Training in the past 12 months has been far from ideal for young Dubbo athletes, but that didn't stop them from bringing home a swag of medals from the Little Athletics NSW State Championships.
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Capping off their success, Grace Peters was also selected into the Under 13 NSW State Team following her performance at the championships.
Grace's coach Sarah Ryan said she was "very proud" of Grace's achievement, and all those who participated.
"It was a little bit of a shock. We had it as a goal for the last 12 months, but going into COVID we weren't sure what we were going to have to work towards. And the Under 13s are the only year for you to make that team, you only get one shot," Ryan said.
"When the National Championships were cancelled a few months ago because they didn't know what would happen to border closures and COVID, we set other goals. We really hadn't thought about the state team, until this happened."
Ryan said normally Grace would have the opportunity to go to state team training in Sydney under State coaches, and then travel to the Nationals (which were to be in Melbourne) with the team, however a virtual competition this year would change that process.
"She's still going to Sydney and there will be some recognition there for making the team, but then it becomes a virtual competition.
"It is one of the hardest teams to be selected in for any athletics association because of the age restrictions and the size of the team picked. They only choose 13 boys and 13 girls and from this team they need to have two boys and girls in each event. It's ideal if you can compete at outstanding level in multiple events."
Ryan said it had been a harder year on all the young athletes in the Dubbo team.
"It was really hard because we didn't know what we were training for, or what goals we were working for, but all the kids took it in the stride, and each day, just took it as it came."
Grace will also be part of the Dubbo group competing in the upcoming Australian Track and Field Championships where athletes going for National titles and Olympic qualifiers will also meet.
Dubbo's Grace Peters, Ella Penman, Jakob Petterson, James Cosier, Maya Piras, Millie Gooch, Lockie Townsend, Ben Batten and Alexandria Eves will make the trip.