Morgan Mitchell is one of the rising stars of Australian athletics, but she has not forgotten where it all started.
The national 400 metres champion returned to the Werribee Little Athletics Centre on Friday night with former teammate Aliesha Newman to present badges to new captains.
Newman and Mitchell were captain and vice-captain in their time at the centre.
Centre events co-ordinator Noraine Singletary said it was great the captain and vice-captain from five years ago continued to contribute to the club.
“They’re two kids who put a lot in,” she said. “That’s what we’re trying to instil in our new captains and vice-captains – that it’s great to put back into the community as community has given to you.
“Every time we ask for these kids to volunteer their time, they do it.”
Mitchell, who turned 20 last month, stormed home to win the women’s 400 metres at the Australian Athletics Championships at Albert Park in April.
She went on to represent Australia at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, reaching the semi-finals.
While it took Mitchell a while to find her feet in athletics, coaches at the WLAC could tell she was destined for big things.
“When she was really little, she struggled for a while there, then she found her big legs and big feet and away she went,” Singletary said.
“It wasn’t until under-8s and 9s that she started to find herself.
“You could tell from very little that she was going to be successful.”
While members of the WLAC are proud of Mitchell’s achievements on the running track, they are just as thrilled with the person she has grown into away from the bright lights of international competition.
“It’s not just that she’s a successful athlete, it’s that she’s putting back into the club and volunteering her time and wants to be a part of where she originally started,” Singletary said.
“She puts in every year for the kids and that will instil great values into the new captains.”
The 2014-15 captains are Emily Day (captain) and Demi Utber (vice-captain) in the girls’ section, and Daly Andrews (captain) and Fraser Paull (vice-captain) in the boys’ section.
