W12A – Jeevaratnam, Kandadai, Porreca, Scuglia, Malla – ProductionProject1- Allie Bartholomew – MDIA2003

Production Project 1

MDIA2003

W12A

Word Count: 1114

Intended publication: North Shore Times

This piece on Alexandra (Allie) Bartholomew would be best placed in the local paper of her area, The North Shore Times in the Sports section. As she is a local resident of the North shore area, the proximity of the profile subject makes it suitable to be placed in that publication. There is timeliness to the story with the upcoming National Championships which are the qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this year. This makes writing a profile on an athlete competing in these Nationals Championships relevant and newsworthy. For the profile to be unique, it doesn’t only focus on Allie as an athlete but also targets the issues of funding in Athletics Australia. With the upcoming Commonwealth Games this year and the next Olympics in 2016, the under development and under performance of Australian athletes is becoming an issue. All these aspects make this profile timely, relevant and unique so it suits The North Shore Times publication.

On The Right Track

By: Shemira Jeevaratnam, Shrishti Kandadai, Claudia Porreca, Natasha Malla, Giodarno Scuglia

Allie Bartholomew is relaxed and talkative as she sprawls on the couch just a couple of hours before she will run in her race at Sydney Olympic Park.

She is laughing as she jokes about her impending university assignments, work and what she’s going to wear to her friend’s party tonight. When offered a piece of sticky date cake Allie replies that she can only drink water.

“Oh, I really really wish I could, but I have a race this afternoon,” Allie said sighing.

It is subtleties like this that give us a glimpse into a whole other dimension of Allie Bartholomew’s life, the world of elite athletics.

This week Allie Bartholomew, a 19 year old student from Pymble, will fly down to Melbourne to compete in the 92nd Australian National Track and Field Championships. She will run in the 400m and 200m races representing the University of Technology Sydney, the club she has been with since 2010.

The National Titles are the qualifiers for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held in Glasgow in August later this year. Even though it is only her first year in the open division Allie is excited about competing against the nation’s best athletes and hopes to represent Australia at the next Commonwealth Games.

“I’m feeling good…I’m feeling excited, it will be fun. I’m looking forward to it,”Allie said.

When asked what her greatest achievement so far has been, Allie does not hesitate.

“From my coaches perspective he thinks my greatest achievement is that I was the state champion as an under-20 in 2012 in the 400m.”

Allie’s all smiles as she talks about athletics.

“Personally mine was the four by four relay last year at nationals…we were the national champs we came first in that. I love the relays, its like a bit more of a team aspect,” Allie said.

Just like many other athletes her age, Allie has her sights set on competing in the Olympic Games. However, Allie says that at this point she would much rather represent Australia in a relay team at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Allie is the first to admit that in elite athletics there is very little room for relays and a team-focused approach.

“Athletics is a very individual sport, but obviously you train with a team… Ultimately you’re training for yourself which does make it a little bit harder,” Allie said.

Her team-spirit comes from her days playing netball for West Pymble, Ravenswood School for Girls and later as a representative player for Ku-ring-gai. Throughout school she participated in sports such as soccer and touch football and focused on the team aspect of sportswomen in her role as Vice-Captain of Sport at Ravenswood School.

I’m quite a team oriented person so there is that aspect…There are some people that are so driven individually, but I guess I’m not too fussed. Obviously I want to do well…but I guess the satisfaction in coming first in a relay and coming first by myself is very different. As a team…it’s a bit more like a shared experience, Allie said.

Even though Allie can see a career for herself in athletics, she does it first and foremost because she loves it. She began athletics at the age of 14, after being spotted by a local coach. Over the years athletics became more than just basic fitness training. Her passion for the sport led her to join a professional club, UTS in 2010 and start training more seriously.

“I have a few friends that hate training but they want to make an Australian team and once they make the Australian team, they’re going to stop. I’m a bit more like, I love training, I’ll go to training and if I make an Australian team that’s a bonus,”Allie said.

However, the pressures of elite athletics have taken its toll on Allie’s health. A visit to the physiotherapist at least once a week is just part of her weekly schedule now, due to a stress fracture in her lower tibia that she developed in 2011.

Allie also suffers from a rare lactic imbalance which causes her to throw up at the end of every race.

“My mum has said for ages you should just stop, why you don’t just change sports because it is so unpleasant for you,” Allie said.

Allie immediately dismisses any ideas of giving up athletics due to this illness; it is a passion she is not willing to give up.

“Maybe I’ve grown kind of used to it at the moment…I’ll keep going,” said Allie.

It is this true enjoyment of the sport that Allie says keeps her so grounded and gives her perspective through the ups and downs of elite athletics.

“I mean if I miss a gym session I’m not too stressed about it, and often I’m like oh I’ll have another chocolate bar,” Allie said laughing.

Allie’s passion for athletics does not stop at her own racing and enjoyment. She is a strong advocate for development funding within young and upcoming athletes.

Recently there has been an outcry from many athletes on the issue of funding. This came in light of the shock that the Olympian, Melissa Breen who is currently Australia’s fastest 100m woman, was not receiving any funding from Athletics Australia.

Allie thinks the funding needs to start at grass-root levels, giving young athletes scholarships and opportunities to participate in international championships.

“There’s hardly any development funding in that you fund the people that need the support to get better…It’s very much you’re only going to get a little bit of money if you’re an Olympic champion, you have to get there without any support and when you get there that’s when you get the support,” Allie said.

Allie has already applied for the Oceania Championships in June of this year remarking that this Championship is a great opportunity and one of the few for people that haven’t had a chance to represent Australia yet.

It is hard to figure out how Allie has any time during her week with training almost every day that includes a series of ten sessions for fitness and squad training. Whilst training for Nationals, Allie is a full time student completing a double degree in Commerce/Science at Macquarie University. At the same time Allie works at the Nike Store in Chatswood Westfield Shopping Centre.

“With normal training and work its busy, its hard. When it comes to things like nationals I’m missing university and assessments. Socialising tends to be the last resort,” said Allie

For Allie it is all about surrounding herself with supportive people and maintaining a positive outlook on life.

“Even if I’ve had a crap day or too much university work…or someone said something mean to me…(then) I’m not in the mood, I don’t want to train, I’m going to run slow. I find it mindboggling that it is so mental, it is so much in the mind,”Allie said.

There is no doubt that Allie is looking forward to her three week break after the National Championships are finished. She excitedly talks about her upcoming travels to Mexico for her Uncle’s wedding, catching up with her friends and going out like other people her age.

“My plans for after nationals….(she pauses) are great! I will hang out with friends, I will drink,” Allie said.

As Allie leaves to go get kitted up for her race, grinning she reminds me that once nationals are over she will be coming get that piece of sticky date cake back off me.