The multiple national and state champion is a familiar sight at Wendouree Parade, carving out solo laps of Lake Wendouree.

Ballarat is a race walking heartland, but Ruddick is in a class of her own, leaving her no choice when it comes to one-out training sessions.

So it is no wonder she has been delighted to have a couple of world-class athletes to train with in Ballarat – even for only a few days.

New Zealand champion Alana Barber and British champion Heather Lewis will return to Ballarat for a second time next week to train alongside Ruddick, who is a national 20km champion.

Ruddick said it had been a welcome change to have training partners.

“They really liked the lake, so they’re coming back.”

Along with doing a few laps of the lake, Ruddick took them through Victoria Park.

Ruddick struck up a link with the international visitors at a Victorian Race Walking Club event in Melbourne earlier this month, when Barber and Lewis went head-to-head in a one-two finish over 20km and Ruddick took out a 10km event.

Barber and Lewis then joined Ruddick for a training session in Ballarat before competing in the 5000m in the Victorian Country Track and Field Championships in Bendigo over the Australia Day long weekend. Ruddick successfully defended her country title, but for the first time in 10 to 15 years at the meet she said she had really been pushed.

Although she was never going to lose the gold medal – overseas athletes are not eligible to claim the championship – Ruddick was pushed all the way by Barber.

And she welcomed it.

Ruddick, who was almost 10 minutes clear of her nearest country rival, had just 11.81 seconds to spare from Barber. Lewis was disqualified.

Ruddick said it was the sort of competition she needed as she built up towards national and Oceania 20km championships in Adelaide on February 22.

She is hoping to secure selection in the Australian Flame team for this year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing.

Ruddick has already bettered the qualifying time for Beijing twice and believes a top-three finish will earn her a trip.

It will be her second trip to China in two years if successful in gaining selection.

Her national title last year earned her a place in the Australian team for the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Taicang – an experience which Ruddick rates as the highlight of her athletic career.

She said selection would also be a step closer to her Olympic dream, with Rio de Janeiro on her radar.