A SURPRISE selection into the Australian team will see 16-year-old Savannah Peterkin compete for Australia in the 2015 Youth Commonwealth Games in Samoa.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The youngster is one of 26 athletes selected to wear the green and gold at the competition held between September 5 and 12 in September.
Savannah will contest her premiere event, the long jump, in the under 18s women’s category.
“It was a shock – I definitely wasn’t expecting to get picked,” Savannah told the Guardian.
“I literally cried, tears of happiness.
“Mainly because at the beginning of December I twisted my ankle and actually tore ligaments, had bone bruising and damaged the tendon, so I certainly thought I was out of contention.
“I was off for three months and only had two training sessions before Nationals.”
Prior to this injury Savannah was heading for a World Youth qualifier with a jump of 6m to make selection on the Australian team.
She did not hold much hope for selection in either of the international championships
Fortunately, her star quality shone throughout 2014 winning all events she entered. Her number 1 ranking, number 2 after Nationals, played a major role in her selection.
“I’ve never represented Australia before ... I’ve never even been overseas,” she said.
“It all hasn’t quite sunk in yet, I’m still shocked, but when it comes closer I’d say I will be nervous.”
To prepare for the Games, Savannah will maintain her gruelling five-day training regime, progressing as normal throughout the year, picking up intensity as the event draws nearer.
And with no specialised coaching available in long jump in our area, Savannah diligently trains herself, which takes a lot of dedication and self motivation.
“I do power and explosive training five times a week - I have a study and training schedule. I just manage to fit it in after school,” she said.
“Right now, I’m in conditioning training and will go into specificity training, and then detailed training at the end.”
The chance to compete for your country is an honour and one Savannah is excited about.
She will use this to help prepare for future international competitions, leading into elite senior meets with the aim of making the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.
