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Welcome to the Girraween Athletics Club website.
We aim to make this site pivotal in our communications to
our membership and anyone interested in joining or competing
at Girraween.
We welcome and encourage athletes of all ages and standards.
We have recreational athletes through to State and National
representatives; and juniors right through to golden oldies.
Our membership has grown in recent years and we hope to
continue that growth during the coming season. We are a very
social club and encourage our members to have fun, enjoy
their athletics and represent the club with a friendly and
sporting attitude.
We are a member club of Athletics New South Wales and
compete in both summer and winter seasons.
The ground renovations to our home track and we have returned
to C.V. Kelly Park,
We compete each Saturday from 2pm.
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Vale
Robert (Bob) Sewell
16/2/1938 ~ 9/8/2017 |
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Dear Members and Friends,
It is with sadness that I inform you of th passing
today of Bob Sewell, Life Member, former President
and coach of Girraween Athletics Club. Bob passed
peacefully in Westmead Hospital.
Bob was also a Life Member of Girraween Little
Athletics Club (GLAC) which was conferred upon him
in 1986, two years before he became a Life Member of
Girraween Athletics Club (GAC). Bob was the first of
only three persons who has been conferred Life
Membership of both clubs. Bob was President of GAC
from 1988 to 2003 (except for the 1997-1998 season
when Graham Sheargold was President). A total of 14
seasons.
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He also became a 25 year medallist in 2002.
He dedicated himself to athletics for over a quarter
of a century.
Many of our members were coached and otherwise
influenced by Bob who was a true pillar of our club.
He will be sadly missed.
Thanks to the Grant family and others who spent time
with him before the end. Unfortunately it was only
last night at a Committee meeting that several of us
including myself found out about his declining
health.
Our condolences go out to Paul and the entire Sewell
family. Funeral details will be distributed when
they become available.
Regards
Wayne
President GAC |
During the winter season, we compete in the West
Metropolitan Cross Country competition. Our athletes also
compete at representative meets such as NSW State
Championships.
We have coaching each Monday and Wednesday from
6.00pm.throughout the year. During summer, in conjunction
with the Girraween Little Athletics Centre we can offer
coaching in most running, jumping and throw events on
Mondays and Wednesdays.
Our club is currently
celebrating its 36th year. If you have any information
regarding our history please contact our President, Wayne
Thurlow or Michael Christie on (02) 96307471 or email
Michael at
mchristie11@bigpond.com.
Congratulations Taylor Doyle. The
photograph below shows our Special Olympics Asia Pacific
Games star receiving her Gold medal. The photograph to the
left shows Taylor in flight in her Long Jump event.
Steve Parkins
Girraween athletes taken with the
legendary Bruce Fordyce at the 2014 SMC Annual Presentation
Dinner held at Seven Hills. Bruce Fordyce is a great South
African ultra-marathoner who won the legendary Comrades 90km
race in South Africa an incredible nine times including
eight in a row through the 1980’s. He also still holds the
current 50 mile world record which he set in 1983.
Our members were privileged to hear
the great man speak and to have a photo with him was a rare
and great opportunity.
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It is with great sadness that we inform you that one
of our long time members, Phil Bowden, passed away
today after a short illness.
Phil was 89. Phil is well known to our members and
friends who have been with Girraween Athletics Club
for a number of years. In recent times he always
popped down to C V Kelly Park at least a couple of
times over our summer seasons to catch up and say a
cheerie hello to his friends at Girraween Athletics
Club.
Even though his competitive days were behind him, he
maintained a keen interest in all Girraween’s
athletes and how they were going in their various
competitions. He was a very good long distance
runner in his own right in his younger days as well.
It was always a pleasure to have a chat with Phil as
he always had great stories to tell and he was very
much a gentleman. He will be very sadly missed by
all his friends at Girraween Athletics Club.
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Girraween’s Brad
Milosevic has won the 2015 Sun Herald City2Surf.
All at Girraween Athletics Club congratulate Brad on this
magnificent achievement. His name now sits alongside some of
the great names of Australian distance running such as Rob
De Castella, Steve Moneghetti and Andy Lloyd to name a few
who have won this most iconic race on the Australian
calendar.
While over the last 18 months, Brad has won some significant
races both in Australia and overseas, this without a doubt
would be his greatest moment in the sport to date.
After such an achievement we all wish him all the best for
the future and hope he has a well-earned rest at least for a
day or two. He deserves it.
Michael Christie GAP
After last year’s impressive performances, Girraween’s Brad
Milosevic has followed this up with a wonderful display in
the NSW 5000m Championships held at SOPAC , Saturday
evening, winning this championship in a time of 14:20.94
winning by almost 10 seconds from Kembla Jogger’s up and
coming distance runner Joshua Torley who finished second.
This is a great result by Brad over a distance that he does
not run often, following up his solid effort in the
Australian Cross Country trials in Canberra last weekend. A
display such as this, less than a week after the National
trials in Canberra is a remarkable effort, particularly
given the quality of the field at SOPAC Saturday evening.
All his friends and supporters at Girraween Athletics Club
offer him our heartiest congratulations on another very fine
performance and we wish him well for the upcoming 2015
season. Great achievement Brad!!!!
Click here to view the full
5000m Championship event.
Brad Milosevic with his coach Ken Green and women's 5000m
champion Lucy Starrat (also trained by Ken
Congratulations to the Girraween
athletes who competed in this year's Sydney 10 which was
held at Homebush on Saturday, May 7, 2016.
GAP can announce that Girraween’s Taylor Doyle has been
selected in the Australian team to compete at the IPC
Athletics World Championships to be held in Doha, Qatar
21-31 October 2015. This is the second IPC World
Championships that Taylor will be competing at, having
represented Australia at the IPC World Athletics
Championships in Lyon, France in 2013.
This is a most remarkable achievement given what Taylor has
gone through over the last eighteen months. I urge you all
when you have a brief moment to have a look at the video of
Taylor. This will give you a sense of the remarkable
fightback that she has undertaken to build up to the elite
level again.
Not
only
is Taylor
competing
again but to be able to do so
in
representing
her country at such a high level is a testament to her
amazing courage and fortitude.
All at Girraween Athletics Club send her our heartiest
congratulations on her selection and we wish her all the
best in the lead up over the next few weeks and at
Championships too.
Click here to view Taylor's
heart-warming and inspirational
story.
Girraween’s Brad Milosevic has won the prestigious Nagoya
City Half Marathon in Japan
on March 8, 2015
in a time of 66:04. This is Brad’s first international win
and is a great result for him following on closely from his
NSW 5000m state title a couple of weeks ago. Congratulations
to Brad on this very fine achievement and all his friends at
Girraween send him their best wishes on this tremendous
result. He has begun 2015 in magnificent style. Great
running Brad!
Further information
...
Sydney distance runners have created history today with both
Brad Milosevec and Lucy Starrat winning the Nagoya City Half
Marathon.
Brad became the Australian Champion in the 2014 Blackmores
Sydney Half Marathon and now has his first international win
to his credit.
Starrat's win was impressive given it was her debut. She
entered the race in good form after winning the NSW 5,000m
Championships a fortnight ago.
Lucy ran 1hr 18.56, a very solid first run.
Blackmores Sydney Running Festival Race Director Wayne
Larden said, "Brad was actually a good 150m behind the
leader at the half way point so he obviously faught hard to
take the win. Lucy however looked very smooth and was well
clear of her rivals at half way."
The Nagoya City Marathon is the Sister City Marathon to the
Blackmores Sydney Marathon.
Both Lucy and Brad are members of Sydney Running Academy and
coached by Ken Green.
Photographs below are from the recent
State Long Course Cross Country Championships held at Dapto
on June 20, 2015. Click here to see more.
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Click here to read our
October Newsletter
Brad Milosevic competing at the IAAF Marathon in London 2017
Our recent AGM couldn't be timed any better as it also
followed closely behind some big announcements including
1. Brad Milosevic being selected for the Australian Marathon
Team in the IAAF World Championships in London in August,
2. Brad running an amazing first leg of the relays on the
weekend (he was first across the line in a strong field),
3. Taylor Doyle winning the Hawkesbury All Abilities Sports
Person of the Year 2017 and
4. Brendon Neich being selected for a development squad
which will see him training at the AIS in Canberra.
Well done guys.
Thank
you everyone who supported Run4Jess 2018.
Click here for the results.
Hello
Friends,
Girraween athlete Brad Milosevic won the Nagoya City Half
Marathon in Japan today in the great time of 1:04.53. This
is a pb over the distance for Brad and it’s the second time
in three years that Brad has won this prestigious
international event.
It’s a great result for Brad and a wonderful reward for
Brad’s hard work in training over recent months as he a
prepares for another marathon in the near future.
All of us at Girraween Athletics Club send Brad our
heartiest congratulations on his win today and wish him all
the best with his recovery and training over the weeks and
months ahead.
Cheers,
Michael
~ Girraween Athetics Club Publicity Officer
West Met Cross Country Calendar
Steve Mifsud - Knapsack Lap Race held
at Glenbrook on Australia Day, 2017.
Congratulations to all Girraween
Members who competed in the NSW State Relays. Click here to
read the report.
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Dylan, Elijah, Nathan, Rob, Steve C
and Steve O |
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Steve C, Rob, Claudio and
Steve O |
Taylor Doyle recently visited CV Kelly Park.
Past President and Life Member, Bob Sewell would like to
thank those who have visited him at Merrylands Nursing Home
(42 Cumberland Road, Greystanes). As can be seen in the
photograph below, he particularly enjoyed a recent visit
from Brad Milosevic. Bob was Brad's first athletics coach
and coached him until 2004. They shared many fond memories
and Bob was thrilled to learn first hand about Brad's more
recent achievements.
Congratulations to
Brad Milosevic - Winner of 2016 Blackmores Sydney Running
Festival Bridge Run 9K. In showing his versatility as a
distance runner, in 2015 Brad was placed 2nd in the
Blackmores Half Marathon.
Hello
friends,
This morning Taylor Doyle from Girraween Athletics Club won
a Silver Medal in the T38 Women’s Long Jump Final at the
2016 Rio Paralympic Games. She leapt 4.62m to finish second
behind the Chinese athlete who jumped 4.77m. In a big field
of thirteen athletes this is an extraordinary achievement by
Taylor.
The effort in making the Australian team for the Rio
Paralympics was quite incredible in itself. To then go onto
medal in such a big field, well that is the most amazing
achievement by Taylor in an incredible career.
We are sure you will all join with us in wishing Taylor
congratulations. Everyone at Girraween is so proud of what
she has achieved. Taylor never ever gave up, overcoming
incredible obstacles along the way and to be rewarded with a
Silver Medal at these Paralympic Games is a testament to her
courage, never say die attitude and her incredible
determination. This is a day to remember!
Everyone at Girraween also sends their congratulations to
Taylor’s family who have been with Taylor on this journey,
her friends, her coach and her support network. It is an
incredible story.
Click here to view the highlights of the Preliminary rounds
of Taylor's Long Jump.
Click here to view the highlights of the
Finals round of Taylor's Long Jump.
Click here to view highlights of Taylor's event as well as
an interview with her.
Click here to view a brief Channel 7
News Report.
Click here to view Taylor in the Medal
Ceremony.
Footage of the full ceremony was not available
Taylor Doyle Newspaper Article
Oakville’s Taylor Doyle smashes her personal best to win her
first silver medal at Paralympics
Taylor Doyle Newspaper Article
Parramatta Advertiser Sept 14 2016 1
Taylor Doyle Newspaper Article
Parramatta Advertiser Sept 14 2016 2
Summer Competition
has commenced at CV Kelly Park, Girraween on each
Saturday
starting at 2p.m. Please arrive a little earlier to allow
for signing on, warming up and perhaps helping with set up. Please click here for a printable
information sheet.
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CONGRATULATIONS TAYLOR DOYLE |
Hello friends,
We have just received the incredibly exciting news
from Terry, Taylor’s dad, that Taylor has been
selected in the Australian Paralympics team to
compete at the Rio Paralympics in September. Taylor
will be competing in the T38 Long Jump.
This is an extraordinary achievement by Taylor given
the barriers she has overcome to reach this goal.
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You only have to have a look
at the video
on this link
to have some idea of the journey she has undertaken
in recent years. Taylor also overcame a major foot
injury a couple of months ago whilst in the middle
of her qualifying campaign. She overcame this hurdle
and now has been selected for Australia at the Rio
Paralympics.
Taylor is only the second athlete and first woman
from Girraween Athletics Club to be selected in an
Olympic or Paralympic team which gives you some idea
of the magnitude of her achievement. Adrian Grogan
from Girraween Athletics Club competed for Australia
at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics in the T36 400m and
800m. |
Taylor will be leaving Australia around August 20 to
go into camp in Florida with her team mates in the
Athletics section of the Australian Paralympic team.
We
are
sure you will join with us on behalf of everyone at
Girraween Athletics Club in congratulating Taylor on
her most remarkable achievement. To Terry and all
her family, coach, support team and
friends we also wish you our congratulations as
well. This has been a lifelong athletics journey,
and this selection is a fulfilment of a dream.
Cheers
Michael Christie
(GAP)
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We would like to pass on our congratulations to both
Brendon and Teagan Neich
on their efforts in the Nationals that were held
earlier this year in Perth. We hope they both
enjoyed the experience, particularly Teagan as it
was her first Australian Junior Championships.
Brendon entered in the U16 Hammer and U16 Javelin
while Teagan entered the U14 Hammer, U15 Hammer and
U14 Discus. Looking at the results the competition
appeared pretty strong and of a very high standard
in their events. Brendon’s 2nd
place in his Hammer was a great result and we are
sure both Brendan and Teagan were pleased with their
fine efforts. |
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Their Mum, Shandelle reported that they all had a
fun filled but very busy 8 days in Perth. They did
get in some sightseeing before the competition
started. Both kids did their best in a field of very
tough competitors. Shandelle was very proud of their
achievements. They looked very professional out
there and Mum needed to keep reminding herself
they
are still so young with Teagan being only 12 and
Brendon just turned 15.
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Teagan
1
Under 15 Hammer Throw – 7th –
31.19m
2
Under 14 Hammer Throw – 8th –
29.74m
3
Under 14 Shotput – 8th – 9.79m
4
Under 14 Discus – 11th – 23.61m |
Brendon
1
Under 16 Hammer Throw –
2nd – 51.49m PB
2
Under 16 Javelin – 5th –
40.67m PB
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Girraween’s
Brad Milosevic has won the 2014 Blackmore’s Sydney Half
Marathon in the great time of 1:06.47. As this event was
also doubling as the Australian Half Marathon Championships
it also means that Brad is now the 2014 Australian Half
Marathon Champion. This is another great result for Brad and
continues a stellar year of athletic achievement by him. All
members, families and friends of Girraween Athletics Club
send him our heartiest congratulations on this wonderful
result, one that is incredibly well deserved. We all hope he
recovers well from today’s effort and wish Brad all the best
with his ongoing athletics career over the coming months and
years.
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