Katie Blunt

Katie Blunt

When did you play for Stanford club?
2008-2010

What were some of your favorite memories?
 I made some incredible friends playing for Stanford, and was fortunate to play with the same group of girls much of the time. They nicknamed me BLT (derived from my surname), and whenever I made a save they would call out “BLT is on a roll!”.
 
Some of my favourite trips were: 
– Speedo Cup 2008 (Ann Arbor, Michigan): my first trip and the first time I saw snow! We all ran outside (briefly!) in our bathers for fear of missing it! 
– Club Championships 2009 (Santa Barbara, California): Black Eyed Peas’ “I Gotta Feeling” became our team anthem. We also had to settle a dispute from Commerce Cup about which van had won the “Rock Off”! 
– BC Open 2010 (Vancouver, Canada): a special trip knowing that it was my last with Stanford. We won a medal (my first!), and celebrated with dinner at Denny’s sometime after midnight! 
 
I’ll also never forget how cold it was putting the covers on the pool during winter – thank goodness we play mostly indoors in Victoria! 

What teams were rivals when you played?
Diablo! We often had to beat them to qualify for tournaments (there wasn’t really another threat locally).

What advice do you remember most from your club coaches (whether related to water polo or not)?
During my first season with the club, I went into goals for half a training session. One of the coaches (I think Kyle?!) commented to me after that “I had what it takes” (or something to that effect). He was right – seven years later, I’m still a goalie!
 
JT also gave me some really wise advice when I was visiting California in 2012 about finding balance in life (play water polo because you love it!). 
 
What high school did you attend? College (and your major)?
I moved back from California (where I attended Castilleja) to Melbourne, Australia in early 2010. I graduated in December 2013, and am now studying an undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery at Monash University in Melbourne (5 year degree). 

Did you play water polo in college? If so, what was that like?
Australia does not have the same water polo structure as the USA. Our National League competition, comprising of 12 open-age teams from around Australia acts as a substitute for your college system.I train about 5 times per week overJanuary to May with the Victorian Seals, and travel domestically for games on the weekends. My teammates range in age from 17 – 31 and are either studying or working. I believe the standard is about equivalent to NCAA Division 1 – all the Australian senior players are involved in the competition, alongside the upcoming junior players (eg. Rowie Webster captains my team).  I am also a member of my state sporting institute (Victorian Institute of Sport), which adds additional gym, water polo and swimming sessions to my load, and provides me with physiotherapy, sports psychology and massage services. 
 
What are you doing now? Where do you live, your current job, etc.?
I’m still living at home with my parents and siblings – studying, training and working a little as an English tutor and as a water polo referee and coach. Over the last 12 months I have travelled a lot with my National League Team and with the Australian Junior Women’s team (20&under). Unfortunately, I was not selected for FINA Junior World Championships, so I’m taking a little break from training at the moment focusing on my studies.
 
 
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Up until now, I haven’t had much time to pursue other hobbies, but I’m looking forward to volunteering more in the coming months.