Meet Maddie Powell.
When she is not greeting you with her big smile at Mingara One Fitness, you can find Maddie at the track training in hurdles. One of Maddie’s favourite places to train is at Mingara Regional Athletics Centre. The Centre is extra busy during winter as Central Coast schools take over the track with their annual school Athletics carnivals, finding the future Australian Usain Bolte.Are you kids unsure how to start on the track for their big race?
For plenty of kids, athletics carnivals bring bundles of nerves and bellies full of butterflies. The starting pistol, heats, finals, the marshalling area and the noise of the announcer can all create a scary sensory overload. Are you kids unsure how to start properly on the track for their big race?
Check out Maddie’s 3 Tips to Start Like a Pro.
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Ready your front foot.
Place your forearm from the tip of your finger flat along the ground. Draw an imaginary line where your elbow is – or even mark it on the track. This is where you will place your front foot.
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Set your back foot.
Place your knee in line with your front foot.
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Get ready to go.
When you are at the start lines, have your hands in front of the start line and focus your arms just out in front of you. Steady those butterflies and get ready to run!
Once your body is in position get your mind focused and ready to go. Be prepared for the loudness of the starter’s pistol. Try to relax!
Practice makes perfect!
Starting from this position will have your future stars ready for action, ready to propel them forward into the race.
A great little tip for the kids to remember: Don’t forget this simple technique – the faster your arms go the faster your legs go.
Maddie knows her stuff!
She loves running – running for Maddie gives her an hour or two a day to do what she loves – it makes her happy. After finding athletics at four years old, Maddie and her twin brother ran in the under 6’s twice! Her love of athletics kept her in Little Athletics until she was 17. So passionate for the sport that she loved anything that was less than 400 metres. 100, 200, 400-metre events, Long Jump, High Jump, Triple Jump, 100m hurdles and the 200m hurdles which were her favourite event. Maddie competed at State and National level until 16 years of age. Injury shifted Maddie to reevaluate her competition schedule and she stuck with her heart – hurdles.
Check out Maddie’s results
Australian Open Championships – 7th 100m Hurdles Final
Australian Athletics Tour: Sydney Track Classic 6th place 400m hurdles, Sydney Track Classic – 4th 100m Hurdles
NSW U23 Championships – 1st 100m Hurdles
NSW Open Championships – 2nd 100m Hurdles
Australian Open Championships – 5th 100m Hurdles
Australian Open Championships – 8th 400m Hurdles
Represented Australia in Oceanic Championships in Samoa: Gold in 100m Hurdles, Gold in 100m and Silver in 4x100m
Represented Australia in Oceanic Championships in Tahiti: Gold in 400m Hurdles, Gold in Mixed Medley Relay and Bronze in 200m.
Australian University Games – 2nd in 400m Hurdles, 2nd 4x200m relay, 2nd 4x400m relay, 7th 200m.
The best facilities for Central Coast Sports events can be found at Mingara Regional Athletics Centre.
Share these tips and videos with your kids so that they will go into their Central Coast sports carnival confident of where they are going, what to expect and importantly with the advantage of knowing how to start like a pro!
Take a tour
Unsure of where to park or what to expect at the track. Take a fly-through tour of the track here. Show the kids what to expect and where to go. This should help alleviate and nerves about being away from school and at the track competing and having fun for the day! Grown-ups can learn more about where to park, where to grab a bite to eat and importantly a barista made coffee to get them through the day.
Visit Mingara Recreation Club here