong, in particular Malaysia can’t be underestimated, they’ve worked extremely hard proving themselves strong contenders, having taken out all 3 divisions at the Asia Pacific Championships.

Lastly some fun questions!

10- Where is the best place to eat in Australia? And what’s your favourite Australian dish?

Melbourne has the best food I’ve had around Australia, my favourites places to eat are Mexican (Fonda) and Korean bbq.

11- Which country in Asia-Pacific has the best food? Which dish is the best?

I loved Malaysian food while we were there last year, my favourite dish is roti.