RISING Nelson Bay athlete, Malia Foster has achieved a significant early career milestone.
The gifted 10-year-old will realise a personal goal when she competes at her first State Primary Schools Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre next month.
A Year 4 pupil at St Michael’s Catholic Primary School at Nelson Bay, Foster is set to test her jumping skills in her pet long jump event in the 8yrs to 10yrs division.
She qualified for the prestigious NSW Primary Schools Sports Association (PSSA) Athletics titles on 21-22 October after a standout performance at the recent Polding Catholic Schools championships at Glendale.
In a close final, Malia recorded a personal best jump of 3.91 metres to claim a silver medal in the Girls 8-10yrs category – bettering her previous best distance of 3.64m.
She was edged out for the gold by her Holy Cross Catholic Primary School Kincumber rival who won the event with an impressive jump of 3.93m.
An excited Foster told News Of The Area that qualifying for her first State titles was a “huge thrill”.
“It has been a goal of mine for the past couple of years, and I plan to give it my best shot when I compete in Sydney,” said the talented schoolgirl, who shows enormous potential as a track and field junior athlete with Port Stephens Athletics Centre.
At the Polding championships, Foster caught up with her good friend Isla Byrne, a promising Newcastle City athlete, who finished sixth in the Girls 8-10yrs long jump with a jump of 3.69m.
It was a continuation of their friendly rivalry from previous athletics carnivals, with Foster gaining bragging rights this time.
The young pocket dynamo is a chip off the old block. She is coached by father Shayne Foster, who was a talented long jumper and sprinter in his youth, and a junior coach with the Port Stephens club.
His daughter has inherited dad’s athletic prowess, chalking up some encouraging times in the 100m and 200m sprint, plus improved high jump leaps.
She’s also caught the eye of keen judges as a dynamic midfielder with the Nelson Bay FC Girls Under 10s, and gained selection in the Newcastle Football Player Development Program.
But Malia has turned down that opportunity to focus on one of her other loves – dancing.
After taking up ballet at the age of two and a half, she has developed into an accomplished young dancer at Zone Active Taylor’s Beach in all seven disciplines – jazz, hip hop, tap, contemporary, acro and musical theatre.
By Chris KARAS
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