Hornsby Advocate Local Sports Star: Naylon and Ellis new world champions
JANET Naylon and Selina Ellis are changing the face of Australian athletics. The world champions want more women of all ages to compete in international competitions.
Local Sports Stars
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JANET Naylon and Selina Ellis are changing the face of Australian athletics by encouraging more women of all ages to compete in international competitions.
The pair have just returned from the recent World Masters Indoor Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea, as gold medallists and world champions.
They have also been nominated for the NewsLocal Local Sports Stars Award, Service to Sport category.
Competing for the first time in an indoor competition, Ellis, 47, from Berowra Heights, won the Women’s 45-year pole vault championships.
She also competed in the 60m sprint, the hammer throw and javelin.
“I was excited to be competing at my first indoor championships and was not disappointed,” she said. “The atmosphere was fantastic.”
Four-time Australian Masters Indoor Athletics team manager Janet Naylon, 50, from Berowra Waters, won her gold medal as part of the Women’s 50 years 4 x 200m relay team.
“The first time I travelled to the world indoor athletics championships in 2008 there were just six women in a team of 15 Australians,” Naylon said.
“This year at the world masters indoor athletics championships there were 73 Australians competing, with 37 women.”
Both sportswomen said they were dedicated to seeing women in sport excel, and took pride in representing Australia.
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