CONVENORS MESSAGE 2019

To the athletes,

Welcome to the CIS Primary Athletics Championships.

We must be careful not to casually throw around the phrase ‘Golden Girl’ when describing female athletes in the sport of track and field. For your grandparents or great-grandparents, such a term takes them back to the golden age of athletics for when Betty Cuthbert and were winning Olympic gold medals.

However last month, as journalists scrambled for superlatives to describe the retiring , that very phrase was used. ‘Golden Girl’s Goodbye’ was the heading used by Nine News that night in announcing that the greatest Australian Track and Field athlete of your generation was ‘calling it a day’.

Sally Pearson broke the news that could have come any number of times since she famously raced to Gold at the 2012 Olympics. In recent years she had been dogged by injuries however each time she had fought her way back. In May this year Sally qualified for the 2020 Olympics and her immediate sights were firmly fixed on the World Championships later this month in Doha.

Unfortunately, her body broke down again and it was then that Sally faced the reality that her glittering career was over. Whilst Sally won’t be able to leave the sport on her own terms, she can proudly claim that she has always given her best. Not only did she achieve so much on the track in winning gold medals at several global championships, equally important is the fact that she has managed to inspire a whole new generation of young athletes to chase their dreams.

Sally, for all you have done in promoting athletics in this country and inspiring the next generation, we are truly grateful, and we wish you future success away from the track.

Last year in my address I highlighted the astonishing achievement of former refugee Joseph Deng in breaking the National 800m record which had stood for 49 years. To allow me to keep this narrative going, in July this year a relatively unknown Australian athlete named Catriona Bisset finished 2nd in the IAAF London Grand Prix. It was not her second place however that propelled her into the public spotlight. It was her time of 1:58.78 that caught the eye of so many. She broke a 43-year-old National record. Bisset also booked her place in the Australian team for the World Championships in Doha and the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Bisset qualified for her first Nationals at 12 years of age. Her future looked bright. However an eating disorder and mental health issues consumed Bisset , pulling her away from athletics for four years. Had it not been for her decision to seek help she would not be where she is now. With the support of health care professionals, family and coaching staff Bisset found a way back. Her advice to any young person going through difficult times is simple; “Admit something is wrong and seek help.” I’m sure you would all join me in wishing Catriona all the best in Doha later this month.

Finally, I would like to encourage you all to persist in seeking to be your best by drawing on the recent accomplishments of a local field athlete. The IAAF is a series of athletics Meets around the world that attracts the very best athletes. Brandon Starc is the only Australian athlete to win an event this year, clearing 2.30m in the in Birmingham in August. Starc, a local from Parramatta, gained a love for high jump after joining his local Little Athletics Club at an early age. In , earlier this year, Starc cleared 2.22m to finish 6th and then in Morocco he cleared 2.25m to finish 5th. This progression and evidence of gradual improvements on the way to winning in Birmingham should serve to encourage you all as you train and compete. I can only imagine the training and dedication required over several months for Brandon Starc to achieve this level of success and it reminds us all that good results stem from hard work.

My very best wishes to you all today as you represent your schools and Associations. Give your best so that you can be satisfied that you gave your all. Strive to better your previous best and seek to learn new things along the way.

Finally, I would like to thank NSWCIS Executive Officer Lyndall Jesse and her team for the countless hours spent organising this event. I would also like to acknowledge the Athletics NSW Officials, Association Team Managers, Officials and student helpers for assisting in the smooth running of the carnival.

Peter Groves CIS Primary Athletics Convenor