Years ago, a young rising talent developed a love for athletics that would eventually lead him to athletics glory.
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Peter Gandy was the first Athletics Wollongong member to be selected for both the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. A then 18-year-old Gandy was Australian junior champion in the 100m and 200m.
In 1980, he raced a top athletics field in Sydney finishing second to the great Allan Wells from the UK.
In 1982, he won the Australian 200m title and in the same year competed in the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, reaching the semi-finals, and he was a member of the fourth-placed 4x100m relay team.
In recent times, Gandy - now chief executive of Illawarra firm Integrated Systems, had been sponsoring a very-keenly contested event called the 200 Zoom.
It has become so popular that it needed to grow, and, with the help of Process Integrations, Wollongong City Council and Athletics NSW, the event has been elevated to silver tier status on the ANSW calendar.
This means ANSW officials will be running the event and all 200m times under the jurisdiction of ANSW may be used by athletes as qualifying times to submit for competing in National Carnivals.
The 200 Zoom will be held on February 15 at the Kerryn McCann Athletics Track and is open to all ANSW registered athletes.
The event will be run in conjunction with local club events.
There will be prizes of $100 to each of the fastest male and female zoomers, $50 to the fastest male and female Athletics Wollongong zoomers, and there will also be lucky lane draws for $50 cash prizes and for sports packs. Track entry is free, but there is an event entry fee of $10.
Meanwhile, Athletics Wollongong was pleasantly surprised late last year to learn that their efforts at the NSW Country Championships - after an audit - determined that they earned the highest number of point out of all the NSW country athletics clubs.
As a consequence, they were awarded the Hoopers Cup.
The cup was presented in an outdoor ceremony to club captain Peter Kidd on the Saturday evening of the championships at Dubbo.
Inspired by this new found fame, a team of more than 60 of our members trekked down to Dubbo to compete from January 20-22 and put up an even more determined effort to retain their newly awarded trophy.
The club was successful, claiming a massive haul of 47 gold, 41 silver and 39 bronze medals.
This again means that they won the Hooper Cup with 1110 points, just ahead of their second-placed Nowra mates.
Well done to all club members who participated in the event. Medallists included:
Adrian See, men's 40-49: Second in 100m (12.11s); first in 100m (23.86s); first in 400m (54.66s); third in high jump (1.50m); second in long jump (5.19m).
Adriana Van Bockel , women's 70 plus: Second in discus (13.13m); second in hammer (16.12m); first in javelin (12.18m; second in shot put (4.99m).
Amelia Bongiorno, U/14s: Third in triple jump (8.33m).
Anthony Howlett, men's 50-59: First in 800m (2'29.83s); second in 1500m (5'27.62s); first in 100m hurdles (20.48s); first in 400m hurdles (1'16.90s); first in 3000m steeplechase (14'30.75s); first in high jump (1.50m); second in long jump (4.41m); first in triple jump (8.83m); second in discus (29.10m); first in hammer throw (23.26m); second in javelin (35.87m).
Bennett Anderson, men's U/13s: Third in javelin (14.78m).
Chelsea Nicol, women's U/14s: First in 800m (2'26.64s); first in triple jump (9.16m); third in discus (18.19m).
Chelsy Wayne, women's U/17s: First in discus (47.59m, meet record).
Cheyannah Hall, women's U/14s: First in high jump (1.40m); first in pole vault (1.80m, meet record).
Christine Shaw, women's 60-69: First in high jump (1.05m); first in triple jump (7.22m); first in discus (21.48m); second in hammer (25.57m); first in javelin (22.70m).
Clara Marshall-Dawson, women's U/16s: First in 100m (12.84s); second in 200m (26.14s).
Ella Power, women's U/14s: Third in 200m hurdles (37.24s).
Elyse Bongiorno, U/10s: Second in 800m (3'28.54s).
Fred Hamblin, men's U/16s: Second in 400m (52.85s); third in 800m (2'11.14s).
Imogene Anderson, women's U/14s: Third in 80m hurdles (16.70s); fifth in javelin (16.17m); second in shot put (8.29m).
Isaac Parks, men's U/20s: Third in 100m (11.12s); third in 200m (22.30s).
Jack Johanson, men's U/15s: Second in 100m (12.19s); second in 200m (24.64s).
Jude Basnet, men's U/20s: Third in discus (35.11m); second in hammer (30.93m); third in shot put (9.73m).
Justin Miller, men's 30-39: Third in 100m (11.82s); third in 200m (23.74s); second in 400m (55.51s).
Justin Rejske, men's 40-49: First in 3000m walk (20'35.53s); third in 3000m steeplechase (16'46.03s); third in hammer (17.98m); fifth in shot put (7.35m).
Kailee Moore, women's U/20s: Second in 100m (12.38s); second in 200m (25.43s); first in 100m hurdles: (15.15s).
Kaylee Reid-O'Brien, women's U/20s: Third in triple jump (8.19m); second in hammer (18.11m)[ third in shot put (6.82m).
Loen Sevastos, women's U/18s: Third in 200m (26.19s); first in 400m (59.01s); third in high jump (1.35m); third in long jump (4.25m).
Lucy Schofield, women's U/13s: Third in discus (19.47m); first in hammer (16.70m); third in javelin (11.36m); second in shot put (6.14m).
Mikaela Markovski, U/17s: Second in hammer (20.11m); third in javelin (24.48m); second in shot put (9.91m).
Mitchell O'Neill, open men's: First in 200m (21.47, meet record).
Montse Ros, women's 40-49: Third in high jump (1.25m); third in long jump (4.03m); first in triple jump (8.71m); first in pole vault (2.70m).
Natalie Heywood, women's 40-49: First in javelin (26.27m); second in shot put (7.03m).
Paris Bamford, U/20s: Second in 200m (25.70s); first in 400m (58.58s).
Peter Kidd, 60-69: Fourth in 100m (15.29s); third in 200m (31.26s); first in 400m (1'13.23s); third in 800m (2'54.20s); first in 100m hurdles (21.14s); first in 300m hurdles (56.62s); second in high jump (1.35m); third in long jump (3.58m); third in triple jump (7.06m); fifth in discus (24.43m) third in hammer (23.31m); third in javelin (24.11m).
Peter Schippers, men's U/17s: First in high jump (1.80m).
Rachel Shaw, open women's: Third in high jump (1.40m); second in javelin (31.29m).
Rebekah Power, women's 40-49): Second in 100m (12.98s); second in 200m (26.82s); second in 400m (1'03.30s); first in high jump (1.35m); first in long jump (4.34m).
Rina Flynn, women's 60-69, as IBS: Second in 100m (16.59s); second in 200m (34.76s); first in 400m (1'24.45s); second in 800m (3'42.22s); second in long jump (2.06m); third in discus (16.51m); second in shot put (6.31m).
Rob Bongiorno, men's 50-59): First in 100m (13.27s); first in 200m (26.32s).
Rodney Tebbutt, men's 50-59: First in 400m (1'06.13); first in long jump (4.55m), third in discus (26.84m); first in javelin (42.37m).
Ruby Kerr, women's U/14s: Second in 100m (13.36s); second in 200m (27.19s); second in 400m (1'02.46s); third in long jump (4.04m).
Ryder Haines, men's U/14s: First in 400m (1'03.95s); third in 800m (2'31.37s).
Tim Bradford, 30-39: Second in 100m (11.40s); second in 200m (22.89s); first in 400m (52.29s).
William Tyler, 60-69: First in pole vault (2.70m).
William Willis, men's U/17s: First in discus (39.68m); second in hammer (42.39m).
Zaniah Hourigan Carrera, women's U/17s: First in pole vault (1.80m).
Zacariah Rusin, men's U/15s: Third in 400m (58.63s).
And in other club news, the ACT Under 20 and Open Championships were held from January 27-29.
The club's medallists were:
Zoe Daniels, U/20s: First in discus (44.15).
Charlize Colwell, open Para Ambulant; Third in 400m (1'14.94s).
Chelsy Wayne, a 16-year-old competing in open discus, came second with an enormous PB of 51.23m.
Deltz Amidzovski, U/18s: First in 100m hurdles (13.51s).
Olivia Sivills, U/20s: Second in 3000m steeplechase (11'10.27s). Her time was a 15-second PB and was one minute under open, and 1.45s under-20s three-kilometre national steeplechase qualifying time.
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