YEAR seven student Ben Ludbrook says knowing he could follow in Olympic footsteps motivates him to train hard.
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This year Ben broke Olympic middle-distance runner Collis Birmingham’s 1500-metre record at Ballarat High School.
He wants to keep running just like Birmingham.
Displayed proudly in the High School gym is the yellow jersey javelin thrower Kathryn Mitchell wore in the London Olympics. Mitchell has signed it, along with classmates Birmingham and race walker Jared Tallent who were also part of the Australian athletics team in London 2012.
Rio will again sport three High School graduates in the Olympic athletics program: Mitchell, Tallent and debutante race walker Rachel Tallent. The school almost had two more. Birmingham and equestrian show jumper Steven Hill each narrowly missed selection.
High sports director Rob Simmonds said the strong presence inspired a whole band of the school’s promising athletes, who were starting to look at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games or 2020 Tokyo Olympics as realistic goals.
“I think (secret to success) is about giving students opportunity. And belief,” Mr Simmonds said. “These kids are part of the same programs, going to the same states and nationals. They see former students achieving things and can realise they’re not just freakishly talented Olympians.”
Jemma Peart, year nine, and younger sister Alanna, year seven, have cheered their cousins Jared and Rachel Tallent. The Peart sisters are also strong race walkers in their own right.
It was Rachel who invited them to try the technically difficult discipline. Jemma said they love the sport and want to follow in Rachel’s footsteps, starting with her High School records.
“Over the years we’ve broken lots of different records of Rachel’s. Usually I break it first, then a couple years later Alanna will break that, but our times are all pretty similar,” Jemma said. “It’s pretty nerve-racking watching them (the Tallents). They’ve worked really hard and we know they can do it.”
Ballarat High School runs a specialist sports program, integrating academic studies with specialist coaching. Prospective incoming year sevens will be put through intense fitness and skills testing early next month, as High vies to unearth a new generation of potentials.