What started as a competitive rivalry between brother and sister has fast-tracked her to triumph – she broke the women’s 100-metre sprint Australian record in 11.11 seconds, and better yet, accomplished this at her home AIS track.

“Sporting endeavors have always been a part of my family,” Breen says.

“My older brother Matt was doing Little Athletics in Tuggeranong and as the annoying younger sister I just wanted to do whatever he did.”

Fresh from a high, Breen recalls the life-changing moment when she realised she had smashed the record. She says it was extremely overwhelming and still hasn’t really sunk in.

“It’s so great to come to AIS every day and train and know that there’s a little slice of history. I hope that all those people who were able to witness that felt special, because it was an amazing day that took 20 years to happen,” she laughs.

“It was great to give back to my coach Matt Beckenham, and to put your name at the top of that list of so many amazing athletes like Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, Cathy Freeman and Lauren Hewitt – it’s just so amazing and very humbling to know that you’ve achieved something like that.”

Part of ACTAS since she was 15 and training at the AIS almost every day, Breen says Canberra provides so many sporting facilities and support systems for athletes and is the perfect environment to train and to get results.

“I’ve been a scholarship holder at ACTAS for a long time and my sports psychologist Sarah Jack is there, without her support and structure I wouldn’t be where I am,” she says.

In late 2008, Breen was thrust into the spotlight, running 100 metres in 11.33 seconds at the age of 18 – the second fastest time for an Australian junior.

“As a teenager that expectation is hard to follow so it took me almost four years to run a new personal best,” Breen says.

She got close in 2010 when she qualified for the Commonwealth Games, but in 2012 Breen was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 London Olympic Games.

“The Olympics is the biggest party on earth. Being immersed and being around so many amazing athletes is the greatest feeling ever,” she says.

“Walking out into the stadium I told myself that I was going to take the time and look around, because being a sprinter you’re not out there very long and just like that it’s over. So I gave myself a moment before I set up my blocks, just to look around and soak up that there were 80,000 people there watching me.”

Breen went on to achieve a PB in the 100-metres and 200-metres in 2012, did it again in 2013 and now holds the title of fastest woman in Australia.

Breen celebrates being recently selected as one of the 45 athletes to represent Australia in the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and aims to break the 11 second barrier this year.

“That’s our mission, whether that takes us five years or 10 years that’s fine, in the end it will be worth it. Nothing is impossible,” she says.