Two times IAAF Female Masters Athlete of the Year 2011 and 2012, Bunbury racewalker Lyn Ventris, was further honoured for her achievements when inducted into the Australian Masters Athletics Hall of Fame at the recent annual dinner in Adelaide.
Speaking to Lyn’s induction at the dinner was World Masters Athletics Board member Lynne Schickert who said Lyn had emerged as one of the greatest Masters athletes who still competes in Open and Masters competitions.
Introduced to the sport of race walking by a friend in 1996 Lyn quickly progressed from a keen “fitness” walker to a champion race walker.
Ventris holds 11 current world masters athletics records spanning the 5000 metre track walks, 10 kilometre road walks and 20 kilometre road walks. She has also excelled in open competition having collected many state 5000 metre, 10 kilometre and 20 kilometre walk titles.
She has competed at 13 Australian Masters Athletics championships, 10 World Masters Athletics championships and has won multiple gold medals at all of these.
One of the most satisfying of Ventris’ victories was in 2005 when she was first across the line in the England 20 kilometre open road walk championships in Essex.
“It was a real thrill to have won this event against many high quality open athletes” Ventris said.
“The most exciting of achievements was to have been recognised by being named the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year in 2011 and then winning the award again in 2012” Ventris said.
“The award presentation in the first year was in Monaco and in 2012 it was in Barcelona and it was an honour to be flown over for the presentation nights and be on the same stage as athletes such as Usain Bolt and Sally Pearson”
Ventris has a best time in the 5000 metre track walk of 23.37 and 46.35 in the 10 kilometre road walk with her best in the 20 kilometre road walk being 94.44.
“I feel so privileged to have been given the honour of being inducted into the Masters Athletics Hall of Fame joining such a fabulous group of Masters athletes and administrators” Ventris said.
There are just 12 inductees in the hall of fame.
“This honour makes all the hard work of training on my own early most mornings really worth it. I just want to thank all those fellow athletes, coaches, family and friends that have helped me along the way”.
Ventris is not finished yet as she is in full training for the next World Masters Athletics Championships to be held this year in Perth from October 26.
It is only the third time the championships have been held in Australia and some 4000 athletes are expected to compete.
