Matthew de Bruin won two gold medals at the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships. 75014 Picture: Stewart Chambers
By Danielle Galvin
TWO Pakenham teens are making their mark in national athletics.
Karlee Bailey and Matthew De Bruin, both from Pakenham, competed in the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships in Brisbane.
Karlee, 14, qualified sixth in the 100-metre heat, with an impressive time of 12.67 seconds.
The Berwick Secondary College student trains three to four times a week and loves athletics.
She has her heart set on being a professional athlete when she leaves school in a few years.
“I started in primary school and got pretty far, then I started athletics in high school,” she said.
Her favourite subject at school is physical education.
Another Pakenham local to do well at the Australian All Schools Track and Field Championships was Matthew de Bruin.
Fifteen-year-old Matthew was hurled onto the national stage recently when he took home gold at the championships.
The Beaconhills College student’s specialty is hurdles, but he’s also a footballer and a silver medalist in high jump.
Earlier this year, the driven Pakenham teen worked out a goal to achieve by the end of the year.
“Three months ago, I sat down and set a goal to run at the Australian All Schools. I did whatever I could, I made a few sacrifices and I ended up getting two gold medals,” he said.
Matthew took out the gold in the Under-16 100m hurdles and the Under-16 200m hurdles.
“My aim is to qualify for the World Youth Championships in 2013,” he said.
It’s not surprising then that like Matthew, Karlee is aiming for the World Youth Championships in Ukraine too.
“I’d have to train pretty hard,” she said.
