Aussie hairdresser makes a cut for gold

By Kate Southam, CareerOne

Imagine completing a wash, colour, precision hair cut and blow dry against the clock while crowds of people look on including a few deliberately trying to psyche you out?

Well, that is exactly what 21-year-old Alexis Scott will face in London next month when she competes for Gold in the skills Olympics.

 The 21-year-old from Donnybrook two hours south of Perth is already a veteran competitor with 25 events and a stash of awards to her name.  

Alexis is one of the 28 members of “Skillaroos” team ready to defend Australia’s 5th world ranking in a field of 54 countries set to compete in London from October 5 to October 8.

For the uninitiated, the World Skills International is a competition for young apprentices held every two years in a different part of the world.

World Skills Australia selects its national squad via regional, state and finally a national competition to a timetable that allows a full year for the Skillaroos to with a designated “Expert” mentor/trainer

Alexis competed at her first regional World Skills Australia event at age 15 and ended up ranked 6th in the state.

“Ever since then I have been hooked on the adrenalin and buzz of competition,” she says.

Alexis has now taken part in 25 events travelling around Australia and even to France where she was a guest competitor in the World Skills national titles there.

“It was the first time I had been so far from home and it came at a crucial stage in my training,” she says.

Alexis won Gold at the national World Skills titles in Brisbane last year where she also took out the CareerOne award for best competitor.

An “expert” based on the other side of the country and three coaches in Perth have helped Alexis train for London.

“It’s been intense. My main trainer is Donna Demaria who lives in Port Macquarie in NSW. We train every morning via Skype and often in the evening.”

A third generation hair stylist, Alexis shares her career of choice with her Nan, two aunties, a cousin and a sister. She works at the family-owned Salon De Coiffure and does her training via Skype from there as well as flying to NSW for in person training on as many weekends as possible.  

“You spend so much time with your Expert. Last night I got home from training in the salon via Skype at 10.45pm. The support from the salon has been amazing. You can’t do something as big as this without the support of your employer.”

The competition is certainly big. In London, Alexis will compete against the clock in up to three events a day. The shortest event runs over 1.5 hours and the longest four hours.

Hair dressing competitors have to produce both male and female styling combinations using mannequins. Competitors are shown a photograph and then set about duplicating the look perfectly. The range of tasks they might be required to perform in any single event could involve colour, cutting, setting, styling and blow waving.

During each event, competitors will be surrounded by a cacophony of noise and a constant blur of activity as crowds look on, camera people zoom in and out and judges scrutinise every move.

All the while, scores of other trade events will be taking place across the enormous venue.  

There is also a danger that members of the crowd will try to psyche her out.

“Sometimes people try to distract you by saying something like, ‘that’s weird’ or ‘I don’t like that’ while you are trying to work,” Alexis says. “Usually someone will come and move them along but you have to be able to zone out all the background noise.”

It is not hard to imagine the nerves of steel and power of concentration required to stay in the game.   

“I just go into the zone,” she says. “I get to the competition, I walked in, I go through the tasks in my mind and picture myself doing each one successfully and then I block everything around me out and focus on what I have to do.”

“I think a little bit of nerves is good as it helps me focus and work quicker. I actually work well under pressure.”

“All of our tasks are against the clock. It gets challenging at times to produce the quality of work in the time allowed.”

Alexis expects the strongest competition to come from France, Korea and Finland: “They are the ones to watch and learn from.”

CareerOne.com.au