There is no off-season for heptathlete Jamieson Battistella.
The cold weather has set in and her next competition is not until October, but no green light has been given to slacken off.
Battistella has a strict training load to adhere to, including prehab, running sessions, gym and technical tweaks.
She often meets with her coach, Darren Clark, and spends time in physio maintaining peak fitness.
Battistella is just 15, but knows what she wants, and that is to reach the pinnacle of her sport: the Olympic Games.
In August, when she eventually arrives at her Derrimut home after two training sessions and a school day, she will do her homework and then switch on the television to watch the Olympics.
Then her mind may wander four, or possibly eight, years down the track to what might be for her own career.
Next morning it will be back to reality and Battistella will get back to work on the track, knowing the Olympic dream goes to those with not only the most talent, but the best work ethic. And that’s something she has in abundance.
“That’s my ultimate goal, to get to an Olympic Games,” she said. “I really want to get there but I’ve still got a few more steps in between.
“You keep long-term goals in mind but you’ve got to get the short-term ones and keep improving to get to the long-term ones.
“At the moment, it’s the off-season, but I still have to be really motivated and dedicated to get up every single day and go to training.
“It can get hard but it’s something I like about myself that I have the motivation to get up every single day and go for a run or go to training and do whatever I need to do.”
Battistella can reflect proudly on her past track and field season.
She performed strongly at local, national and international level in the heptathlon – a seven-event competition where points are accumulated in 100 metre hurdles, high jump, shot put, 200 metres, long jump, javelin and 800 metres – and pentathlon, a five-event competition where points are compiled in 100 metre hurdles, long jump, shot put, high jump and 800 metres.
Battistella finished fifth at the under-17 Australian Heptathlon Championships, won gold at the Little Athletics Victoria state titles, came fifth in the Little Athletics Australia pentathlon, fifth in the high jump and 12th in the triple jump at the Simplot Games in Idaho, USA.
It was taking on athletes two years older at the nationals that saw the rising star turn heads.
“I was extremely happy,” Battistella said of the result at the nationals. “I didn’t perform well in one of my best events but did really well in all of the other events.
“Besides my high jump, I couldn’t have asked for too much of a better performance.”
Battistella was proud to be captain of Brimbank Little Athletics Centre for the past two seasons and was honoured to be named athlete of the year at the Brimbank Sports Awards.
And, just as importantly, she is keeping on top of her academic exploits.
The driven teenager has earned multiple Dux awards at Maribyrnong College and shines with her time management to stay actively involved in the school’s leadership and debating teams.
After her taste of national and international competition, Battistella wants more in the next 12 months and has set her sights on winning a national title and competing abroad.
Battistella is this month’s nominee for the Don Deeble Rising Star Award, run by Sunshine Western Region Sports Club and Star Weekly.
She will receive $1000 donated by the Yarraville Club Cricket Club, and other prizes to assist in her future sporting goals.
The award recognises young western suburbs athletes who have achieved outstanding results at state and/or national level.
