Bendigo's Quarry Hill Primary School students quiz swimmers Ellie Cole and Katja Dedekind

Quarry Hill Primary School was one of five lucky schools to be selected to take part in the virtual athlete interviews over Zoom and the pupils were super excited to hear from Australian swimmers Katja Dedekind and Ellie Cole.

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Dedekind recently won the Commonwealth Games' women's 50m freestyle S13 in a world-record time, while Ellie is Australia's most decorated female Paralympian.

The children donned green and yellow wigs and excitedly waved flags as some of the class asked questions through Zoom.

The pupils thanked the duo for "staying up late to talk to us", especially given how "tiring" swimming can be.

The children asked the athletes to re-enact Australian swimming coach Dean Boxall's iconic celebrations that have gone viral post-Olympics and now following the 4x200m women's freestyle relay.

They also asked about the most embarrassing moments.

Cole recalled carrying her grocery shopping on a malfunctioning prosthetic leg when she was at the Australian Institute of Sport when she was about 12 years old.

"It was a bit broken at the time and I was walking along and my leg just fell off," she said.

"I didn't really know what to do about it because I was still holding my shopping bags

"But a nice gentleman came and helped take the bags and I put it back on."

While some of the questions had the children giggling heartily, there were some deeper discussions too.

Cole said one of the most difficult barriers Paralympians and athletes with a disability face has been the inequality in payment and opportunities.

She was thrilled when then-Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced last year that Paralympians would be paid the same bonuses as Olympians for winning medals.

She posted a video on social media at the time saying, "this is something I have been working tirelessly towards for the last 16 years, so it's a very special day for me".

Cole and Dedekind also shared some wise words about taking care of mental health as an athlete, with both saying "balance" was vital.

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The pair have both balanced work and university with their swimming training and said having a personality beyond their sporting goals was key for their mental health.

"I'll still go out to breakfast and lunch with my swimming training buddies, but I [also] have coffee with people that are not swimming related at all," Dedekind said.

"I feel like, for me personally, that takes my mind off swimming and training itself and I think it's a good way to break."

Cole said it was important to "see yourself as a person" outside of being the athlete, but also being realistic about winning.

"You don't put all your eggs in one basket, I guess," she said.

"I guess young kids looking at athletes think that we win all the time.

"In fact, we lose a lot more than we win.

"And it's about going back to the drawing board and finding what works and what doesn't, but knowing that winning isn't everything."

The Quarry Hill pupils also asked if there were any quotes that inspired the pair, and Dedekind, who Cole called "poetic", chose a quote from author Sarah J Maas.

"To the stars who listen and the dreams that are answered," Dedekind said.

"Growing up with a disability I've been told I can't do a lot of things.

"[But] I have so many dreams for the world of myself."

Dedekind, who is visually impaired, explained her twin brother drew her a picture of the stars about 10 years ago. The South African-born swimmer cannot see at night but her brother drew out on paper what the sky looked like up above.

"Every time I have a dream that I want to put into my mind or just just something I want to prove in the world, I have that little photo on my phone and I kind of hold it up and look at the sky at the same time and just wish towards the stars," she said.

She said some dreams have come true, and she was waiting on others, but eventually she believed the stars would deliver.

But her overwhelming message to the pupils, backed up by Cole, was that anyone can do anything they set their mind to, if they just keep going and put everything into it.

The session was streamed through the Borobi Classroom set up which provides pupils with access to educational resources about the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, the history of Australia at the Games and all things green and gold.

Interested schools can register at commonwealthgames.com.au/borobis-classroom

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