Stawell Gift: dream come true for Ballarat's Watt

JACQUI WATT took up professional running four years ago for one reason - to win the Stawell Women's Gift.She achieved that ambition yesterday. Watt held on by the barest of margins from backmarker Kendra Hubbard to realise her dream in the 120-metre dash.On the line though, Watt feared it was a repeat of the Lithgow Flash Gift, in which she was pipped by Hubbard."I just threw myself at the line," Watt said.It was enough.Although the 30-year-old from Sebastopol has only been running on the professional circuit a relatively short time, she is anything but new to athletics.Watt was the top of her age group in the state as a schoolgirl.She was the Victorian under-14 girls' 100 and 200 metres champion, as well as Victorian country titleholder in the same disciplines.So highly was she regarded, Watt was given a week at the Australian Institute of Sport under the guidance of Olympic 400m hurdle champion Debbie Flintoff-King and her husband and coach Phil King.Watt said although she had been keen to pursue an athletic career at that time, circumstances did not allow this to happen.Life changed. "I took up a full-time job at 15 and there just wasn't the time anymore."It was not to be for another 12 years that the spark was to be re-ignited.She was watching the Stawell Gift on television from Tumut in New South Wales when the urge to return to the sport hit her.Coached by Mick Benoit, Watt showed she was within reach of making a statement when she took out the 120m event at Maryborough on New Year's Day last year.Unfortunately, she was unable to carry this form through to Stawell in that season.What being run out in the semi-finals did do was make her even more determined to succeed at Central Park.Watt was up and running right from the start of this season, steadily building towards what she hoped would be a date with destiny at Easter.It could not come together any better.Watt had the fastest time in the heats on Saturday and had the distinction in the semi-finals with a 14.10.Then when it counted more than any other time in the past four years, she produced a 14.06-second performance.So what now after reaching the pinnacle?First cab off the rank will be the Ballarat Gift meet on Saturday and Sunday to wrap up the season. Watt also has a desire to win the Queanbeyan Women's Gift in NSW.It was the first event she contested as a professional runner.