RELIGION<\/p>\n
You\u2019re not religious in the conventional sense. At the same time, sport provides community, culture, history and a sense of belonging. Is sport your religion, in some ways? I think so, but I\u2019m uncomfortable overestimating the importance of sport. In reality, it\u2019s a game. But the way that you\u2019ve outlined it \u2013 in terms of it being a community, and a place to explore yourself and learn new things \u2013 I think it\u2019s a wonderful and safe environment to do all that. And the closest I\u2019ve got to feeling I\u2019m on a different plane are those rare, unique moments where you\u2019re in the zone, where you feel like how you\u2019re playing is beyond your level of consciousness. You\u2019re doing it in an instinctive manner that requires no thought.<\/p>\n
Musicians and performers talk about that, too. Experts refer to it as \u201cflow\u201d \u2013 an almost altered state. One hundred per cent. And those moments are quite transcendent. It becomes less about the actual game and more about this amazing interaction with everything around you. It all just seems to flow into harmony for a defined period of time; everything seems in sync, and the whole world makes sense. No postulating about the future or ruminating on the past. You\u2019re just wholly present, which is really cool.<\/p>\n
What are your commandments for being a good athlete? It\u2019s really easy to overestimate your importance as an athlete. So for me, it\u2019s about keeping perspective. Nothing\u2019s ever as important as it feels. To win or lose with graciousness is so important because sport has a funny way of levelling things out over a long period of time. If you\u2019re too reactive to losing or winning, it\u2019ll always come back and bite you.<\/p>\n
BODIES<\/p>\n
What have your gnarliest injuries been? I\u2019ve been really fortunate across my career. I\u2019ve only had a couple of surgeries, and been out a couple of times with an injury. Understanding how resilient the body is and how capable it is of bouncing back, is really cool in itself.<\/p>\n
How do you protect your mental health? A huge part is being active, being outdoors and using my body. I\u2019m fortunate that my job lends itself to that. Also, it can be easy to define yourself in terms of outcomes of matches, or how you\u2019ve gone on a particular day. But, in reality, sport\u2019s just something you do: it\u2019s not who you are. So a large part of staying mentally healthy is exploring life and pushing yourself to new places, to figure new things out.<\/p>\n
When do you feel most comfortable in your own skin? When I\u2019m being physically active.<\/p>\n
When do you feel least comfortable in your own skin? At formal social functions.<\/p>\n
Have you ever considered getting a tattoo? Yeah.<\/p>\n
What would it be? Probably the word \u201cprapa\u00f1ca\u201d.<\/p>\n
Wait, what does that mean? It\u2019s a Sanskrit word that means \u201cmental proliferation\u201d. I think of it as a reminder for sport \u2013 but also for life in general \u2013 that you can only ever exist in the moment.<\/p>\n
What is your superpower? Hmm, I find that question really hard. I can\u2019t give the most humble-sounding answer.<\/p>\n
Go for it. You\u2019re Ellyse Perry. Maintaining perspective.<\/p>\n