A local teen athlete will hit the national stage for little athletics after a nightmare run of injuries sidelined her for the 2022 season.
14-year-old Destinee Pickvance-Yee from Waterford will be competing in the under 14 girls 1500m walk at the Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships in Melbourne next week.
The event will consist of the best athletes from each state and territory in the country.
Miss Pickvance-Yee said she was eager for the competition.
“Im really excited for this – I’m ready,” she said.
“I found out two months ago that I had made the team, which is pretty exciting because I missed out last year.
“But this year I made it and I’m super excited about it.”
To qualify for the national championship, Miss Pickvance-Yee had to place in the top three in the state championship.
The three girls in the Queensland team will be competing against each other for first place, but their final results will be combined.
To get to where she is now, Miss Pickvance-Yee has trained diligently.
“Training is about six days a week, [consisting] of bike-work, gym-work, swimming, long walks and longs runs, as well as short sprints,” she said.
And balancing sports and school is a major challenge for the teen.
“The school is really supportive about my sports, so they try to help me balance school work and training,” she said.
Her mum, Cassey Pickvance, said she was immensely proud of her daughter.
“I don’t think I could have done what she has done at her age,” Ms Pickvance said.
Ms Pickvance said her daughter faced multiple challenges last year.
“We’ve had ups and downs – friends, social life, school – she’s had some injuries and her confidence really took a hit, but she’s coming back,” Ms Pickvance said.
“It’s definitely a mental challenge.”
She also said her daughter’s coach lives in Rockhampton, so all training was virtual.
“Most people have a team behind them, but she is doing a lot of it herself,” Ms Pickvance said.
“She works hard at everything she does.
“It all comes down to her effort and motivation.”
The 2023 Coles Australian Little Athletics Championships will take place from Friday 21 April to Sunday 23 April
