IF Stan Peska’s aim in taking part in athletics was to have fun, he has had a rollicking good time in his inaugural season.
The 50-plus-year-old Hoppers Crossing resident has, in this first season in the sport, been an instant success.
And his twin sons, Andrew and Michael, who are field event champions in their own right, can only be envious at his successes.
Stan has ferried his sons for many years to athletic events when they were younger and watched them progress to national standards in shot, discus, hammer and javelin at junior and senior levels.
Now he is the one that is in the spotlight. He joined Werribee-based Western Athletics at the start of the 2010/11 season as a member of its first age 40-plus squad in the north-west region of the Athletics Victoria shield competition.
“The goal for the season was to have fun, I have achieved that. I have thrown personal bests every time I have competed,” Peska said.
He is a man of few words but his achievements speak volumes.
Peska went to Ballarat where he won three medals in the state country championships, gold in the 50-plus shot and bronze in the discus and hammer. And he was fifth in the long jump – a discipline Stan would be first to admit his physique isn’t best designed for.
Two weeks ago he tackled the state masters championships and claimed gold in the shotput and silvers in the hammer, weighted throw and discus.
“I intend competing next season with the objective of breaking the Australian shotput record for 55-60 year olds … and to continue having fun,” he said.
His next campaign is the national masters championship in Brisbane.
Western Athletics punched above its weight at the state masters championships at Doncaster with seven gold, six silver, one bronze and several fourths, won by a seven man and one woman squad.
Fernando Canepa headed the list with gold in the hammer and weighted throw, Robyn Shaw won gold in the 1500m walk and silver in the 3000m walk, Adam Knowles gold in the 1500m and silver in the 800m, Wayne Bingham gold in the 60m and silver, Allan Cook gold in the 400m and bronze in the 1500m.
Associate member Tony Bradford earned five medals in the eight events he competed in and was a finalist in the other three.
Another “newcomer” to athletics, John White, was sixth in the 200m, seventh in the 100m and ninth in the 60m and heats of the 400m.
