Kirstin Shaw won the women’s 20km walk at the National Championships. 86864 Picture: DAMIAN VISENTINI
By LIAM TWOMEY
KIRSTIN Shaw knows what it takes to produce her best on the big stage.
Earlier this month, the talented 21-year-old won the women’s 20km walk event at the National Championships in Adelaide.
However, what made the win even more impressive was the fact that Shaw had struggled to train in the lead up to her race because of a knee injury.
But as soon as the event was underway all that was forgotten as Shaw blasted her way to a personal best time of one hour and 58 minutes.
“It was definitely what I was aiming for going into the race,” Shaw said.
“I had never been that quick before so I was hoping to get something like that but I wasn’t really expecting to be that fast.
“I had been off for the last few months with injury so my training had been pretty minimal and I hadn’t really been able to do many long distance sessions. I was just hoping that the fitness I had prior to the injury would get me through.
“The physio was great during that week and he said that the knee should be right to go. That was the first race to actually test it out and everything went well. It didn’t affect me.”
Shaw initially began her athletics career as a hurdler and was selected to train with a development squad. After coaches encouraged athletes to try another event, the Hoppers Crossing resident took up walking and has never looked back.
Her most recent win is her second National Championship after she also won the Women’s 20km Walk in 2011.
“I think it was the best decision I made,” she said.
“I really enjoy the event. You’ve got the mental challenge of sticking in there that long and maintaining technique.
“After a while you do get tired and you do tend to slow down and lose the technique but with race walking you need to maintain that technique the whole race so it is really a mental challenge as well as physical.”
Race walking seems to run in the Shaw family with Kirstin’s mother Robyn also competing and previously winning State and National Championships.
“She took it up the year after I did. She has been doing athletics all her life and I think she got a bit bored watching me so she decided to start racing as well,” Kristin said.
“There is a bit of competition between us sometimes. We are obviously not in the same categories in the races but if she wins a State Title I’ll try and get one. I haven’t actually got any yet so I’m still trying to catch up there.
“There aren’t many of us walkers around so it’s good for company, especially on the really long walks.”
Shaw plans to take a well-deserved break over the next couple of weeks before turning her attention to summer training.
Her next major tournament will be the Australian Championships in February.
