Seven outstanding individuals were inducted into the Coles Little Athletics Australia Roll Of Excellence on Saturday 20 October at the National Arboretum, Canberra.
The Roll of Excellence was formed to recognise former participants who have achieved at the highest level in their chosen sport or profession under the following categories: Track & Field, Sportsperson, Achievers and Volunteers.
Track and Field Category
Lauren Wells
Lauren Wells started Little Athletics in 1993 at the age of five with the Corroboree Little Athletics Centre in Dickson, ACT and continued to participate for ten years through to the U15 age group. She enjoyed Little Athletics and participated in the full variety of track, jumps and throws events and even proved to be a handy race walker. Twelve years on, Lauren still holds a total of nine centre records for the following events: High Jump, 60m Hurdles, 1500m Walk, Javelin, 90m Hurdles, Triple Jump and 200m.
A talented all- rounder Lauren was selected at the age of fourteen in the U15 ACT Multi Event Championship team for the Australian Little Athletics Championships on the Gold Coast. It was around this time that she started training with Matt Beckenham, her present day coach.
Lauren has been selected in the Australian Athletics Team on eighteen occasions since her appearance at the IAAF World Youth Championships in 2005 at the age of 16 years and 11 months. She became a dual-Olympian in 2016 after being selected as Vice-Captain of the Australian Athletics team for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad in Rio, Brazil. Lauren’s consistency and durability over a continuous period of thirteen years on the international athletics circuit has been quite remarkable. In addition to representing Australia with distinction at the following iconic events, Lauren has a distinguished history of winning 400m Hurdles events overseas - in countries such as Belgium (where she ran a PB of 55.08 in July 2013), Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Japan. After returning home from the
World Championships in 2017 Lauren decided to return to an event she competed in at the World
Youth Championships, Long Jump, and was successful in gaining a spot on the team for the Commonwealth Games in this event as well as her pet event of 400m hurdles and the women’s 4 x 400m relay.
To read Lauren's full biography click here
Jayden Sawyer
Little Athletics
Para coach Chris Timpson asked Jayden to join the Para Athletics Talent Squad and train at the Australian Institute of Sport in Bruce, ACT. He had early success in Shot Put and Discus but not in Javelin.
Broke many Junior Australian records in the F38 class, still holding the Australian U16 Shot Put Record of 12.31m (2008).
The transition from junior to senior competition difficult. He was almost at a point of giving the sport away when his coach and mother convinced him to attend one more training camp in the sport. It was at this camp that he went from a Shot Putter to a Javelin thrower and decided to start training full time.
He credits athletics with assisting him with his disability and learning to understand his body.
2013 World Para Championships in Lyon, France, his first test on the International stage
Took home the bronze medal in the F38 Javelin.
2015 World Championships in Doha-finished 4th; missing out on a medal by only 39cm. Despite throwing an area record at this event, missing out on a medal meant that he lost funding and could no longer dedicate himself to being a full-time athlete.
2016 was a tough year-overcome injury, illness, a fall from a golf cart, and the aftermath of a cyclone just to make the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio. 2017 London World Para Athletics Championships -arriving in London with a PB of 48.55m, he opened with 49.17m and extended his best to a championship record of 51.05m in round three to lead the competition. As he lined up for the last throw he already had secured the gold medal, and coach Mike Barber challenged him to go for the World Record; something Jayden hadn’t even contemplated. Jayden “went for it” and achieved a new world mark of 52.96m to go along with the gold medal and world championship.
2017 awarded the Canberra Sports Awards ‘Athlete of the Year – Para Sport’
Records:
International Performances
2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France:
• F38 Shot Put: 11.10m 6th
• F38 Javelin 40.53m 3rd
2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar:
• F38 Javelin: 45.78m 4th
2016 Summer Paralympic Games, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
• F38 Javelin 45.63m 5th
2017 World Para Athletics Championships, London, England:
• F38 Javelin 52.96 1st, World Record
2018 Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast, Australia:
• F38 Shot Put 12.40m 4th
To read Jayden's full biography click here
Sportsperson
Kimberley BrennanKimberley Brennan began Little Athletics in the year of 1991 at Doncaster Little Athletics Centre under the Bulleen Templestowe Club banner. Kim was invited to 'Bring a Friend Day' by a school friend, following a successful trial day Kim's athletic career truly took off.
Under the guidance of esteemed athletics coach Tom Kelly, Kim's athletic ability instantly began to develop.
She became a prominent athlete at the Centre from U6 all the way through to U15's, setting multiple centre records and winning many Championship Day Carnivals. Two of her centre records still currently stand in the U14 and U15 800m.
Following U15's Kim went on to compete for Athletics Victoria as a 400m Hurdler and quickly made the national team. Just one year later Kim won silver at the 2001 Athletics World Youth Championships and won consecutive Australian Junior titles at the Australian Athletics Championships from 2001 to 2004. At the 2003 - 2004 Australian Athletics Championships, she finished fourth in the senior final behind Jana Pittman and was ranked second quickest in Australia for the 400m Hurdles. In 2005, Kim took up rowing after a leg injury unfortunately ended her hurdling career. Although Kim's Track and Field career was no longer, 2005 saw the beginning of Kim's stellar rowing career.
Achievements:
Accolades:
To read Kim's full biography click here
Wendy Beisiegel first arrived on the Little Athletics scene in 1986 when her three children joined the Nuriootpa Little Athletics club. At the time, Nuriootpa was one of three clubs that made up the Barossa Valley Little Athletics Centre (BVLAC).
Just one year later, Wendy joined the Nuriootpa Club’s committee as a general committee member. A year later and Wendy became the club Secretary, a position she held for the next 9 years, until the 1996/97 season.
During that time, Wendy also held the role of Secretary of BVLAC from 1990/91 through till 1993/94.
In 1994, Wendy was elected to the Board of Directors of South Australian Little Athletics, stepping into the role of Deputy Chairperson for two seasons.
In 1996, Wendy became the Administration Director of SALAA, a position she held until 2009/10,making a total of 15 years as a member of the Board. As far as we can tell, Wendy is the longest serving member of the SALAA board.
Wendy was awarded Life Membership of SA Little Athletics in 2000 and was also presented with Life Membership of BVLAC in the 2001/02 season.
To read Wendy's full biography click here
Ron Keys
Ron Keys, OAM has been volunteering his time to athletics for more than 40 years and over that period has madean enormous contribution to the sport through coaching, officiating and administration. His involvement has notbeen restricted to one arm of the sport, but covers Little Athletics, ‘senior’ athletics, athletes with a disability andthe race walking community.
Ron’s involvement in athletics began back in the late 1970’s, when his children joined the Doonside Little Athleticsclub, which at the time was a part of the Blacktown Little Athletics Centre. In 1981, the Doonside Club broke awayfrom the Blacktown Centre to become a centre in its own right and Ron Keys was one of the founding members. Hewas elected to the position of treasurer on the inaugural committee and stayed in that role through until the2013/2014 season; an amazing 32 years.
When it came to officiating, Ron found his niche in the area of timekeeping and it wasn’t long before Ron wastimekeeping at events beyond the centre level. He ultimately became a chief timekeeper at all levels of competition,up to and including the national level. Ron remains one of the chief timekeepers for Little Athletics NSW to this day(although generally now only as back-up to photo finish).
Ron’s outstanding and much valued service to the athletics community has been recognised by manyorganisations. He is the recipient of Life Memberships from Athletics NSW, Nepean District Athletics Club,Doonside Little Athletics Centre, Blair Zone Athletics and the NSW Race Walking Club. He received a LittleAthletics NSW Merit Award in 1991 and in 2004 was awarded an Outstanding Services Award. Ron wasnamed the Blacktown City Council Sports Administrator of the Year in 2005 and received an Order of Australia in 2009 for his “services to athletics, particularly through administrative roles”.
To read Ron's full biography click here
Achievers
Tony Buti
Little Athletics career:
WA Little Athletics:
1971/72 – 1973/74 Gosnells & Districts Little Athletics Centre
Nil athletics records, however as a Little Athlete, Tony was a regular and enthusiastic participant.
Post Little Athletics Career: (continuation in athletics/another sport, achievements, awards)
Tony graduated from High School in 1978 and entered the University of Western Australia (UWA) to study a Physical Education Degrees. He has completed further studies at UWA, Australian National University (ANU), Oxford University and Yale University.
Tony has worked as high school teacher, lawyer, AFL player agent and legal academic. On 2 October 2010 he was elected as the Member for Armadale in WA.
Tony has written books, articles and other publications on the stolen generations, British child migrants, human rights, disability discrimination and sports law. His biography of Sir Ronald Wilson, A Matter of Conscience, won the 2007 Premier’s Book Award.
Currently Tony is the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee of the Legislative Assembly and the Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Audit. In the previous WA Parliamentary term (39th term) he was the Deputy Chair of the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition; Parliamentary Secretary to the Shadow Minister for Education and Shadow Minister for Multi-Cultural Interests.
In 2017, Tony accepted the honourable role as Patron for Little Athletics WA. He has attended numerous events and presented at Conferences, always supportive of the Little Athletics aims and objectives. Tony has also actively supported several successful grant applications to assist and support the growth and development of local Centres, and to provide much needed funding for Little Athletics WA to proactively pursue greater programs for inclusivity and inclusion.
Tony has stated to audiences that his experiences at Little Athletics helped to define the person he is and gave him the determination and resilience to continue pursuing a career in parliament despite several barriers along the way. Tony has likened himself to the athlete that strives to be his best despite not winning races, or breaking records. It is this tenacity and determination that he carried into his academic career and has now led to his life achievements, successes and given him the strategies for coping with life’s challenges.
WA Little Athletics:
1969/70 – 1970/71 Melville Little Athletics Centre.
1971/72 – 1972/73 Rockingham Districts Little Athletics Centre.
State Track & Field Championships:
1972 Titleholder U12 – 100 metres / 400 metres.
Record holder U12 – 400 metres.
John held the record for the U12 – 400 metres until 1973.
Highlights:
1972 Boys Captain of the WA State Team.
I loved Little Athletics (or ‘Little Aths’, as we used to call it). I was in the first group of kids from Rockingham who used to make the weekly trip up to Tompkins Park in Melville when I was 9 years old. It was an adventure; a great chance to spend time with the other kids and their parents and our teacher who initiated our involvement. It certainly widened our horizons. The first KFC in Perth was established across the road from the Park, which was probably no coincidence!
I remember winning a few races, but I also remember being disqualified 20m from the end of a walk race when I was leading (I can still remember the judges calling out ‘heel-toe, heel-toe’ to remind us of the rules), so I got used to disappointment too! When Rockingham got its own centre, my family became even more involved.
At Curtin, Professor Phillimore works on a range of public policy issues including federalism, higher education, social policy, innovation policy, and program evaluation. He has conducted contract research and consultancy projects for a range of international, Australian, state and local agencies.
He has published widely in academic journals and books and has also conducted numerous contract research projects for government and other clients. John is also a regular media commentator on Australian politics.
Coles Little Athletics Australia acknowledges and pays respect to all traditional custodians of the lands of which we work, run, jump and throw throughout Australia. We pay respect to elders both past, present and emerging.
We are committed to a positive future for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and to honor their ongoing cultural and spiritual connections to this country and recognize the role and value of culture.
