Masters round-up: Belles make their mark at World Masters
Maureen Noel landed a race-walking silver medal at the World Masters Championships in Gothenberg, while Mia Callenberg secured a strong fifth place in the W35 throws pentathlon.
When Maureen Noel entered two race walking events in the W60 age-group at the World Masters, held in Gothenburg in August, she had high hopes of adding to the gold and silver medals she won at the Europeans in Italy last year.
However, Maureen had an accident while training, less than five weeks before her first race was scheduled to take place. She was out training and approaching Hyde Park when she tripped and fell trying to dodge around tourists. She suffered two fractures (arm and shoulder) and the general consensus was that she wouldn’t be able to compete in Gothenburg.
Maureen decided to travel to anyway to meet up with friends and club-mates, acknowledging that she wouldn’t be able to race. The competitive atmosphere in Gothenburg must have stirred Maureen’s competitive nature, and the next thing we knew she had competed in the 10km road walk! Maureen coped okay and placed ninth - a very creditable performance considering the severity of her accident.
Maureen’s determination came to the fore and she hit the road again eight days later in the 20km road walk. Maureen always performs best at longer distances and she stormed to 2nd place, being beaten only by another Brit, Marie Jackson. So Maureen’s dreams of another international medal came true, thanks to her guts and determination.
Maureen Noel smiles from second place on the podium
Callenberg takes fifth in W35
Mia Callenberg finished fifth in the W35 Throws Pentathlon, with solid performances across all the five throws. A discus throw of 34.33m was her best result, earning her fourth place in that event.
The total score of 2630 was only 107 points off the Swedish record in the age group, which will be a target for the coming four years competing in W35.
Congratulations to Maureen and Mia for their epic achievements in Sweden!
Mia Callenberg - a regular on the National Athletics League scene - shows off her Sweden kit