MELANIE WHELAN: Dear Santa, it's time to talk building blocks for Mars

WE don't want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing we need. Building blocks. When we say building blocks, we do not mean the popular Danish kind that many people request at this time of year.

We want proper infrastructure to ensure we can be well prepared and well on the way to hosting the biggest sporting party Ballarat has ever seen - and you might remember we have hosted an Olympic event on Lake Wendouree almost 70 years ago.

The Commonwealth Games in coming in 2026. While we have played a role in helping Melbourne with hosting duties once before - early basketball rounds in 2006 - we are about to step up in epic style.

Among our responsibilities, Ballarat has been granted the biggest drawcard, the athletics program, on our Mars Stadium.

We think this is a pretty awesome curveball considering this letter last year made clear wish to roll out a turf wicket to play some Big Bash League cricket and instead we get to roll out a proper world-class athletics track for an international meet.

"Build [a turf wicket] in and maybe bigger grandstands will come" were the words in this column.

A lot of people say we perhaps should not be greedy and not really ask for anything this year but it is important to keep thinking big in Ballarat and, while foundations might be in sport, bringing benefits far more reaching than sport alone.

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That was how we got to this point - a strong, widespread and relentless community push for an elite sporting precinct. (Stay tuned for more on that in The Courier this holiday season).

We have been promised construction should start in October on transforming Mars into a global arena. But, you know, often seeing is believing.

Economic and tourism benefits from the Games will be massive for Ballarat.

As someone whose job generates a lot of belief to travel the world each year, we feel you would understand how inspiration and seeing to believe is vital, especially in younger generations.

This goes for great Commonwealth Games moments from Birmingham this year, like Australian mum Jess Stenson's incredibly gritty marathon win.

Ballarat's Steve Moneghetti - a leading advocate and a marathon gold medallist in the Games - reiterated the importance of belief this week when he farewelled the great John Landy, a man he said was "unparalled in sportsmanship".

You would remember the 1956 Australian mile championships when Landy leapt over a fallen Ron Clarke, his spikes grazing Clarke's arm? Landy stopped to help when others ran past then put the burners on to win the race, forgoing a chance to break a world record that day.

The lessons are always about far more than sport and we want to start getting our big house in order to showcase this right.

While you're packing, a couple of extra coloured lighting grids to liven up our grandstands would not go astray either.

Yours 'til the Christmas cakes,

Melanie

(on behalf of Ballarat)

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