Following mum’s fast footstepsArticle from: Font size: Decrease Increase Email article: Email Print article: Print Submit comment: Submit comment Damien Stannard
January 26, 2008 11:00pm
JESS Peris, daughter of athlete Nova Peris, is yet to make an impact like that of her mum, but already she is in hot demand.
The daughter of Olympic and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Nova Peris was wanted by two rival teams competing in next Saturday’s Athletics Australia Cup in Brisbane.
In more of a negotiation than a tug-of-war for her services, Peris has been granted leave from her indigenous development squad to compete for the ACT/AIS team.
The 17-year-old sprinter will run the 200m – the same event won by Nova at the 1998 Commonwealth Games – at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre on a card featuring national champions Josh Ross, Bronwyn Thompson, Sally McLellan, Kylie Wheeler and Tamsyn Lewis.
Peris is unlikely to challenge the likes of Queenslander McLellan and Victoria’s Lauren Hewitt.
But what she may do in the state-versus-state format is take a significant step towards representing her country at future international meets.
A beauty therapist and part-time model, [b]Peris lives with her mother and coach Nova and stepfather, sprinter Daniel Batman, in Canberra.
She is among about 30 elite indigenous athletes selected in the Australian Sports Commission’s Jumpstart to London squad – a group training for the 2012 Olympics.
“We need more Aboriginal girls (like Peris) to stand up,” Jumpstart to London co-ordinator and coach Sally McGrady said. “She’s an extremely confident young lady. I guess she’s got her mother’s genes.”[/b]
Queensland sprinter Otis Gowa and the Northern Territory’s Narelle Long – niece of former Essendon champion Michael – are in the Jumpstart team to compete against the host state, NSW, ACT/AIS, Western Australia and defending champion Victoria next weekend.