Jess Gallagher

AUDIO: Happy, bubbly soundtrack (continues throughout).

TEXT ON SCREEN:  RMIT Presents.

VISUAL: Zoomed in footage of feet riding bike pedals.

TEXT ON SCREEN:  Ride like the wind. Aerodynamics researchers are giving Paralympian and RMIT alumnus Jess Gallagher the edge.

VISUAL: Jess Gallagher speaking to camera.

JESS GALLAGHER SPEAKS: My name is Jess Gallagher, I'm here at RMIT University to utilise the wind tunnel facilities for some aerodynamic testing in my preparation for the Rio Paralympics in September this year.

VISUAL:  Interspersed footage (medium shots and close ups) of technical equipment and Jess Gallagher and her pilot Madison Janssen cycling on a stationary bike in RMIT Bundoora’s wind tunnel.

JESS GALLAGHER SPEAKS: I'm a vision-impaired athlete, so I complete at the Paralymics, and I'm a tandem track cyclist. My tandem pilot, Maddie, and I will be competing in the 1 kilometer time trial.

VISUAL:  Interspersed footage of RMIT researchers using computers alongside Jess and Madison riding their bike in the wind tunnel. Then the bike is seen rider-less as its wheels continue to spin. Then Madison is seen briefly smiling and putting on her racing gear. Then slow-motion footage of Jess and Madison riding their racing bicycle at an indoor velodrome.

JESS GALLAGHER SPEAKS: This will be my fifth Australian Paralympic Team. Beijing, my first one in 2008, I was unfortunately banned from being too sighted – and I've also represented Australia at the Winter Paralympics, in which I picked up bronze medals in both of those competitions, and also in London in 2012 as a track and field athlete.

VISUAL: (As Jess continues to narrate) Footage of Jess and Madison riding their bike in the wind tunnel and Jess and Madison smiling and laughing while sat down, also footage of RMIT researchers examining their bike.

JESS GALLAGHER SPEAKS: The RMIT departments we've been mainly working with are Engineering and the Aeronautical speciality, I suppose, of the Engineering department. We also have the sports scientists, so we've got a really nice variety of experts in their field who are supporting us in trying to get us on top of that podium in Rio.

Being a tandem bicycle, there are 2 of us on there. Maddie and I are quite different in our size and shape. We're trying to basically see where the wind is coming past us on the bike. We are quite long compared to a single rider, so we’re testing a variety of positions to see which is the fastest for us, and can hopefully give us that edge once we hit Rio.

RMIT University has been incredibly supportive for me as an alumni, being able to utilize the facilities here at the wind tunnel is just incredible. The differences that can be made through aerodynamics are huge, and really could be the difference between us winning a gold and silver medal.

VISUAL: (As Jess concludes narration) Jess speaks to the camera, then she and Madison cross a finish-line of sorts at the velodrome track seen earlier in the video.

TEXT ON SCREEN:  RMIT researchers. School of Engineering. Professor Simon Watkins. Dr Abdulghani Mohamed. Professor Franz Fuss (now at Swinburne).

VISUAL: Close up/blurred footage of spokes on a competitive racing bicycle. Then blurred slow-motion footage of Madison walking towards her racing equipment.

TEXT ON SCREEN: Cycling Victoria. Glen Doney MSc (Hons) | Head Cycling Coach. Victorian Institute of Sport.

TEXT ON SCREEN: Good Luck! Jess Gallagher and Madison Janssen. Australian Paralympics Team 2016

AUDIO: Soundtrack fades.

TEXT ON SCREEN: RMIT University.

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