TODAY’S lesson for Beaconhills College students – how to run like Miss Maini.
Gemma Maini, as she’s better known away from the college campus and her Year-9 classroom, is an elite cross country runner and has earned her ticket to China to represent Australia.
Maths and science lessons will be the least of her worries later this month as Maini, 28, from Rye, heads to Guiyang, China as one of Australia’s six female athletes at the World Cross Country Championships.
Athletics has always been a big part of Maini’s life, especially during her studies as she spent five years in America at Idaho State University on an athletic scholarship.
After her college years – where she managed to win a couple of conference races at the NCAA D1 level – she took a bit of time away from competitive running, but the running-bug never left her and eventually the allure of racing dragged her back.
That allure is demanding though – as she clocks up to 130km a week on the tracks and paths around Victoria building up the stamina needed to compete on the world stage, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
“I probably took a year or two off when I came back from college,” Maini said.
“I didn’t take it seriously and in the past couple of years I started up again.
“I just love it – I’m horrible to know when I don’t run and I just love competing and challenging myself.
It’s an eight kilometre race for Maini in China – an undulating grass course with man-made obstacles thrown in for extra measure – but she’s keen to learn a lot from the race and hopefully earn another chance to represent the country.
“I honestly have no idea – it came as a surprise that I qualified,” Maini said.
“I’ve always dreamed of making an Australian team, but it took me off guard that I made it, so just want to run to the best of my capabilities – run smart, have a good race and soak up the experience and try to learn for future races, if I get another opportunity.”
The IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Guiyang, China will be held on 28 March.
