NEVER giving up in athletics and tackling a specialist degree underlines the quality person Erin Wright is.
However, the coming weeks will be crucial for the Walloon hurdler eager to regain her sporting confidence.
Erin grew up in the region training at her family acreage and with the Ipswich District Athletics Club.
She enjoyed multiple successes including being state and national under-17 heptathlon champion in 2020. That was her first multi-event Australian title.
However, foot and tendon injuries in recent seasons have hampered the competitive opportunities of Erin, who turns 20 in February.
“It’s been disheartening when you get injuries and stuff once you’re at a higher level competing at states and nationals throughout the younger age groups,” Erin said.
“It’s just keeping motivated.
“There’s a good team around you that helps a lot in that aspect.
“I’m slowly getting back there, which is a positive.”
The former St Mary’s College student is concentrating on the 100m hurdles in Shield meets over the next couple of months before hopefully returning to state and national championships.
Erin’s main athletic focus is completing successful rehabilitation from a tendon injury that has restricted her for 18 months.
“I’ve just sort of got on top of it now,” she said.
“I’m going to see podiatrists and all that sort of stuff. Physio to try and help and it seems to be working.”
The Queensland championships are in March and the national titles are in April.
The Australian championships double as Olympics trials for the Paris Games in July-August.
“I’m definitely looking to compete at those ones but at the moment just trying to compete in a couple of Shield meets to get my confidence back up over the hurdles,” Erin said.
“I’m competing at them every Saturday at the moment just to get back out on the track.”
While looking to enjoy competition again, Erin has been studying Clinical Exercise Physiology at USQ.
She’s in her third year learning about sports science and hoping to work in hospitals.
“I like to challenge myself and see where things go,” Erin said.
Erin won the heptathlon at the 2020 Australian Combined Events Championships in Brisbane where she set personal bests in high jump (1.51m), long jump (4.95m), javelin (30.56m) and 800m (2.34.14). Excelling in those events secured her a new highest tally of 4391 points.
Two years earlier in Sydney, Erin collected her first national title in the 200m hurdles.
Erin continues to work with dad and coach David, on the family’s 10 acre property at Walloon.
“It’s pretty handy with athletics,” she said.
“We have our own little space to do some running and gym and that sort of stuff.”
As she focuses on her athletic revival, Erin was delighted to see other Ipswich club athletes continuing to reach new heights at state, national and international level.
Competitors like Jude Thomas, Toby Stolberg and Charlize Goody are setting high standards representing their club, state and Australia.
“It’s so good to see the up and coming athletes making all the big teams,’’ she said.
Erin shared the value of athletics, even when faced with injury frustrations.
“It’s very good,” she said, having been with the Ipswich club for a decade.
“Once you get friends and family and a good team around you, there’s not much you don’t like about it, apart from injuries.”
