Every week over summer, Jeanetta Rodwell makes the trip from Clarkefield to Sunshine to pick up Junior Mabia and take him to Little Athletics in Sunbury.
For Jeanetta and husband Steve, the weekly trip is worth it just to see the 13-year-old in action.
“He’s pretty talented in most of the events,” Steve says.
“We have a shot put arena [at Sunbury] and he throws it right out of the arena.
“He’s broken just about every record we have at the club. The sprinting events and shot put would be his strongest events.”
A friendship between Junior, who is from Liberia, and the Rodwells’ son Cody was the catalyst for getting Junior to train in Sunbury.
“We met Junior a couple of years ago,’’ Steve says. ‘‘He and Cody go to Maribyrnong College on sports scholarships. Junior was competing for the school but wasn’t competing at a particular club.
“His family isn’t wealthy and we spoke to his mother and offered to pick him up each week and organise him joining the club.
“He loves his athletics and soccer. His English isn’t the best … I think being involved in sport has helped with improving that.”
Junior’s arrival at the club has led to individual success, but he also helps form one of the best relay teams in the state.
“Junior won the 100 and 200-metre titles at the Australian Little Athletics championships in May and he recorded the best time in Victoria,’’ Steve says.
“He competed in our state relay under-13 boys team, which won the 4 x 100 metres, 4 x 200 metres and 800-metre sprint medley at the Victorian relay championships.
“He inspires the other boys to run faster. It helps them to aspire to catch him.”
Steve believes Junior can go far with his athletics, if they can keep him in the sport.
“He also loves his soccer and wants to be a soccer superstar. Keeping them in the sport is the hardest thing.
“He loves to win, which is important. If we can keep his drive for the sport, hopefully we will see him in athletics for years to come.”
The club presented Junior with a photo board of his Australian championship wins at the opening of the Sunbury Little Athletics season on Saturday.
