ATHLETICS
Three years ago Shayne Campbell had never even picked up a javelin.
But a spur of the moment decision to have a go at the school athletics carnival led him down the path to a bronze medal at the Australian Junior Championships at Homebush last month.
The 16-year-old threw a personal best of 52.08 metres at the championships – breaking his own mark by two metres – to finish third in the under 17s boys’ javelin.
Campbell said the result was the biggest of his career so far.
“I couldn’t believe it,” he said.
“I wasn’t expecting it. I just wanted to throw my best which was 50m.
“I beat my PB by two metres and got a medal.”
In his three years in the sport the Colo High School student has come on leaps and bounds.
Since 2012 he has added more than 20 metres to his throw and believes he can get even better.
“The first time I did it was in year 7 at the school athletics carnival and won it easily,” he said.
“Then that year I went and won zone and won region and got 10th in the state so I started getting some coaching.
“When I started I was only throwing 30m. Now I’m throwing 52m.”
The talented all-rounder has broken records at Colo High, Zone athletics and at Kurrajong Bilpin Little Athletics and said he plans to continue improving.
“I want to try and get to the World Championships so my goal is to throw a qualifying distance,” he said.
“I’m a fair way off at the moment but I just have to keep practising.”
It has been a busy time for Campbell who travelled to Bathurst on the weekend to compete in his other pursuit – cycling.
