Alanna Peart to compete at U20 World Athletics Championships

Race walker Alanna Peart is taking giant steps forward under the watchful eye of an Olympic gold medallist coach. Here’s how her coach has impacted her.

Ballarat’s Alanna Peart doesn’t have to look too far to find inspiration to get to the top of the sport she loves.

The 18-year-old next week will aim to become the best 10km junior race walker in the world when she competes at the World Athletics Under-20 championships in Colombia.

Peart is one of three Ballarat athletes making the trip to Cali, with Cooper Sherman and Lachlan O’Keefe joining her at the titles.

And another Ballarat walking legend factor is helping to make sure Peart, a Ballarat YCW Harriers member, can perform at her best.

2012 50km walk Olympic gold medallist Jared Tallent is Peart’s coach and is guiding her along the same path which led to his success.

“He’s been a huge inspiration, especially when I was younger looking up to him and seeing him win a gold medal at an Olympic Games, which is the pinnacle of race walking,” Peart said.

“He’s teaching me all the things that he learnt when he was an athlete doing it.

“I know by him telling me all the things they are proven things that helped him win.”

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Tallent’s talent for coaching has helped Peart this season with the 18-year-old second at the national championships in under-20 10km and 13th individually at the world athletics team walking championships in the 10km. This effort helped guide Australia to a silver medal in the teams event.

Now the focus is on doing well in Colombia.

“It’s been a big season,” she said.

“But preparations have been going pretty well.

“We had a pre-camp on the Gold Coast and met everyone on the team.”

Peart’s goal is to attain a top ten finish at the under-20 world championships.

Her race strategy revolves around coming home strong in the second half of the event.

“I try to maintain a steady speed throughout, so you don’t really go out too hard and fatigue in the second art of the race,” she said.

Ballarat's Alanna Peart is inspired by her coach Jared Tallent who is a former gold medallist in the race walk.

“I’ve been working on recently trying to maintain a speed at the start of the race and try to have a better kick towards the second part of the race.

“It’s when the competitors normally fatigue and you can be in with a chance.”

This competition will be one of her last in the 10km before she graduates to seniors and the 20km events.

“Hopefully over the next few years I’ll improve on the endurance side to be able to maintain the 20km and get the times to qualify for Paris (Olympics),” she said.

“That’s definitely the goal, to make an Olympics and (home) Commonwealth Games.”

Peart competes in the World Athletics Under-20 Championships on August 5.