Age: 21
Event: 100m, 200m
Personal Best: 100m – 12.29s ; 200m – 24.72s
Coach: Marina Thimios (Part-Time) and Self-Coached
Club: Cairns Athletics Club
What’s your favourite aspect about athletics? Why is it your chosen sport?
The butterflies going crazy in your stomach and the quiver in your legs as you stare down the line or around the bend towards the end. The adrenaline rush you get when you crouch on the start line and the gun goes off.
And the comradery. It’s as much an individual event as a team sport. You finish your race and more often than not, there’s friends and family standing at the end or sending you a million messages.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given? And how do you apply this to athletics or life.
“Run like the wind, bullseye”
Don’t think, don’t hesitate, just run really, really fast. That and have fun while doing it!
What’s one item in your training bag that you can’t live without?
That’s a tough one. I want to say spikes but I think my spiky ball comes out on top. No one can work out the kinks in my gluteals and quadratus lumborum on a race day like it can.
What does a week of training look like for you leading up to the Oceania Championships?
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday are the days I hit the track for endurance and speed – and by track, that sometimes means the dirt driveway or a steep hill XD Tuesday and Friday are the lighter (not easier though) gym days; the heavy lifting for the arms and legs are done on Wednesday and Saturday. Sunday is the set day of recovery and normally involves active recovery and LOTS of stretching.
What is your most memorable athletics performance, event or experience?(Nationals Medal, Achieving a new Personal Best).
This is a tricky one because I have two: doing my current 200m PB in the 2015 Oceania Championships and making the Semi-finals of the 2019 Stawell Gift
What’s your favourite ANQ event of the year?
Cairns Coral Coast and the NQ Championships
Do you have any role models in the sport or people you look up to? If so, why?
Yes, two.
The first is Cathy Freeman. I’ve always idolised her ever since I was young. I got given her book and reading it truly inspired me. I still use some of her techniques to motivate me to keep at my goals.
The second is Flo Jo. Have you seen her run? It’s amazing to watch as her legs eat up the distance as she flies round the bend. Maybe one day (in the distant future) I can get close to her 200m time.
Any additional info about yourself you would like to share?
I’ve completed my Bachelor of Exercise Physiology (Clinical) and I’m a Level One Community Athletics Coach
