BEING named Dubbo's Australia Day Sportsperson of the Year won't change Jane Fardell all that much.
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This week she'll be back running 200 kilometres around Dubbo as well as longer distances on the bike and swimming as well.
To get through that workload she's up and away at 4am and it goes day in, day out.
She's working hard on endurance work as she builds up to what should be an extraordinary 2013 in sport.
Later this year she'll be heading off to Moscow in Russia as a member of the Australian team for the World Marathon Championships.
Her personal best time for a marathon is two hours, 37 minutes, but she admits to chasing a personal best (PB) every time she races and won't be happy until she gets under 2:35.00.
The more difficult the task the more she seems to thrive on the challenge.
Saturday at Victoria Park in front of an Australia Day crowd was out of Fardell’s comfort zone, but receiving the award was one that she will cherish.
“It’s wonderful to win the Australia Day award and there are a lot of people over a lot of time that have helped me get to the level that I’m currently at,” she said.
“Most important are my mum and dad who have been my most wonderful supporters through the good times and the bad times.
“This year is going to be busy and tomorrow (Sunday) I’ll be back competing for the Dubbo Triathlon Club in the interclub series here in Dubbo.
“In the build up to Moscow I’m going over to Europe in five or six weeks time for a number of events including marathons and half marathons.
“We’re still working out a race schedule but it looks as though I will be away for about a month or so.
“For now my main focus is on endurance training and my triathlon work is helping in that regard - longer running, longer riding and swimming.
“And then later on there will be speed work as I get closer to going away.”
Competing overseas won’t be foreign to Dubbo’s best known and most travelled athlete.
She ran in the Paris Marathon last year and winning the Sydney Morning Herald half-marathon increased her chances of Australian selection.
Then she went to Melbourne and qualified for the World Championships.
From a young schoolgirl who dominated the Dubbo Rotary Zoo Run for several years Fardell’s come a long way and there are still more kilometres left to be run.
Jane Fardell is indeed a worthy Australia Day sport award winner and hopefully more success will come her way as the year unfolds.