Athletic ‘Marty’ remembers flying high, awesome feeling

Top coach, former heptathlete shares inspiring thoughts.

BOMBER'S BLAST

TODAY'S spotlight is on champion Ipswich athlete Theresa Stolberg (nee Martin).

Nickname: Marty.

Athletic achievements: Little Athletics state team aged 11 (1984) and 14 (1987). Pan Pacific School champion high jump (1.82m), Queensland team first heptathlon (1990/91) and placed in top three for next five years. Represented Australia in Taiwan and New Zealand in heptathlon and high jump.

Favourite coach: Geoff Jones. Mr Jones, as we called him, did not flog us or push us to our limits. He rather had a holistic approach to training and was good at creating a team atmosphere among our squad. He was very knowledgeable for a volunteer coach and took the time to get to know us as people not just athletes and managed to get many of us to national levels in a variety of events.

 

 

Theresa "Marty'' Stolberg during her athletics career.

 

 

 

What did you love about the sport? It is also sometimes what I hate - it's black and white. You win a race - you are a winner - and when you lose you are out. It can be cut throat, for eg qualifying times. Sometimes you can be 1cm off making a state or national team but you are not picked because of that 1cm. I love it and hate it (respect it) at the same time.

Favourite event: High jump. The feeling of flying over the bar is incredible. It's actually quite easy once you have the correct run-up and technique. I just loved when the competition started with 20 athletes then one by one they were eliminated until only three remained. It's an awesome feeling that you have maintained your mental and physical strength until the end.

Any superstitions? I used to put baby powder on my feet before I put my socks on for good luck.

Do you follow the sport today/your thoughts? No, I don't follow it today. In fact, I now think it's kind of weird. I think Usain Bolt saved track and field from an enormous amount of criticism surrounding drug cheats a few years back. He made athletics popular and well respected again. I admire athletes for their dedication and understand the effort that is required to make a national team let alone represent your country at an Olympics. I am delighted that we have two women who have jumped the qualifying height for the Olympics in 2021.

What are you up to these days? I am vice-president of the Ipswich and District Athletics Club. I coach a squad of athletes called the Marty squad and I do sessions in Ipswich, Springfield, Centenary and St Lucia. I also coach at schools during the day as part of the sporting schools program. I also coach netball, basketball and athletics at primary schools. I play a bit of social netball and basketball and hope to compete in the Pan Pacific Masters Games in November.

Are your kids involved in sport? All three of my children love sport. They have tried soccer, netball, indoor netball, basketball, touch footy, gymnastics and athletics. My eldest Tyla is currently on a scholarship for basketball in the USA. My son Liam loves basketball and was part of the U18 State Championship winning team. Toby, my youngest, plays basketball and is a promising high jumper.

Did you have a hero growing up? I didn't have a hero as such but do remember being in awe of older female athletes here in Ipswich like Deanne Kerwin, Kerri Kinnane and Belinda Hoonhout to name a few. I just wanted to be like them and they were very inspiring for me.

Quick thoughts

HEROES: 1. Watching the emotion and tears on the face of 19-year-old Carlton midfielder Madison Prespakis when she was announced via a streamed broadcast that she had collected the AFLW Best and Fairest Award. She has come a long way from winning the Rising Star Award last year.

2. Daniel Vidot gave up his rugby league career for the WWE and last week finally made it into the big time with his first appearance at the top level on Smackdown.

Villains: 1. The three NRL players in Latrell Mitchell, Josh Addo-Carr and Nathan Cleary for their complete arrogance concerning the social distancing that everyone must undertake. The three boofheads have put the game at risk of not starting on May 28. It's not hard to follow the rules.

2. The NRL Integrity Unit had a perfect opportunity to send a huge message to all players but decide to hit them with a featherduster. Surely a few games on the sideline was in order.

3. A proposal by Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic for top flight players to donate some money to help the lower ranked players on the tour was met with a scathing attack by world No 3 Dominic Thiem. You have $37m and couldn't spare the $30,000 that the proposal was asking. Remember you were one of these lower players only a few years ago.

Sporting birthdays: 1. 1950 - Marina Stepanova (Russian hurdler who become the first woman to run a sub 53sec 400m hurdles (52.94).

2. 1951 - Gordon Greenidge (West Indian opening batsman who scored 19 centuries and averaged 44.72).

3. 1971 - Stuart Appleby (Australian golfer who has won nine PGA Tour titles).

On this day: 1. 1930 - Don Bradman scores 236 in his first class debut in England.

2. 1940 - The Summer Olympics to be held in Helsinki are cancelled due to WWII.

3. 1951 - Future Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle hits his first career home run.

4. 1994 - Three-time World Formula 1 Drivers Champion Ayrton Senna is killed after a 309kmh crash in Italy.

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