When Jamieson Battistella was nine, she used to race her sister up and down the hallways of her house.
Six years later, the Derrimut resident is preparing to compete on a slightly bigger stage, having been selected in the Australian contingent for the Simplot Games this weekend.
The Games is the biggest annual high school indoor track and field event in the US, with 2000 athletes competing over three days in Pocatello, Idaho.
Battistella is in an eight-member squad from the Maribyrnong Sports Academy and will compete in the seven-event heptathlon.
“When I found out I was going to be able to go through the selection process I was really excited,” Battistella said.
“When I looked at the team that went last year, it seemed it would be really hard to meet the qualifying standards. Once I got close to them and then reached them, it was amazing.”
The fact Battistella was able to do the hard yards to qualify shouldn’t come as any surprise.
The 15-year-old has a brilliant work ethic and competes in one of sport’s toughest events, involving the 100-metre hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metres, long jump, javelin and 800 metres.
She lists the high jump as her best event.
“It’s one of the events where I have a bit of an advantage over the people in my age group,” she says. “I can get the heights I need and get massive points for it, but I try to be as even as I can across everything.”
While this will be her first time competing overseas, Battistella has a strong body of work at high-calibre events on home soil.
She’s been a regular fixture at both state and national championships since getting her start at Brimbank Little Athletics Centre.
While she showed great promise as a junior, she credits the program and coaches at Maribyrnong for helping her take the next step in her development.
“Going to Maribyrnong has been fantastic for me,” she says.
“As soon as I went there I could tell with all the strength work how much that was going to improve my throwing.
“I used to have to go to Maribyrnong when I didn’t go to the school for training anyway. When I moved to Maribyrnong it was a lot more convenient. It has helped massively.”
The Simplot Games start later this month.
Battistella is hoping her time on the big stage will help her development.
“This trip is definitely a lot for experience,” she says. “If I can, I’d love to get somewhere in the top 10 or top eight. That would be fantastic. It will be such a great experience.
“Not many 15-year-olds get the chance to compete in an international competition in those conditions, and indoors.”
