South-west quartet heading to Victorian Masters Championships

Warrnambool's Alan Bryant and Athletics South West Turbines' Jeremy Dixon, Ken Bruce and Craig Bramley are competing at the 2021 edition of the championships in Doncaster this weekend.

Bryant, 74, who has only missed a couple of editions since 2000, is in the 70-74 100-metres, long jump and triple jump.

Bruce, 69, who first attended the championships in the 1980s before returning in his 60s, has a busy 65-69 schedule. He is competing in the 60-metres, 100, 200, discus, shot put, long jump and triple jump.

Dixon and Bramley are taking part in their first masters championships. Bramley is competing in the 50-54 400 metres, 800, 1500, 5000, long jump and javelin while Dixon is in the 40-44 60 metres, 100 and long jump.

Bryant said his love for the sport, which started as a young man in the Melbourne suburb of Broadmeadows, was still strong.

"I loved it when I was a youngster but I never got the opportunity to do it," he said. "Then I started coaching when I taught out at Cobden Tech and I coached there for a number of years and in Warrnambool.

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"I enjoyed it a lot and didn't run myself at the time then I had a senior group that I'd take them to Geelong for competitions and around the end of the season they said 'come on coach let's see you, shoes on'.

"I went and had a run and have been hooked ever since."

Bruce said athletics was his way of staying fit and active.

"I had a couple of health scares a few years ago where the advice was I won't be able to run anymore and I've proven the medicos wrong that I can still do running," he said.

"With me I was a reasonable runner from juniors right through to 40 and I'd raced at the Stawell Gift and did country champs and state finals and then I stopped for 15 years only coming back when I was 59-60.

"Now it's about keeping active and fit. When I'm at my best I'm fairly competitive. I have been reasonably successful in past years against my level but, like Alan, I'm at the end of mine and it's not quite as easy as I'm not as quick as I was when I was 65.

"It's about enjoyment and participation and not taking it overly serious."

Bramley said he was not taking his first appearance at the championships too seriously and hoped to come home with a few personal bests.

The marathon runner said track and field athletics helped give variety to his training. He said the middle distance events help him train for his marathons.

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Dixon said he was excited and a little nervous for his first individual championships in 15 years.

Most of my competing I have been doing this year has been a by-product of attending on behalf of the club, with coaching or team managing," he said.

"I'm getting my head into the athlete mindset again and I'm a little bit nervous.

"It's been 15 years and it's a different mindset and it's funny that the mind clicks back into putting pressure on yourself so I look forward to it. It will be a pretty fun atmosphere."

The Athletics South West Turbines' president was looking forward to hitting the track again.

"I was going to be up in Melbourne at the same time and thought why not at the end of the season looking forward being an athlete again," Dixon said.

"It was recommended by a number of other masters athletes after (Athletics Victoria Shield) playoffs who said it is a great atmosphere and for me to come up and have a run so I thought why not.

"It's very much about having fun and just enjoying the occasion and being an athlete again. But I can't help myself with putting expectations but it slips in there.

"I haven't done a lot of training but I'm going up there and having a bit of fun."

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