Final session of training with a very enthusiastic bunch of athletes at The Gap High tonight and I think a great time to acknowledge the efforts through the year of three of the biggest hands-on contributors to our club in Gary Morrisby, Cam Pfeffer and Ken Hastie.

Gary is a former Centre Manager and driving force of The Gap Little Athletics over many years. The workload that Gary has managed this year through his contributions to coaching and officiating for Ashgrove Rangers, The Gap Little Athletics and Queensland Athletics has been nothing short of staggering and he along with many others involved in Little Athletics for The Gap and Arana Centres help to provide a great pathway in the sport for our youngsters.

Cam’s contribution to coaching as well as competing for Ashgrove Rangers along with coaching at Marist Ashgrove and Valleys Cricket Club comes on the back of an enormous research effort he has put in to try to help drive us all to better things.

Cam was a State Representative in the 400 metres at National All Schools in 2017 and has a rich family involvement in the club dating back to the late 1970s with his mum Sonia and uncle Stephen both very good Race Walkers.

His efforts to engage the ideas generated by a long line of visionary innovators in coaching in the club over the years and combined with his own research and new ideas has been remarkable. It’s hard to imagine that there’s any other 22 year old around the country having such an impact in driving their club’s youngsters forward towards 2032 as what Cam is doing for us.

Ken Hastie has a background as an excellent long jumper in his youth which adds to his Treasurer role in his appreciation for the sport.

Ken was a key contributor each week to our 3rd placing in Cross Country and also our 4th placing at the Track and Field Relays, for which we were the only club finishing top four in both.

Here’s hoping for another year in 2023 as enjoyable and successful all round as what 2022 has been.