AUSTRALIAN ATHLETES BOUND FOR BROOME
Published Fri 02 Sep 2022
Three of Australia’s top Track and Field Athletes are set for Broome as part of next week’s North West Athletics Championships.
2016 Rio Olympic Finalist Caitlin Sargent-Jones, 2022 World Athletics Under 20 representative Etienne Rousseau and 2022 Oceania Champion Tomysha Clark will work with local community partner Garnduwa to deliver a week of rural athletics opportunities throughout the Kimberley starting on Monday 5 September.
Thanks to the Shire of Broome, Athletics West is partnering with Athletics Australia and the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) to bring elite athletes into the Kimberley region to work with Aboriginal communities a head of the North West Athletics Championships.
Leading the group will be 12-time Australian Athlete and AIS Share a Yarn Ambassador Caitlin Sargent Jones. As one of Australia’s most dominant 400m athletes over the past decade, Caitlin's resume includes 7th place in the 4x400m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, two Australian 400m Championship titles and appearances at the Commonwealth Games, World Championships and World University Games.
Excited for the week ahead, Caitlin has said she is “ready to learn more and see what talent exists in our regional and Aboriginal communities”.
“The Aboriginal and Rural communities have so much to teach us, my aim is to use these opportunities to learn how best we can work together. I want to get out there and better understand where these communities are at and how sport can help improve their lives.” Sargent Jones said.
“We have so much untapped talent, especially in our Aboriginal Communities. When you think of our Olympic and Paralympic representatives, so many have Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander heritage. It would be great if through trips like this if we can encourage more kids to get into the sport, and then help progress them to that elite level.”
Reflecting on her experience from grassroots through to the Olympics, Sargent Jones hopes to impart some of the key lessons she’s learnt.
“Athletics is meant to be fun and sometimes when you’re chasing your dreams it can be lost. [While I can teach] technical aspects, I am really interested in sharing some of the mental aspects of the sport. It’s so important to encourage athletes to keep pursuing the next level, but at the centre of that journey, keeping the fun and passion alive.”
Joining Caitlin will be World Athletics Under 20 Discus Thrower Etienne Rousseau and Oceania Long Jump Champion Tomysha Clark. As two of the country’s best up-and-coming talents, Rousseau and Clark will provide locals with technical insight into the way Australian athletes train and compete for field events.
Clark will also be on the lookout for the next generation of athletes as one of Athletics Australia’s Raise the Bar ambassadors. To support the ongoing development of First Nation athletes, Raise the Bar is a residential camp program specifically for Aboriginal secondary school students in years 10, 11 and 12 who aspire to participate in athletics and study at university.
Following the weeklong regional tour, Broome locals will get their chance to learn directly from the athletes as part of the Buru Energy Community Events. The Australian Athletes, alongside WA’s 2022 100m and 200m Champion Kyle Ennis, will be holding free clinics on Friday the 9th of September from 4:00 pm at Broom Recreation and Aquatic Centre. The clinics include free sausage sizzle and are open to everyone.
The 2022 North West Athletics Championships are set for the 10th and 11th of September at Broome Recreation and Aquatic Centre, with community events running from the 5th to 9th of September throughout the Kimberley region. To find out how you can get involved in the Championships or any of the community activations, head to our Event Page.
For more information about Athletics Australia’s Raise the Bar initiative, head to www.athleticswest.com.au/athletes/raise-the-bar/.
For more information about the AIS’s Share A Yarn initiative, head to www.ais.gov.au/share-a-yarn.
For more information, contact Athletics West at admin@athleticswest.com.au or call 08 6272 0480.
For more information and to follow all the upcoming athletics action head to Athletics West’s Facebook & Instagram pages.
