The Salmat Yarra Bay Fun Run and Walk was a great success with 300 participants in the 6km Fun Run and Walk and a further 50 kids in the 1200m running races. Over $5,500 was raised through entry fees for Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for youth (www.ianthorpesfountainforyouth.com.au). Ian attended the presentation for the events and was very grateful for the support of his charity and also pleased to see so many people enjoying a healthy, active life.

Above: ALAN WHITE, PETER GARRETT and IAN THORPE

We were also privileged to have in attendance at the presentation representatives from all three levels of government;

• Federal Minister for Environment, Arts and Heritage and Member for Kingsford Smith; The Honourable Peter Garrett.
• NSW Minister for Roads and Member for Maroubra; The Hon. Michael Daley.
• Randwick Councillor (South Ward), Alan White.

Above: Alan White, Michael Daley, Jane Saville, Ian Thorpe and Nat Saville

There has been a lot of positive feedback from participants and I will certainly aim to grow the event next year. I have included some photos here and also on the gallery part of the website.

Above: Oscar the Orange warming up for the Fun Run and Walk.

Thanks to all the sponsors who donated money and prizes, without them the day wouldn’t have been such a success. And also the volunteers from Randwick-Botany Harriers Athletics Club, Regal Race Walkers, South Eastern Little Athletics and the Randwick SES who ensured everything ran smoothly on the day.

For full results go to http://www.multisportaustralia.com.au/results.aspx and look at 1/3/09 Salmat Fun Run and Walk

Indigenous Youth Athletics Coaching Clinic

Above: Kyle Vander Kuyp teaching kids how to hurdle.

The Indigenous Youth Coaching Clinic that was held on 28th February at Yarra Bay was also a success with 50 Indigenous Kids enjoying nearly two hours of athletics and coaching from accredited coaches and also Olympic Finalist Kyle Vander Kuyp and 2008 National 100m Champion Otis Gowa.

Above: Otis Gowa coaching the kids

It was a great introduction to athletics and complemented with free tickets and bus transport to Homebush for the Sydney Track Classic held that night where they watched Australia’s top athletes compete including Olympic Gold Medallist Steve Hooker in the Pole Vault.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the weekends activities. I’m definitely planning the Yarra Bay Fun Run and Walk for 2010 and hopefully another coaching clinic.

Here is a Press Release about my retirement!

JANE SAVILLE RETIRES, WALKS INTO COMMUNITY ROLE

After an outstanding 20-year career that included four Olympic appearances, highlighted by a bronze medal in 2004, Jane Saville today announced that she will be walking away from competitive athletics to continue her role as a health ambassador through her own community initiative.
The community initiative which involves a family based fun run and walk and an Indigenous Youth athletics Coaching Clinic is an extension of Saville’s long term dedication to the health and wellness of everyday Australians.
The first of the two-day events will take place at Sydney's Yarra Bay over the weekend of Saturday February 28 and Sunday March 1 and all proceeds will be donated to Ian Thorpe's Fountain for youth charity.
"I am very proud of what I have achieved in my sport, and whilst I will no longer be competing professionally, I will continue to build on my role as a health and wellness ambassador in the community,” said Saville, who also won ten National titles and three consecutive Commonwealth Games gold medals.
“I want to give back to the sport that has given me so much and I feel like I can best do that by encouraging people of all ages to live an active lifestyle through the development of my community events, coaching clinics, my promotional work with my corporate partners and by serving as an ambassador for athletics.”
Saville, who has a Bachelor of Social Science (major Economics) and a Graduate Diploma Applied Finance & Investment, will also continue her association with elite athletics as a member of IAAF Race Walking Committee.
"There are so many people I would like to thank for the role they have played in my career, but I would especially like to thank my parents and sister, Natalie, my husband and coach, Matt, and my sponsors who have been so loyal over the years," the-34-year-old said.
"I have also received fantastic support from so many sectors of the community and media which has been both personally satisfying and positive for the sport of athletics."
Most Australians will remember Saville’s heartbreak at the 2000 Sydney Olympics when she was disqualified only 150m from the finish line, and a certain gold medal. Saville’s outstanding sportsmanship won her international praise which included Sports Illustrated naming it one of their Top Ten Olympic Moments.
Following the disappointment of Sydney, Saville went on to win gold at the 2002 Commonwealth Games (the second of three Commonwealth Games gold medals - 1998, 2002, 2006) before clinching an Olympic bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and finishing the year ranked number one in the world. Saville has captained the Australian Athletics Team at Olympic, Commonwealth Games and World Championship level and was the Australian Flag Bearer at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
The aim of the Indigenous Youth Athletics Coaching Clinic and the Salmat Yarra Bay 6km Fun Run and Walk is to bring the sport of athletics to the community, encourage youth participation in athletics, raise money for Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for youth and encourage active and healthy people.
For information about the Yarra Bay Events go to: www.janesaville.com/yarrabay

A NEW YEAR!

Hi Everyone,
2009 has started well and I have been walking more and more each week with my injury feeling better but still not 100%. I will have to make a decision soon about my plans for 2009. I’m also keeping myself occupied by organising an event: Salmat Fun Run and Walk at Yarra Bay (on Botany Bay, near La Perouse in Sydney) on 1st March to raise funds for Ian Thorpe’s Fountain for youth www.ianthorpesfounatinforyouth.com.au The Fountain for youth raises money for education and health programmes for indigenous children throughout Australia.

I’m also organising with my club Randwick Botany Harriers an Indigenous Youth Coaching Clinic on 28th February at Yarra Bay as well. I grew up at Little Bay and attended La Perouse School and there were a lot of super talented aboriginal kids; more talented than I! So I thought it would be great to get some of the local kids excited about athletics and hopefully long term participation. The coaching clinic is free with the financial assistance of NSW Sport and Recreation. After the clinic all the kids and their families will travel by bus out to watch the best Australian athletes compete at the Sydney Track Classic with free tickets courtesy of Athletics NSW and Athletics Australia.

I’ll update with the website and other details on how to enter soon!

SOUTH SYDNEY RABBITOHS!

At the end of last year I was featured on the South Sydney Rabbitohs website. They're the Rugby League Team I've supported all my life. They're playing back at their old home ground at Redfern on February 7th and it will be the only game I see them play in 2009 because of my hectic overseas schedule.
This is a photo of me at Redfern Oval: Home of the Rabbitohs
FROM an interview on www.rabbitohs.com.au :Olympian Jane Saville Renews her 2009 Membership 05 Nov 2008

Australian Olympian Jane Saville has renewed her 2009 Rabbitohs Membership this week, showing her continued support for the team she loves.
The official Rabbitohs website, www.rabbitohs.com.au, spoke to Jane about her support of the Rabbitohs and why she becomes a Member each and every year.

How long have you been a Rabbitohs supporter?
All my life. It’s in my blood. My whole family are Souths supporters.

How did you become a Rabbitohs Member?
Well my father played grade for the Rabbitohs many years ago and my cousins played in the Juniors so we had no choice but to follow the mighty Rabbitohs. I’ve been a Member for the past 10 years.

Why is Ticketed Membership important to you and why do you think it’s important to the Rabbitohs?
I believe Membership is about belonging to the Rabbitohs community and supporting the Club in the best way possible. When we were excluded, it was great to see the Members and supporters band together for the fightback.
As an athlete, there’s nothing better than having the crowd cheering you on and I know the Rabbitohs players would feel the same when the Members are cheering them on at ANZ Stadium.

What has been your favourite moment as a Rabbitohs Member?
There are so many highlights but I would have to say that anytime we beat the Roosters is always special.

Who is your favourite Rabbitohs player?
I love seeing the Juniors come through the ranks and that’s why Nathan Merritt is my favourite player. Nathan played for the Alexandria Rovers as did my father.

Where do you think the Rabbitohs will finsh in 2009?
We’ll make the finals for sure in 2009 and then on to bigger and better things in 2010.

Will you be attending the Return to Redfern match here at Redfern Oval next year?
If I’m in the country and not off competing somewhere I’ll definitely be there. I can’t wait to see the team once again on Redfern Oval.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and

BEST WISHES

for a

HAPPY, HEALTHY 2009!

Christmas has come early for me with my first pain free race walk today since July; only 3km and very slow but hopefully I'm on the road to recovery. Sorry I have been slack with my updates but I've been busy and will update my blog with more details after Christmas. For now I'm going to enjoy Christmas with my family and friends over the next couple of days!

Thanks for all your support this year.

BACK in AUSTRALIA

I have been back in Australia for nearly three weeks and it’s great to be relaxing at home. I haven’t been race walking but I have been swimming with a squad 3-4 mornings a week and also cycling around the beautiful hills along the Sydney coast. Swimming with a squad is much more enjoyable as it’s more sociable and those who know me well understand my love of a chat! The only hitch is they start at 5am in the morning; yes it’s difficult to get up that early but worth it when training is all over at 6.30-7am and I can jump back into bed for an hour extra sleep.

The reason I’m still not race walking is because my foot isn’t 100% (yes still!) even though I have had 6 weeks of rest from race walking and weight bearing training. I had a bone scan and it was clear which means I don’t have a stress fracture then this week I had another MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) which was much better quality than the Beijing MRI. It showed inflammation around my tendon at the bottom of the shin (tendonitis). So I have to rest it for a little longer and get more treatment to loosen up the muscles in my shin and foot.

I will continue to cross train so I maintain a basic fitness and it should be easier to get back fitness when I can race walk.

HBA GREAT AUSTRALIAN RUN

At least I now know what the problem is and I have a reason for the pain around my foot since July. I planned to race walk in the HBA Great Australian Run in Melbourne on 30th November for my sponsor MBF (part of the HBA group) and try and beat as many runners as possible! But after my MRI results I will hopefully still participate but only as a fun walker (i.e. not race walk). www.greataustralianrun.com.au

WORLD OSTEOPOROSIS DAY October 20th

As an ambassador for Osteoporosis Australia I participated in their promotion of World Osteoporosis Day with an appearance on the Mornings with Kerrie-Anne on Channel 9 as well as other media activities to promote the importance of physical activity for bone strength. See www.osteoporosis.org.au

COACHING CLINICS

Since arriving back in Australia I attended two athletic training and development days as a coach helping out younger athletes. The first was at Sydney Olympic Park on 26th October where 35 youngsters from around New South Wales attended a race walking training session as part of the Elite Schools Athletics Coaching Clinic. Anne Saville (my mum) and myself took the race walking event group. There were a huge number of young, talented athletes who attended for all the track and field disciplines. One of the race walkers who participated, Dimitra Psarianas was kind enough to let me use her photos from the clinic on my website as I didn’t have time to take any photos.

Race Walkers at the NSW Elite Schools Training Day - Homebush

Dimitra and I at the Elite Schools Training Day

I also returned to my old Little Athletics Club, South Eastern, to help out their coaching day on 1st November. The kids were a lot of fun and their race walking techniques certainly improved in the little time we had to for each age group. There is a photo of me racing on the cover of the Little Athletics Achievement Book for the 2008-09 season and every Little Athlete in Australia receives the book so some of the kids recognised me from that.

Next time I write I hope to tell you about starting race walking again!

No IAAF Challenge Final for me.

The IAAF Race Walking Challenge Final was held on Sunday in Murcia, Spain and I was just one of the thousands of spectators. After my last cortisone injection a couple of weeks ago in Australia I have kept cross training on the bike and swimming but haven’t been able to walk more than 5km without my foot becoming inflamed again. So I decided last week that racing in Murcia certainly wasn’t going to help it only rest will do that. I’m still keeping a general fitness and hope to start race walking in mid October when I return to Australia after I get some more medical advice. It was disappointing to not participate but I have had this problem for over two months and I need to let it heal.

The Challenge Final was held in the main street, Gran Via, of Murcia in South Eastern Spain. There were some short children’s and youth races before the main events; women’s 20km then the mens 20km. There was already a large crowd along the course for the start of the women’s race at 10.45am. My good friend and competitor since we were juniors, Susana Feitor (http://www.susanafeitor.org/), won convincingly. She was strong and determined from the start to make up for her disappointing DNF in Beijing; and she showed she has great form in the second half of the year. Athanasia Tsoumeleka (Greece; Athens Olympic Champ) was 2nd and Olympic Silver Medallist from Sydney and Beijing Kjersti Platzer (Norway, http://www.kjerstiplatzer.com/) came in 3rd and therefore won the Challenge on points overall. Even though I didn’t race in Murcia I ended up in 8th place overall in the Challenge and picked up a handy $5,000.

Women's Race IAAF Challenge Final

The men's race was incredible, partly due to the thousands of Ecuadorian fans that had lined the course to cheer their hero Jefferson Perez in his last race. There apparently 30,000 people in Murcia of Ecuadorian descent and I think most of them were on the 1km course in Murcia on Sunday. There was a large pack early on but as it became warmer the numbers dropped until it was just Jefferson and Paquillo Fernandez (Spain) with Jared Tallent close. Paquillo was too strong and Jared overtook Jefferson in the last 2km to place second. Jared had the added bonus of winning the Challenge overall and picked up $30,000! See www.iaaf.org for full report.

It was an emotional time for Jefferson that wasn’t made any easier when the thousands of Ecuadorian stormed the course; almost causing a riot! It was an incredible scene that I have never witnessed at a race walking event. Some of them were chanting “Jefferson for President.” When I asked Jefferson later about post race “crowd crush” he said that it wasn’t too bad; “in Ecuador the are usually 100,000 pushing people like that!”

Mens 20km IAAF Challenge Final

For me the Challenge Final in Murcia was the best race walking competition that I have witnessed outside the major championship events. It had a great atmosphere, the athletes thought it was well organised and lots of fun. Hopefully there will be more Challenge events like this in the future.

As for me I’m having a holiday in Turkey with Matt before returning to Australia in early October and hopefully I can start race walking again without any more problems.

Crowd waiting for the presentation at the Challenge Final

Beijing in writing

Well it's been nearly three weeks since my race in Beijing and it's definitely time I wrote something. Sorry for the lateness but I couldn't get my head around writing about it. To say I was disappointed is an understatement, I certainly planned to compete much better. Unfortunately my body couldn't cope and the cross training (swimming and riding) every second day wasn't enough. The race was very fast and I was really counting on hot day and slow race. Who would have bet: torrential rain and 19 degrees for the start! But it was the same conditions for all the women. I gave it my best shot and went out with the lead pack and tried to hold on for as long as possible. The second half certainly felt a lot longer! My shin/foot didn'y hurt too much during the race (thanks to a local injection). The results and times of the race were incredibly fast for the winners especially with the poor weather. I was joking afterwards that had the puddles been a little deeper I could have swam; I certainly would have it over them if that was the case! It was good to have Matt, Mum, Dad and my friends Sandra and Justin there to cheer me in the race and for company afterwards.

After my race in Beijing I supported as many other Aussie athletes; I cheered the Aussie men loudly in the the semi final the hockey against Spain (unfortunately we lost) and of course watched the athletics at the Birds Nest. The Australian Athletics Team was a fantastic group and their achievements in Beijing were great, especially the medallists Steve Hooker (Gold, Pole Vault), Jared Tallent (SIlver, 50km Walk and Bronze 20km Walk), Sally McLellan (Silver 100m Hurldes). It was an honour to captain the team.

I travelled back to Australia on the QANTAS Charter which was a lot of fun. I spent a couple of weeks in Sydney and attended two functions for my partners MBF and SALMAT. I enjoyed sharing my Beijing experience with them and catching up with theire staff.

I'm now back in Spain preparing for the IAAF Challenge Final in Murcia on 21st September. I'm currently in 8th position overall on the Challenge and I'm hoping I can move up with a decent performance in Murcia. Although my foot/shin hasn't improved a lot since Beijing. I have been training since the Games but have had to maintain cross training as part of my programme with race walking sessions. I did walk some sessions and then after consultation with the Dr I decided to have another cortisone injection. This time it was in my foot and guided by ultrasound. Fingers crossed that it won't become inflammed again and I can get some good sessions in the next 12 days here before the Final!

Thanks to everyone who supported me in the lead up to Beijing; your messages of support were a great help.