By Sid Astbury Oct 8, 2009, 12:12 GMT
Sydney - It's 13 years since Jenny Holliday was a serious softball competitor but the former star pitcher for the Australian team at the Atlanta Olympics is hopeful of another podium finish at the World Masters Games in Sydney next month.
'I think we're in with a good shot to make the final, but I really don't know who we're up against,' the 45-year-old said.
And that's the Masters Games all over: you never know whether your opponents are going to be former Olympians like Holliday or a weekend warrior like Melbourne cyclist John Randall.
'This is a serious competition for all of them - not as serious for some - but everyone has their own personal bests that they want to do and that makes it really competitive,' Randall said.
There are more than 28,000 competitors entered in 28 sports and they range in age from 25 to over 100. There are participants from Sri Lanka, Lithuania and Botswana and 100 other countries and they get the chance to compete in the venues built for Sydney's 2000 Games.
World titles are up for grabs across all the age categories and the favourite for a swag of records in the 100-and-over classification is Australian great-grandmother Ruth Frith.
You name it, she's won at it: long jump, triple jump, hammer, shot put, discus. Frith trains six days a week and is likely to score walk-over victories in some events.
'I love training,' Frith said. 'The day I get up and say 'Oh, I don't want to go to training' that's the day I'll give up.'
One of the joys of the Masters Games is that there are 200 former Olympians entered and one may well be in the next lane to you.
Murray Rose, the most successful male Australian swimmer of all time, will be back in the pool. In the 1950s he was untouchable over 400 metres and 1,500 metres and garnered 15 world records.
Rose still swims every day and will be out to peel back the years when the gun goes. 'As you get older I think you sometimes have to challenge yourself a little bit and get outside of your comfort zone,' he said.
The first World Masters Games was in Toronto, Canada, in 1985 and the event has been held every four years since. It's Australia's third shot as host, having provided venues in Brisbane in 1994 and Melbourne in 2002. The last gathering was in Edmonton, Canada, in 2005.
The internet has helped globalize sports for those whose best performances are perhaps behind them. Graham Day, who is entered in two cycling events in the 55-59 age category, is hopeful of winning gold despite having no international experience.
'My strongest event will be the individual pursuit,' he said. 'I've checked out the times from when the World Masters Games were last in Australia and my times are comparable to the gold medal time.'
As usual, politicians have lumbered a sporting contest where competitors are all amateurs with the notion that it's all about participation rather than performance.
'With more than half of Australia's adults now being either overweight or obese, the lead-up to the World Masters Games is a good opportunity for people to consider whether they are getting enough exercise,' said Sports Minister Kate Ellis.
Ellis said that the World Masters Games was only half serious. That will be news to most of those competing.
Even cyclist Graham Day, a first time competitor, trains daily and has secured a personal coach. 'I keep myself motivated by setting myself goals,' he said. 'This is one of the big ones.'
Also deadly serious about peaking at the right time is 69-year-old runner Carl Hebel, who set off from his home in Queensland to walk the 1,110 kilometres to Sydney - a distance he says will take him 18 days.
'Walking from Gympie to Sydney Olympic Park will complete my Games training programme and put me in tip-top condition for my four attempts at Games gold,' Hebel said.
Hebel, who is gunning for gold in the 1,500 metres, the cross- country, the 10,000 metres and the half-marathon, is carrying his kit with him and will be sleeping under the stars as he makes his way to his first World Masters Games.
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