Australian and NSW title holder Shari Hurdman has a love-hate relationship with the 400 metres sprint.
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But with gold and silver medals in national and state age and school competitions and a qualifying time for the World Under-20 Games (54.83sec), it has become her ticket to stardom.
"I literally hate it, because every time I run it I feel like I'm dying," Shari said.
"It's the toughest race for sprinters. It's too far to sprint so I always dread doing the 400m. But I'm good at it. That's why I keep doing it."
Not that her record in the 200 metres is that bad either. Her gold medal winning time at the NSW Junior Championships in March in the U-18 200m of 24.30sec is also a U-20 World Junior Championship qualifying time.
The recently turned 17-year-old has the qualifying times but there are only two places for each event and a few faster times by older competitors to contend with.
However, she has time on her side to push her case and another chance at the upcoming Australian Athletics Championships in Adelaide in April.
However, whatever the results, her performances in 400m and 200m sprints have already earned Shari a place on a US College track team in 2025.
"I had 53 colleges that I was talking to, but I've now narrowed it down to five and I'm still having to choose which one," Hurdman said this week of her plans for next year.
"My friends think it's pretty cool I'm going over to America. It will be pretty scary at first and I'll certainly miss everyone here, especially my mum."
The St Philips Christian College Port Stephens year 12 student has three track training sessions (which run from 90 minutes to two hours) a week at Glendale Athletics Centre under coach Vanessa Price, as well three gym sessions and a 4km run.
"Up until I got my licence, mum used to drive me each day. She and my coach Vanessa have been so great," Shari said.
Starting as a four-year-old in Little Athletics, Shari said it was amazing that it was giving her such incredible opportunities.
"I'll be running at college for four years and hopefully after that I will be able keep running and make the Olympics. That's the dream," she said.
Michael Hartshorn
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
Since starting in 1985 at the then Melbourne Herald, journalism has taken me around Australia from Victoria, to the Northern Territory, Cairns in Queensland and now Port Stephens. After all those years there is still something special about informing and connecting with readers.
