By LIAM TWOMEY
MORGAN Mitchell is on her way to the top and she is running as fast as she can to get there. The Werribee resident is fully recovered from a knee injury and has her eyes firmly on a place in the Australian Athletics Team for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
To get there, she will need to run the A-qualifying time in her pet event, the 400 metres, of 51.6 while the B-qualifying time is 52.3.
Mitchell’s current personal best is 53.8 which she did in July last year.
However, after completing her rehab and having done her first ever winter training base, the teenager is ready to burn up the track this summer.
“Everything is coming along well with my training,” Mitchell said.
“I had my first time trial on the weekend. It looks like I’ll be able to cut my time down really quickly for the start of the season which will be good.
“I want to qualify for the Commonwealth Games at the National Titles and win that which gives me a spot. From there I want to go away to Glasgow and try and make the finals.”
Even injury hasn’t stopped Mitchell from winning her fair share of awards.
Just in the last year she has been selected in the Australian Under 19 Athletics Squad, won a Sporting Blue Award, claimed gold at the State Relay Championships with Western Athletics and was selected as a member of the senior Australian 4×400 metre relay squad.
The latter is designed to prepare athletes specifically for the Commonwealth Games, World Relay Championships in 2014, the World Championships in 2014 and the Olympic Games in Rio.
As part of her training, Mitchell has worked with some of the best runners in Australia including Olympic gold medal winner Sally Pearson and sprinter Josh Ross.
“They make you realise how much of a better life it is being able to train and that is what you get paid for,” Mitchell said.
“It kind of keeps me determined knowing that you don’t have to get a normal day job.”
As well as balancing her university studies, Mitchell is currently training morning and afternoon in a bid to make it to the top.
Peter Burke has coached the former Williamstown High Student for the past eight years and is confident she has what it takes.
“She has done a lot of hard work in the gym to build herself up and she is a very strong young woman,” he said.
“She has a beautiful running action at top speed. She has a very good race sense, she is a very good competitor and she is very strong, physically and mentally.
“It is very hard (to drop her time to the A-qualifier). I think she will get there whether it is this season or in the future.”
While the Commonwealth Games are in her immediate sights, they are far from where Mitchell’s plans stop. In fact, they are just beginning.
“I have mainly got my eye on the Commonwealth Games because that is first.
“Straight after that is the World Relay Championships and then after that it is the World Championships next year and then I am hoping all that is leading up to the Olympics in Rio.”
For her outstanding sporting achievements Mitchell has been named this month’s Don Deeble Rising Star nominee.
The award is run by the Sunshine Western Region Sports Club in conjunction with the Star News Group.
Morgan will receive $1000 donated by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club and other prizes to assist in his future sporting goals.
The Don Deeble Rising Star Award recognises young athletes in the Western Suburbs who have achieved outstanding results at a state and national level.
