Renowned athletics coach Matt Beckenham is on the hunt for the next Melissa Breen and Lauren Boden, casting a wide net to discover Canberra's future Olympic Games track and field stars.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Beckenham will hold an open session for budding athletes 11 years and over at the AIS athletics track on Saturday in the first step towards unearthing potential champions for the 2020 and 2024 Olympics.
Breen and Boden will be on hand to pass on their knowledge after progressing through the ranks themselves.
After starting training aged 15, Breen overcame several challenges before breaking Melinda Gainsford-Taylor's 20-year national record for the women's 100 metres, running a time of 11.11 seconds at her home track in February this year.
Boden has competed at the past three Commonwealth Games, along with numerous world championships and Olympics, after starting with Beckenham when she was 13.
But with Boden contemplating retirement after the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro to start a family, and with the majority of his squad in the senior ranks, Beckenham wants to open the door for the region's booming junior base.
"I want to try and uncover a gem and find the next local Olympian for 2020 and beyond," Beckenham said.
"For me, it's about getting them to understand the sport, getting to love the sport and be passionate and motivated.
"If they develop those qualities as a long-term plan and being able to enjoy themselves, when they're 20, 21 they're still in the sport and we get to really develop an Olympian."
Beckenham said the process of identifying talented athletes was difficult, and that the key was to have a combination of natural ability and the desire to put in the hard work.
He cited Breen as an example of how persistence pays off.
"When she was in the under-13s, Mel didn't make the final of the Little Athletics nationals, she was a bit later to develop," Beckenham said.
"Everyone is different, but there's more to talent identification than being fast at the age of 13.
"There's a whole gamut of characteristics that you need; from body type, to raw skills and speed and agility, strength and power.
"There's the psychological side as well, the mental toughenss and desire to motivate and want to succeed and get through the hard times, which is probably one of the biggest things we deal with as coaches."
To register, email mattybdept@gmail.com with the name and age of the athlete.
More information is available at mattybdept.com
