It was a Thursday night in March and the last Victorian Milers Club meet for the season.
Organisers have put up a $2000 Olympic qualifying bonus to any athlete that can win the race and hit the Olympic qualification standard.
In the women’s A 1500 metres race, fifteen-year-old Lucy Cleveland, lined up on the start line with then Australian record holder Linden Hall, Australian 800 metre record holder Catriona Bisset and world championship representative among others.
Cleveland knew the race would be fast and she ensured she remained in control.
Holding her form, Cleveland finished strongly for fourth place, in a time of 4.24.83, a qualifying standard for the World under-20 Track and Field Championships.
It was a coming of age for Cleveland, who now knew she could hold her own.
“Standing on the starting line of that event I realised how incredible that opportunity was, I was one of the youngest in the field,” she said.
“Running against Olympic athletes gave me the confidence to know I can compete at that level and be successful.”
Cleveland has displayed a resilience beyond her years and just loves to run.
She tried many sports, but nothing was like the thrill and the challenge that running did. Cleveland joined little athletics as an under-six athlete.
“You’ve got to give every event a go. I loved the social aspect and I didn’t care where I finished,” she said. “When I first started out, I wanted to be a hurdler, much to my coach’s dismay.”
Cleveland is coached by Stu Macaulay and competes with Western Athletics.
Her first Victorian Track and Field Championship was as an under-14 athlete and she surprised herself.
It was here that she achieved both the 800 metres and 1500 metres qualifying standards for the Australian Track and Field championships, winning silver in both events.
In achieving the 800m national qualifying standard, Cleveland also broke former Australian Olympian, Morgan Mitchell’s Western Athletics under-14 800 metres club record which she had been chasing all season.
Cleveland is now the holder of more than 30 Western Athletics club records.
She then competed at the national championships.
“In my first nationals, I finished 15th in the 1500 metres. I was there for the experience and I learnt what was required to compete at the level.”
Cleveland has a rigorous training regime that sees her running up to 50 kilometres per week along with srength and conditioning sessions, and pilates as part of her rehabilitation following a sacral stress fracture that stopped her from competing in her under-15 season.
Being injured and not being able to do what she loved became a light bulb moment for Cleveland,
“When you have something taken away from you, you realise how much you love it and it makes you even more determined,” she said. “I really learnt the importance of the one percenters which has made a huge difference to my running now.”
Cleveland’s return to the track in under-16s was a sign of things to come, winning gold in the 800 metres and silver in the 1500 metres at the 2023 Victorian Track and Field Championships.
She again represented Victoria at the Australian championships, finishing sixth in the under-16 1500 metre and had a strong cross country season, winning silver at state and national level.
Her first national medal wasn’t without its challenges for Cleveland, who battled significant mental health issues. Her running played a pivotal role in her recovery.
Earlier this year, Cleveland won gold at the Victorian championships in the 3000 metres, 1500 metres and 800 metres in the under-17 age group.
She followed it up at the national championships finishing with a personal best and silver medal in the 800 metres and a bronze medal in the 1500 metres.
Cleveland said her heroes are Jess Hull, Abbey Caldwell and Amy Cashin.
Cleveland is in Year 10 at Emmanuel College in Point Coo and wants to become a physiotherapist.
On the track she has big goals.
“My athletics dream is to represent Australia at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics,” she said. “Maybe, even at the 2028 Olympic Games; I will only be 19, but who knows? My first goal, however, is to wear the green and gold at the 2026 under20 World Athletics Championships or the World Cross Country Championships.”
The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is sponsored by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, Strathmore Community Bank, the Deer Park Club, Ascot Vale Sports and Trophies and Star Weekly.
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