By JARROD POTTER
REBECCA Henderson was already two-thirds of the way to becoming a triathlete … she just didn’t know she would become one until last year.
Henderson, 14, from Berwick, has been a sensational athlete on land – winning junior national and state titles – as well as in the water – as an open water dynamo who is also making her way in the pool.
But on a whim she put together the final piece of the triathlon puzzle as Henderson hopped on the bike and hasn’t stopped starring in her next sporting pursuit.
Her talent was spotted pretty quickly – with Triathlon Victoria selecting her for a development program and in only her fifth race, Henderson booked her place on the School Sports Victoria triathlon team.
“I only started in May last year – we’d done a few triathlons before, but it was just kind of for fun then we started taking it seriously,” Henderson said.
“Someone told us about the trials for the development squad then we went and I got in.
“I like that there’s swimming and running together and I like the bike, it’s pretty good now … it’s great that there’s the three (sports) and not just one.”
She had to go through three try-out races across the state, but with three high-ranking finishes, it was more than enough to book her ticket to the national championships.
“There were three of them (SSV tryouts) – they had points and picked the first six,” Henderson said.
“I got second in Yarrawonga, then one was in Mordialloc and the other one in Elwood I got second again – so hopefully I can do well at the nationals.”
The Berwick College student has got a lot on her sporting plate this year – the Athletics Australia national championships in Perth, plenty of Little Athletics competitions and she’s stepped up her poolside commitments by joining the Casey TigerSharks.
That leaves her with a lot of training sessions to endure, but Henderson wouldn’t have it any other way as she prepares for her first School Sports Australia triathlon championships, held at Hervey Bay from 18-21 April.
Henderson wanted to thank Keith Colomb, Jess Marshall and Steph Demestichas and her parents for their support of her brand-new sporting passion.
