Warrnambool teenager Will Callaghan has only been training as a middle-distance runner since January and is already set to test himself against the nation's best.
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The Emmanuel College year 11 student will contest the under 18 800-metre event at the Australian Athletics Championships, which run from April 11 to 19 in Adelaide.
He is one of 10 Athletics South West Turbines travelling to compete in the championships, alongside Manaia Bremner (under 13 800m and 1500m), Charlotte Staaks (under 13 1500m), Emily Iredell (under 14 high jump and long jump), Yolanda O'Sullivan (under 14 1500m), Jarrod Ferguson (under 17 2000m steeple), Teyvia Williams (under 18 800m, 1500m and 200m steeple), Ruby Darcy (under 18 long jump), Jeff Collins (under 20 javelin) and Chloe Mutton (under 20 100m hurdles and high jump).
"I'm a bit nervous but overall excited for it," Callaghan told The Standard ahead of his first national championships.
"A new experience and bigger competition really."
Callaghan is fresh from a breakthrough performance at the Victorian championships where he took six seconds off his personal-best 800m time.
The youngster trained as a sprinter for two-and-a-half years under Turbines coach Jeremy Dixon before switching to middle-distance running this year.
His father Steve, a prominent Warrnambool businessman, helped persuade him to make the change.
"Dad used to be a longer runner and he's always wanted me to do some slightly longer stuff," he said.
"Through just a bit of persuasion and to try something new (I made the change)."
Callaghan has enjoyed the new discipline so far, noting the "training's a lot different and it just keeps you on your toes a bit".
He hopes to run a personal-best time at the championships.
Dixon was thrilled to have so many Turbines members competing in Adelaide.
"Basically a quarter of our competing members have qualified and are attending nationals which is a pretty amazing percentage when you've got athletes like myself and others who are on the books as well," he said.
"It's a really great representation of what's happening in our region with the growth of athletics, with the growth of coaching, with the development of the new track as well, it's just creating opportunities that weren't present previously.
"We're starting to see the fruits of those investments and that focus."
Dixon is anticipating a number of PBs at the championships from the Turbines but isn't setting any lofty expectations.
"There's no real expectations aside from continuing to develop experience at these major meeting environments which in the past has probably not been quite so forthcoming," he said.
Matt Hughes
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
Matt is a sports journalist at The Standard.
