Youth Olympic Games Interview: MICHELLE JENNEKE and JENNY BLUNDELL

Athletics NSW
Published: Aug 11, 2010 10:51:54 AM Updated: Aug 25, 2010 02:44:24 PM

ANSW: What school and what year are you in? What subjects do you do and what are your goals after you leave school?

MICHELLE: I attend The Hills Grammar School in Kenthurst and am in Year 11. I am studying extension maths, physics, chemistry, PDHPE and extension English. Not exactly sure what I will pursue after school but most likely something in the sciences.

 

ANSW: What are your hobbies and interests away from athletics?

MICHELLE: I generally just love having fun. I have a great bunch of friends who I enjoy doing active things with like laser tag. I also love playing sport including soccer, touch football, European handball and indoor soccer. I have a quad bike which I love to ride. I also enjoy climbing trees and I have a couple of dogs and cats who are fun to play with.    

 

ANSW: Congratulations on your domestic season, it was very long, but you were able to run well throughout and also managed to negotiate the higher hurdle height – great for the future. How did you manage this?

MICHELLE: Yes the season was quite long but I love athletics and our club is really encouraging and social so it keeps the season really fun. I enjoyed the challenge of the higher hurdles and I adapted quite easily. 

 

ANSW: You are a quality sprinter. Is this important for your hurdles?

MICHELLE: It certainly helps to be fast and powerful for the hurdles. 

 

ANSW: How often do you train?

MICHELLE: I usually train twice a week but leading up to major competition my coach and I try to get in a third session.

 

ANSW: What are you aiming to achieve at the Youth Olympics?

MICHELLE: Ultimately I want to have a good race and achieve a solid PB.

 

ANSW: What got you involved in track and field and what keeps you running?

MICHELLE: I have always loved to run ever since I was a baby. I even used to line up socks, cushions and teddy bears down the hall and hurdle them when I was like 12 months old. I first started LAs when I was seven-years-old but didn’t love it because there was too much waiting around in the heat. I started with Cherrybrook Little Athletics in U10s on Friday nights and have never looked back. The main things which keep me running are training and my friendships through the sport. A combination of belonging to a really fun club, having the most amazing coach Mick Zisti and having so many crazy friends to train with and hang out with at the club keeps me going back for more, I couldn’t imagine leaving the club and the sport because it would mean leaving a lot more than athletics behind. 

 

ANSW: What are your short and long term goals?

MICHELLE: I am not really goal orientated.

 

Statistics/Profile

Coach: Mick Zisti

Event: 100m hurdles

Club: Cherrybrook

Personal bests: 13.89 (84cm)

 

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ANSW: What school do you attend and in what year are you? What subjects do you do and what is your goal after you leave school?

Jenny: I attend Cherrybrook Technology High School and am in Year 10. I do all the PDHPE courses, dance, food technology and of course the mandatory subjects. My goal is to go to university.

 

ANSW: What are your hobbies and interests away from athletics?

Jenny: In summer I water ski a lot. I play touch footy for school. I love to hang out with my friends and family.

 

ANSW: Congratulations on your domestic season, it was very long, but you were able to run well right through it and particularly at the end when the Youth Olympic trials were held.  How did you manage this?

Jenny: Thank you. Yes, the season was very long but I love training and competing so I never really dwell on how long the season goes. I run all year round, with cross country in the off-season so that helps with my strength for track seasons.

 

ANSW: How often do you train?

Jenny: I train Mondays and Wednesdays with some extra sessions here and there.

 

ANSW: How will you approach this new distance in Singapore of 1000m?

Jenny: I’m trying to focus more on splits and we have been working on a lot more volume training to get endurance for the extra 200m rather than an 800m.

 

ANSW: What are you aiming to achieve at the Youth Olympics?

Jenny: I am aiming to make the A final and run that competitively as well as to run a personal best.

 

ANSW: What got you involved in track and field and what keeps you running?

Jenny: When I was little I first began cross country. I then started training and because track follows cross country, it was only natural to give that a try. What keeps me running year after year is knowing I can go faster after the conclusion of every season.

 

ANSW: What are your short and long term goals?

Jenny: My short term goals: Singapore, World Youth-France. Long term: World Juniors, World Championship and definitely running a sub 2 minute 800m.

 

Statistics/Profile

Coach: Valmé Kruger

Event: 1000m

Club: Cherrybrook

Personal bests: 800m.2:06.57, 1000m 2:45.68, 1500m 4:27.63.

 

 

David Tarbotton and Ron Bendall for Athletics NSW

Image of Michelle Jenneke (Image courtesy of David Tarbotton)