Gold Coast’s Thewbelle Philp overcomes adversity to be a rising track and field star, with the best start out there
Another track star has emerged as a golden generation of Olympic heroes announce themselves to the nation. Meet the Gold Coast schoolgirl who overcame adversity to rocket to a 100m record at the All Schools Australia Athletes championship.
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Thewbelle Philp was born 11 weeks premature and 16 years later the Gold Coast track and field pocket rocket is the most exciting female junior sprint prospect in Australia.
The Palm Beach Currumbin State High Year 11 student has turned chatter into raucous conversation after her blistering, record-breaking 100m performance at the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships at QSAC last Friday.
Standing just 1.57m tall and weighing a mere 48.9kg, Philp ran a personal best time of 11.38 seconds and is now shadowing the junior times of Australia’s fastest woman, fellow Queenslander Torrie Lewis, 20, who made her Olympic Games debut this year in Paris.
A Mudgeeraba Little Athletics junior, Philp grew up wanting to represent Australia at the 2030 Commonwealth Games, but has adjusted her aims to also shoot for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
“With my coach Leanne (Hines-Smith, Ignition Athletics Club) we have been training for long term, trying to peak at that time and save myself, don’t get injuries and maintain my health so I can do that and try and accomplish something like an Olympic Games,’’ explained Thewbelle.
All this from a young woman who started behind the Eight ball. She has made up for lost time.
“Being like premature, 29 weeks and under a kilo, it helped develop her strength because she had to fight to stay alive,’’ said her father Matt.
“She is a very, very strong girl. Both my daughters (Breallia and Thewbelle) are strong centred. They had to fight to stay alive and she (Thewbelle) is still a fighter today.’’
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Philp’s explosive start is extraordinary and no one beats her over the first 15m.
No one comes near her.
“It shocks me when I watch videos back (on my starts). I say to myself ‘oh, I can’t believe I did that’,’’ Philp said.
Nor can her Queensland teammate, Amaya Mearns, who last Friday ran second to Philp in the 100m. “She is a rocket out of the blocks and is very difficult to catch,’’ Mearns praised.
Philp was also an elite 200m runner although not the best - she finished second to Queenslander Mearns (23.15 seconds) on Saturday.
Philp produced a personal best time of 23.4 seconds.
Philp said after her success in the 100m and 200m over the weekend, she was just proud of herself. “Watching back at the videos, I feel like I am very happy I did what I did,’’ said Philp.
“I am very proud of what I have just done and what I have accomplished, and I am more motivated now to try and see how hard I can work to get a faster time.’’
Philp has natural speed in the family. Dad Matt was renowned for his speed as a Tweed Seagulls rugby league junior, while mum Beth was no slouch herself as a junior growing up.
But their pace does not compare to their daughter.
Philp, who said she admired Ebony Lane, Bree Masters and Cathy Freeman growing up, did not always like athletics.
Indeed when she first started aged five, she told her parents she wanted to do something else.
But at the Elanora State School, Philp started to win races and started to fall in love with sprinting again.
Now she is just so joyful around the athletics track. “There is so much I love about it,’’ she said.
“When I am on the track I feel like I am flying. When I try to go as fast as I can, it feels right.
“When I turn my legs over it is such a free feeling.
“And I love athletics because of all the other people and the friends you make.
“The parents, the coaches - there are so many people involved.’’
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