October 20, 2005
Katy Whear’s pedigree says she was destined to compete against – and beat – Australians.Before she took up lifesaving and beach sprinting, she gained her Blue as a member of the legendary Oxford University Athletics Club – home of Sir Roger Bannister who famously beat Australia’s John Landy in the race to become the first person to run the mile in less than four minutes. Katy, 23, even took part in the 50th anniversary celebrations of that event in Oxford last year.
Now though, her focus is on retaining the world beach sprint title she won at the last world life saving championships in Italy two years ago – and also being part of a successful British team at Rescue 2006, next year’s world lifesaving championships being held in Geelong and Lorne. “Italy was my first international championships and it was great fun,” Katy said. “One of the best bits was having no pressure and no idea how I’d get on as I’d never raced in an international before. After winning the sprint, I was in total shock. The other highlight was the medals ceremony. I think it was the only time either the Aussie or New Zealand flag wasn’t at the top of the flagpole. Getting to hear a different national anthem was a nice change!”
Whear is confident the British team will do well in Australia next February, particularly after dominating the beach section at the European championships in Germany earlier this year. “Lorne is a really pretty part of the Surf Coast so I am looking forward to returning there,” she said. “I was last there in 1996.
We’ve got a great bunch of people in the GB team, too. We all get on really well, everyone is supportive of each other so the trip is eagerly anticipated.”
Sadly for Whear, she has had to turn down the chance to train in Australia in the lead up to next February’s events. “I put my boyfriend on the plane a couple of weeks ago but I couldn’t go with him because I landed a job that I couldn’t turn down about eight weeks ago,” the qualified geologist explained. Her boyfriend is David Green who has joined North Burleigh Lifesaving Club in Queensland and will represent his English club at Lorne.
“I am a bit disappointed I am not with David as training would have helped a lot,” Katy said. “In Italy we were coming out of our season while the Australians were just starting. This time it will be the other way around and that will probably make a bit of a difference.”
But Katy is hoping not too much of a difference. The Union Jack flying over the beach at Lorne and God Save The Queen on the PA would mean as much to her as the moment back at Oxford in 1954 when Roger Bannister beat John Landy to the fabled prize, then repeated his success two years later in the Race of the Century at the Vancouver Empire Games. As all Oxonian athletes would know only too well, especially one with the chance to compete against Australians, Rescue 06 comes in the 50th
anniversary of that great event.
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