Berwick’s cycling sisters doin’ it in style

By Marc McGowan
BERWICK cycling sisters Courtney and Alana Field produced medal-winning performances at the Victorian Junior Road Championships in Wangaratta late last month.
Twelve-year-old Courtney defeated rival Emma Bilston to win the 13-and-under girls’ road race, while eight-year-old Alana shocked much older competitors in claiming silver in the 11-and-under girls’ event.
Courtney was one of four riders in contention for gold at the end of her 18.6km race, but she timed her final sprint to perfection to blow her competitors away.
The siblings are part of the Casey-Cardinia Triathlon Squad and represent Carnegie-Caulfield Cycling Club.
They emerged victorious in their respective age groups at the Metro Road Championships in Newstead in June.
Courtney is too young to compete at the national championships this year, but hopes to make her mark on the Australian road and track cycling scene in 2010.
The Grade 6 Beaconhills College student rides up to 100km a week and often completes the 70km round trip from Berwick to Black Rock on Saturday mornings.
“I love how cycling’s very competitive and all the new places that we go to and the scenery and going up the hills,” she said.
Courtney credits Casey-Cardinia Triathlon Squad cycling coach Luke Postlethwaite for much of her success.
But she is not content with her cycling dominance.
Courtney is working hard on her swimming and running and also aims to compete at national level in triathlon next year.
“I’m very keen on both of them. I’m improving my swimming and my running still needs a bit of work, but I’m improving,” she said.
“My coach, Luke Postlethwaite, makes training fun … if you don’t enjoy it, you don’t want to continue.”
Courtney is also proud of Grade 3 St Margaret’s School student Alana’s achievements and believes her younger sister will be just as good as her in the coming years.
“She’s only eight and is versing people who are much older than her in the under-11s, so she’s still got two more years (in that age group) and everyone else is going up,” Courtney said.
“She’s doing really well to be beating them most of the time.”
Sport runs in the family, with their mother, Michelle, formerly involved in karate, while their father, Simon, played for Caulfield and Camberwell in the Victorian Football Association.