When Isabel O'Connell first started racing she would purposely come last because she thought it was rude to go past someone.
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That is well and truly a thing of the past with the 10-year old earlier this month winning three gold medals and breaking three records at the Region 1 State Qualifying Carnival.
Racing in the under-11s, O'Connell etched her name in the record books for the 400m, 800m and 1500m - eclipsing her personal bests en route in all three.
In the 400m she ran a second pb and the 800m a four second pb while in what was only her fifth ever 1500m she chopped a massive 15 seconds off.
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Not that breaking records is something O'Connell is unfamiliar with. At last year's regionals she set a new benchmark in the 800m.
Her mother Melissa said Isabel has always enjoyed running.
Starting with the Tamworth Little Athletics Club when she was six, she started to get into it a bit more seriously when she was eight and has been on the fast track ever since.
Two years ago at the state championships - as a nine-year old running against 10-year olds - she won bronze in the 800m. She didn't get the chance to compete last year with the championships cancelled amid the pandemic.
Tamworth Little Athletics coach Adam Jolliffe has seen O'Connell's development first hand.
"She has progressed a lot in that time," he said.
"When she first came, she was obviously very raw."
"And it takes time for the kids to learn and develop as an athlete."
Ability is only part of it. There's all the other things like breathing and proper running technique, and that takes time.
"She's still learning," Jolliffe added.
O'Connell has always preferred the distance events to the sprints, and last year qualified to compete at the cross-country nationals. Unfortunately they were also cancelled.
Her program at the state tiles will also include the junior girls relay and also possibly the discus after she finished third at the regionals. The first two automatically progressed with the next best eight after all the qualifying meets are held, joining them.
The athletics champs aren't the only state titles she is preparing for either.
Also a talent on the footy field she will play for the Tamworth under-11s oztag side in Sydney at the end of the month.
