WMA Best Athlete Lavinia Petrie vows to ‘keep trying to improve’

Lavinia with would-be IAAF President Sebastian Coe. Get Antabuse him to join you at Lyon worlds!

Even when you’re 71, you can still think like a 17-year-old: always looking for a PR next season. That’s why I love this profile of Aussie distance star Lavinia Petrie, recently honored as top female masters athlete at the IAAF Gala in Monaco. “I still don’t believe I’ve reached my full potential anyway, I’ll keep trying to improve,” Lavinia told the Herald Sun. “What I love about running is that it’s just a way of life, it’s what you do when you get up in the morning. For me it’s just what I do every day, to me it’s not extraordinary.” Great rep for clomid store our set. She also reveals her Lyon goal: “I’ve only done a couple of worlds but I feel ready to do a World Championships. Hopefully I’ll do well there in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m and a marathon on the horizon at the end of competition.”

Here’s the story, in case the link goes down Down Under.

LIKE she does when pounding the track, Lavinia Petrie is focused on what’s ahead.

The 71-year-old took out the World Masters Female Athlete of the Year award last month, set eight world records in 2014 but is looking forward to next year.

“I still don’t believe I’ve reached my full potential anyway, I’ll keep trying to improve,’’ the Kilsyth resident said.

“What I love about running is that it’s just a way of life, it’s what you do when you get up in the morning. For me it’s just what I do every day, to me it’s not extraordinary.

“It keeps me young.’’

Petrie, who is club captain of Victorian Masters Athletics and also competes for Ringwood Athletic Club, Knox Masters Athletics and the Knox Road Runners, flew to Monaco with daughters June and Julie for the gala awards in November.

“It’s been surreal, I still haven’t come to terms with the enormity of it,’’ she said.

“I was notified in August that the Oceania region had nominated me, which I thought was very nice, then in September I received an email from the president of the World Masters Athletics saying I had been selected as the winner. I honestly couldn’t believe it, I had to read it over and over.

“It was a terrific experience going to Monaco and very special that I was able to share it with my daughters, unfortunately my son couldn’t make it as he was on a family holiday. You get to see these athletes, who you believe are immortal, in the flesh and they’re human like everyone else.

“I met Valerie Adams, the shot putter, who was awarded female World Athlete of the Year and she was a lovely girl. She was leading the conga line on the dance floor at the gala. I was in there too.’’

Petrie, who clocks around 60km across six mornings a week, is excited about 2015 with her competition schedule featuring state championships in March, nationals in April and the world championships in France in August.

“I’ve only done a couple of worlds but I feel ready to do a World Championships,’’ she said. “Hopefully I’ll do well there in the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m and a marathon on the horizon at the end of competition.

“In 2011, the last Worlds, I won the 10,000. But last time I completed a full Worlds was in 1999 and I won the 5km, finished second in the 10 and third in the 1500.’’

Lavinia Petrie is eligible to be a Lilydale Leader senior sports star nominee. To nominate a sports star, presented by Sportsmart, visit leadernews.com.au/sportsstar.