TWO of Tamworth's fastest-rising athletics stars have shone at the recent School Sports Australia National Cross Country Championships.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Isabella Wall and Abbie Peet cleaned up at the recent event, Wall claiming two gold medals and Peat taking home two of her own.
Wall played a pivotal role in the the gold-medal winning NSW 5x1500m relay team, winning her own leg of the race comfortably.
The relay was not the end of Wall's success, as she also claimed gold as a part of her NSW's team overall top finish, in which her sixth-place finish in the 3km individual event played a vital role.
Read Also:
Peet also had her share of team success, helping her team take out the 10-12 years multi-class 4x1000m relay event.
As well as team success, Peet also claimed gold in the under-11 multi-class 2000m individual event.
Peet's success comes after the 11-year-old overcame several health issues related to cerebral palsy.
Peet's mother Connie said her daughter had been defying doctors' expectations since birth.
"What makes Abbie different is that when Abbie was born, she was very unwell and, after three days of testing, the doctors looking after her said she could not live and was pronounced as being brain-dead," Peet said.
"We held her in our arms as they turned life support off.
"However, Abbie beat this, but after many more tests her doctors said she would be 80 per cent severely disabled, which meant she would not be able to eat or walk on her own.
"But, here we are all these years later, and Abbie is walking, running and full of life."
Peet said she was inspired by her daughters work ethic and dedication to the sport.
"Abbie is dedicated and trains hard under her coach, Wally Warner, five days a week and attends a physio session with Warren Ansell once a week as well," she said.
"Abbie not only is determined to give her best, but she is a great advocate for the inclusion of kids with special needs.
"She has worked very hard and really deserves all of this success."
The Wally Warner-trained pair, along with fellow Tamworth local Porsha Ring, will now turn their attention to the School Sports Australia National Athletics Championships in Darwin from September 17 to 23.
The Tamworth athletes are currently on the hunt to secure sponsors to help fund their trip to Darwin to compete on the national stage.
Anyone interested in getting involved and supporting the girls is encouraged to contact Wally Warner.
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
