Schoolgirl sprinter Torrie Lewis keeps pace with Sally Pearson

Brisbane schoolgirl sprinter Torrie Lewis is leaving Australia’s top athletes in her dust – but her scorching speed is not the only reason she’s been compared to Olympic champion Sally Pearson.

Meet the Brisbane schoolgirl keeping pace with Olympic champion Sally Pearson and already leaving Australia’s top sprinters in her dust.

Torrie Lewis, just 15, is one of the hottest prospects in Australian athletics with some already talking about her for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

A student at St Peters Lutheran College in Brisbane’s western suburbs, Torrie turned heads in September at the Queensland Athletics Track and Field meet with a win in the 100m sprint over Riley Day – the 20-year-old sprinter who was one of the stars of the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast.

Torrie is also the world’s best under-16 100m and 200m runner, world No. 3 in the under-18 age group, and is Australia’s No. 1 under-20 sprinter.

But it is perhaps her more recent feat, equalling the national under-18 100m record set by Olympic gold medal-winner Pearson that has really put Lewis on the map as a potential star in the sport.

Graceville sprinter Torrie Lewis has equalled the national under-18 100m record set by Olympic gold medal-winner Sally Pearson. Picture: Richard Walker

At last month’s Queensland All Schools athletics championships she equalled Pearson’s under-18 record in the 100m with a sizzling personal best 100m time of 11.57 seconds – qualifying her for the 2021 world junior championships.

And while they might share results, the similarities between Lewis and Pearson don’t end there.

“I have known Sally since she was 12 and I remember when she was 14 and I said to her ‘don’t have a goal of going to the Olympics, have the goal of winning the Olympic gold’,’’ said Torrie’s coach Gerrard Keating.

“Sally loved to compete and so does Torrie.

“The fact is there is only one Sally. But I know where Torrie can get to. Torrie has everything,’’ he said in reference to his young star’s off-track work ethic and fierce desire mirroring that of Pearson.

“And what Torrie has done in the last seven months, she is the best (junior) I have ever seen in my 30-odd years in this sport.”

Originally from Newcastle, Torrie moved to Brisbane at the start of the year with her mother Wendy.

When COVID-19 closed in, coach Keating was stranded in Newcastle but he wrote a program for Lewis which she has religiously followed while training on her own.

“To do it pretty much by herself, setting it up all, warming up and doing everything correctly, it shows the drive that she has,’’ Keating said.

Torrie’s mother films the sessions for Keating and he sends back reports on her technique.

And the results speak for themselves.

Sally Pearson on the podium at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images

Despite all the hard work and dedication, Torrie said running sub 11.70 had exceeded her expectations.

“I was aiming to run high 11.60’s and 23.80’s (200m), so it was really good that I ran faster than I thought I would.

She praised coach Keating, saying his confidence in her had added to her self belief.

“I always trust that he believes in me which gives me more confidence,” she admits.

“And St Peters allows me to balance my athletics with my school and they have given me a lot of support, which has really helped me.’’

Torrie said her aims for 2021 were to win the junior 100m and 200m national titles and make the Australian team for the 2021 world junior championships (under-20s).

St Peters Lutheran College director of sport, Shaun Nodwell said “Torrie’s impact on the College has been immense’’.

“She is well liked and respected by her peers and has maintained an outstanding academic record around all her track field training and competitions. The College is very proud of her achievements.”

Lewis is one of two elite female sprinters at St Peters – the other is the lightning fast Hilal Durmaz.