The runner, who'd been ham-stringed by an unfortunate injury and feared that the rest of her 2019 efforts had potentially evaporated, was only meant to be using the local event as something of a practice run.

Despite that, she was easily the best in her respective categories, and just a few weeks later was being ushered onto a plane to go and represent Australia at the 2019 International Athletics Championships in the Middle East.

READ MORE:

"I had that injury, so I wasn't really expecting to be going to Doha, but I love the Stampede and I do it every year, so it was a very surreal month leaving that and ending up at the starting line, so the Stampede actually ended up being pretty good preparation," Campbell said.

Campbell, who broke through her own personal best record in the heats for the 3000m Steeple Chase event in Qatar, has broke through a number of personal goals in the last year.

"I got that PB, I was hoping to run a little bit quicker, especially as I wasn't really fully prepared for it, but I'm quite happy to take a PB away from it," Campbell said.

"I had such a great last year, I finished top 30 in the world cross country and world championships which is more than I'd ever have dreamed of as a kid."

The Warren athlete, who had planned to begin this season's training in the Kosciuzko park, has had to cancel those plans due to the bushfires, but is making the most of the time by training in the local region, alongside other runners in Orange.

"We're into the heavy training again right now and we've got a great team down in Canberra who we train with, it's a great environment all around and everyone's so supportive of each other."

Campbell's counting on that support, and the help of her Coach Philo Saunders, to boost her attempt at crossing another childhood dream off her bucket list.

"Tokyo 2020 is definitely what we're looking toward next, we'll have the Australian summer racing season sort of starting up now and running until April, hopefully I'll get to do a few races in America, then Japan and hopefully I'll qualify for that, it's a big ask," Campbell said.

"The Olympics is the pinnacle of all sports, it's what you dream of as a kid, it's definitely surreal even thinking about it, because I grew up in Warren, dreaming about this stuff but you never think it's a possibility, for now I've just got to stay focused, keep on doing the same things I've been doing and trust in my coach, trust in the training that we do."

Despite the impressive list of accolades, Campbell is humble about what's brought her so far, thanking both coaches, training partners and family above all else.

"You can't really do something like this on your own, my coach Philo Saunders, I trust him pretty much completely and he's really helped me grow in the sport," Campbell said.

"I fully trust him to put me in the right position at the right time to get the best results."

"We've got a group of pretty elite runners down in Canberra with Philo and there's a couple of people there that'll probably be competing in the Paralympics in Tokyo."

While Campbell's jet-setting itinerary limits just how much time she can spend competing in front of friends and family, they've done their best not to miss out.

"My family, they travelled to see me race a couple of times last year and they're my biggest supporters, they all believe I can make it to Tokyo and they'er so excited and happy seeing me doing my best, I'm very lucky to have that support."

"My training partners in Orange as well, everyone in the community, I'm so grateful."