But Dowie, 59, and Kelly, 12, were rapt to be two of six local athletes to receive funding from the Surf 'T' Surf Committee to attend a national or international event. 

The grants, assessed by South West Sport, were awarded to Dowie, Kelly, Thomas Watts, Naticia Varley, Emma Chapman and Alana Bellman. 

And for Dowie, this means the chance to return to the Spanish city of Pontevedra to compete in the Multisport World Championships, where she won the 55-59 age group duathlon in 2014 after getting first funding in her athletics career from the Surf 'T' Surf committee. 

Dowie, who comes from a running background, was the Australian women's marathon champion in 1992 after recording a time of 2.40.40 at the Gold Coast.  

She also qualified for the 1994 Commonwealth Games, held in Canada - but withdrew after falling pregnant - and has won the local Surf 'T' Surf race 10 times from more than 30 starts since attending very the first event in 1982. 

"I'm really appreciative of the grant, because I have to do a lot of travel to compete in this sport and represent Australia," she said. 

The Multisport World Championships, held from April 27 to May 4, will see Dowie compete in the 60-65 age group duathlon - a run/swim/run event. 

And while Dowie is keen for her third crack at the world championships - she also finished fourth in Adelaide in 2015 - she said the sport is beginning to take its toll on her body. 

"I'm very cautious of looking after myself, because I still want to be able to compete for a long time," Dowie told The Standard.

But for Kelly, shin splints and knee operations are still another world away. 

The emerging sprint star, who picked up athletics at just six years old, trains with Rob Duynhoven and Wayne Perry, while also juggling swimming with Jayson Lamb and dancing at Robin's School of Dance. 

She will use her grant funding to compete at this year's Stawell Gift in the under 18 girls' division 100m race over the Easter weekend. 

"It will be exciting to watch all the professional runners and see how they go about it," Kelly said. 

The year seven Emmanuel College student counts Australian hurdler Sally Pearson and up-and-coming sprinter Mia Gross, who she recently got to meet at the state titles, as her sporting idols.

Kelly secured the 100-200 metre double at the Athletics Victoria Track and Field Championships earlier in March, earning a spot on state team for the Junior and Open aged Track and Field Championships in Sydney in April. 

And in 2018 she broke a 33-year-old 12-13 girls' 100-metre record with a time of 12.70, claiming a gold medal at the State Primary Track and Field Championships. 

"I'm excited because the grant will help take my running further," Kelly said.