By Liam Twomey
Julia Bourke first tried putting the shot only two years ago. Now she’s a champion.
The Bacchus Marsh Grammar School student smashed the state record on her way to collecting a gold medal at the Victorian championships in 2013.
The teenager went on to place fifth at the national titles and hasn’t looked back since.
“It was pretty crazy the first time I broke the record,” she said. “I was able to break the state record by a metre.
“Now if I throw a personal best I break the state record.
“It’s weird to think I’m the best in the state but it’s still really exciting.”
Bourke dominated the throwing scene as she continued to climb the age groups.
Last year she won a gold medal at under-17 level at both the Victorian junior championships and the national junior championships.
The Werribee resident also finished sixth in the open-age competition at the national championships.
The outstanding performances put the now 17-year-old on the radar of national selectors, who picked Bourke to be a part of Australia’s Oceania Games team which competed in Cairns earlier this month.
Despite having a few nerves, Bourke produced the goods on the big stage, throwing a personal best of 15.56 metres to claim the gold medal.
“That 15 metres is a distance I’ve been trying to get for most of this season,” she said.
“I was close, I got 14.95 metres, but was not quite able to break it.
“Getting 15 metres was a really big achievement for me.”
After such a strong debut representing her country, the Western Athletics team member can’t wait to get the opportunity again.
“Once you put on that green and gold uniform, it’s something you always want to do another time but on an even bigger scale,” Bourke said.
She now has her sights set on the all-schools championships in December as well as trying to qualify for next year’s world youth championships in the Russian city of Kazan.
For her outstanding sporting achievements, Bourke has been named as a monthly nominee for the Don Deeble Rising Star award, which is run by Sunshine Western Region Sports Club in conjunction with
Star Weekly.
Bourke will receive $1000 donated by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club and other prizes to assist in her future sporting goals.
The Don Deeble Rising Star award recognises young athletes in the western suburbs who have achieved outstanding results at state and national level.
To nominate someone for the award email ltwomey@mmpgroup.com.au.
