Val Chesterton Stuart Reid Trophy Winner
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VETRUNNERY f ISSN 1449-8006 Vol. 39 Issue 1 — July 2017 Patron: Dick Telford Email: [email protected] Val Chesterton Stuart Reid Trophy winner Following the death of life member Stuart Reid in handicaps eventually participating in 34 competitions. At October 2012 the club established a special commemorative the track she has a “go” at a variety of events, including the award in recognition of Stuart’s many outstanding walks, sprints and jumps and has set records in all. contributions to our club and his accomplishments as a talented veteran distance runner over more than three Despite her petite stature Val has become a trailblazer decades. Thus the Stuart Reid Commemorative Award, for women pole-vaulters, being the first W55 and twenty presented “to a member who has made a major contribution years later the first W75 to attempt this difficult event and to our club”, was born. The inaugural recipients were Bryan currently holds the W75 Australian Record. In 2013 she and Trish Thomas, then Jim White in 2014, Rosemary and tied for first in the Anthony Handicap Jump Series and in Robert Parker 2015 and last year Dave Mackenzie. 2016 she was the female recipient of the Fristad Award for her outstanding performances both at the track and in ultra Now Val Chesterton is the worthy recipient. Val joined -distance race-walks. the Vets in 1993 and has given almost a quarter of a century of service to the club and many of its members individually. Apart from the pole vault Val currently holds Australian Records for the 50km, 6, 12 and 24 hour walks in her age Many Years of Service and Many Kilometres of Race group and in September 2015 she set a world best Walking performance for the W75 50km road walk in a time of 8:06.47. In April 2009 Vals’ outstanding efforts in ultra- distance walk events was recognized by being announced as the ACTSPORT Masters Sportsperson of the Month. Because the 2016 LBG Carnival was the fiftieth and as she was a significant member of the LOC and had recently become a W75 Val was determined to complete the course again and in so doing established the W75 record for the classic 20 mile event. Val has completed fourteen marathons, nine Vets’ Halves and seven LBG 20 mile classics. Major Contributions As well as winning all these sporting honours that included being the recipient of the Heart Foundation Trophy in 1998 and the Johnson Trophy in 2005 as our track and field club-person of the season, Val has always been a competent and enthusiastic volunteer and administrator. Currently Val is on the panel that selects the winners of the Fristad Awards, she is a member of our Competition Sub -committee and is responsible for sending out the weekly Bulletin to all members via email. Val served on the LOC for both the 2007 Australian Val Chesterton presented with the Stuart Reid Award Masters Games and the 2013 AMA Championships in which by Stuart’s daughter Anne she was part of the team responsible for medal presentations. She has taken on major roles in organizing Participation several special club occasions such as both our 25th and Val is an excellent role model for older women to enjoy 30th Anniversary Celebrations. the benefits of participating in challenging sporting Val has been very involved as a competitor, activities. She is a regular participant at track and field, administrator and coach with the ACT Race and Fitness race-walking and our monthly run/walk handicap program. Walking Club for many years and was president from 2011 She earned her ‘150 handicaps’ T shirt for the run/walk to 2015. She is a qualified race-walking judge and regularly handicaps in June 2015 and has now completed more than officiates at all levels of competition – from Little As to 160. Val was once also a regular in the monthly throwing veterans/masters. In 2016 Val was proud to be honoured as Page 2 — July 2017 Vetrunner Annual ACTVAC Awards Stuart Reid Trophy winner Continued from page 1 to athletics two stand out as being extra special. Carrying the Sydney 2000 Olympics torch through cheering crowds Athletics ACT Coach of the Year especially because it was along a stretch of Erindale Drive was a memorable high- the first time in twenty years this award had been present- light and now being named as the recipient of the 2017 Stu- ed to a woman. In 2017 Val was the recipient of another art Reid Commemorative Award. coaching honour when she was announced as Vikings Club Coach of the Year (for all sports). Congratulations Val Chesterton worthy fifth recipi- ent of the Stuart Reid Commemorative Award. Of all the honours Val has received for her contributions LONG-TERM MEMBERS RECOGNISED FOR EFFORTS DURING TRACK & FIELD Although numbers were disappointing at many of our Wonderful Season Despite Heartbreak Thursday night Track & Field meets during the 2016-17 MARLENE REID recipient 2017 Heart Foundation season it was not due to the program or the Sub-Committee Trophy responsible for its implementation. As a member of the organizing group Roger Pilkington was always one of the The Heart Foundation Trophy has been presented first to arrive and last to leave and throughout the evening annually since 1983 to a member “whose health has he was a positive personality enthusiastically promoting the benefited from regular participation in our T&F Program or events. is a role model for a healthy active lifestyle.” This year the award recognizes the mental side of health as well as the Like many others, Roger had a background in a variety physical. of sports, such as AFL football, basketball, cricket, golf and skiing prior to becoming a member in 1991. On the track Marlene Reid has been an excellent role model for many Roger runs in most long distance races and particularly years who has recently endured the pain and grief of losing enjoys the Adler Series and the annual Higgins Memorial a much loved family member. Despite the heartache and 800m Handicap. He has won the Adler Series twice, in regular hospital visits Marlene managed to enjoy a very 2008 and 2012; while the 2016 ‘Higgins’ was his sixteenth successful track and field season that had its highlights last and in its twenty-six year history only four others have run October at the WMA Championships in Perth where she this event more often. won a silver medal in the W60 high jump and a bronze in the long jump as well as being a member of the winning Perhaps his most memorable experiences in athletics national 4x400m relay team. This was the second occasion were participating in the World Masters Athletics Indoor Marlene had the opportunity to compete at a world Championships – 2010 at Kamloops in Canada, at championships. At the 2001 WMA Championships in Jyvaskyla in Finland 2012, in Budapest 2014 and in March Brisbane she was a member of both the Australian W45 at South Korean city of Daegu. At these championship 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams that won a gold and a Roger enjoys participating in middle distance races on the silver medal respectively. board tracks and the half-marathon that is often held in snowy conditions outside the stadium. He returned from Marlene is a talented sprinter and jumper, and Daegu with a silver medal as a member of the M55 currently holds several records for 400m and 800m as well Australian half marathon team. Because he is one of a as a share in a couple of relays. At the 2000 National small number of Aussies who have participated at four Championships in Hobart Marlene became our first and WMA Indoor Championships Roger is looked upon as one of only female winner of the ‘Champion of Champions’ the leaders at these competitions. Other international handicap sprint. She was also the inaugural female winner competitions Roger has enjoyed were the 2015 Oceania of the Daniels Sprint Series in 1995 and twenty years later Championships in Rarotonga and the 2016 WMA she won it again. In 1999 Marlene won our annual Championships in Perth. ACTVAC ‘Gift’, a 100m race in which all runners are handicapped according to age, after finishing third four Apart from his exploits on the track Roger has also years earlier. She was third again in both 2014 and 2015 completed 182 monthly running handicaps and has won the and was runner-up last year. After some outstanding annual Thomas Series point score on three occasions - in performances throughout the 2014-15 track and field 2005, 2011 and 2014 and was race organiser of the Mt. season Marlene was the female runner-up in the prestigious Taylor handicap course from 2005 to 2007. On the road Fristad Award. Roger has run many half marathons, including eleven ACT Veterans’ Halves, as well as eighteen marathons – fifteen of As if to demonstrate she could run further than twice which were in Canberra. He set his marathon PB of 3:18 in around an athletics track Marlene entered the 1995 ACT the 2006 Canberra Marathon and in 2015 he was one of five Veterans’ Half Marathon and went on to win the W40 age members who enjoyed the experience of running the group. Marlene is also an occasional participant in the picturesque Paris Marathon. In March 2008 Roger took on short course event in the monthly running handicaps and another challenge and successfully completed the infamous earned her ‘50 runs’ T shirt in September 2000. Six Foot Track Bush Marathon in just over five and a half Marlene was elected to ACTVAC Committee in May hours.