To say Melinda Gainsford-Taylor loves running is to understate her passion – for athletics, for sport, and for kids.

To listen to Melinda Gainsford-Taylor is to be inspired.

The Olympian engages warmly with wide-eyed youngsters, offering tips from how to ‘hug the bend’ in a 200 metre sprint, to handling nerves on the world’s biggest stage.

She tells them what it means to follow your dreams to three Olympics. Of the journey from excited eight-year-old in Narromine, to a stadium of 60,000 spectators and spotting your mum dancing in her Akubra.

Not even a rolled ankle at Wagga’s Jubilee Park athletics track on Friday morning could put a dent in Gainsford-Taylor’s enthusiasm, putting 40 aspiring young athletes through their paces on the track.

Another 40 lined up in the afternoon and on Saturday, two more ‘speed clinics’ specifically for touch footballers.

“I love it, it’s been so good,” Gainsford-Taylor said after an athletics session.

“I was so impressed with this group of kids, just looking at their technique and rhythm. There’s areas of course that they can work on but generally as a whole, they’re very, very athletic.”

The focus for touch football is more about explosive power but Gainsford-Taylor says the basics of running underpin most sports.

“If you want to run fast, you’ve got to have good technique,” she says.

“If you want to get faster, you’ve got to do a lot of speed and agility. The more speed work you do, the faster you’ll become, as simple as that.”

Gainsford-Taylor remains immersed in athletics.

“I’ve been an Australian selector for the last nine years now,” she says.

“And I’m involved at grassroots – I coach four nights a week at Narrabeen. And my daughter’s into it now – she’s going to state in a couple of weeks, so, yeah, really, really involved.”

She believes next year’s Gold Coast Commonwealth Games will help continue Little Athletics’ strong numbers, adding that many elite athletes have had a grounding in track and field.

But the most important thing is the opportunities that have arisen, particularly for girls, in the two decades since Gainsford-Taylor made herself a household name.

“It’s awesome. I think it’s fabulous and it all starts from what we see at the top. From the Matildas, the Australian women’s cricket team, women’s rugby at the Olympics – they’re successful. And when they’re producing, then that inspires a young generation.

“And I think there’s nothing better than a fit, healthy kid. But also a fit, healthy teenage girl, or boy. We can get caught up with this new age of social media now but if they’re out and active and fit, that’s what’s important.”

congratulations to Tom Newlands, Bob Davis & Riley Cape our 2017 B-grade Triples champions. The boys won a thrilling final via an extra end over Paul Hilder, Jimmy Daley & Legs Hartas saturday afternoon.

A special mention and warm congrats to Tom Newlands in particular. Tom has only been playing a couple of seasons now and this result is just reward for this determined young man who  has had to overcome the odd health issue the last few years as well. It would be nice to think that joining the bowling club and having the odd game with his mates has been a small step towards his full recovery.

Also on saturday we had a couple or 4 matches in the A-grade triples championships scheduled , but only two of them made the starter’s gate. In game one Don Sullivan & team defeated Danny Carnevale,s team  22/15, while in the second match Kevin Riders team got over the Peter Cross crew 22/14. So this coming weekend we will try to play a couple of catch up matches on sunday providing the weather doesn’t again decide to poke its head into the equation.

Of course with the club challenge being the main and only item on the agenda for saturday 14th, these A-grade triples will have to take a back seat this weekend, but hopefully we should still be able to complete the championships before the end of the month.

Social bowls this week was confined to just Thursday as the aforementioned sunday weather put a dampener on play in the usual chook run. So just Thursday’s results for this column which saw Puddy Gillespie and Steve Buttsworth awarded the day,s trophy for the best performed team on the day courtesy of their solid 19 to 10 win over Trent and Danny.

Narromine Bowling club has entered two teams in the prestigious  Club Challenge event which kicks off this saturday. Our silver squad under the guidance of captain coach Aaron Hutchison will be competing at Dubbo Railway, whilst our Blue team will be playing at home. Best of luck to both squads and with play kicking off at 9.00am saturday morning the window tappers are in for plenty of viewable action.

Just a reminder that the nomination sheet for the BCiB Triples tournament has been posted on the notice board for a few weeks now and already the entries are looking healthy, so perhaps it would be a good idea to get your entry in sooner rather than later to avoid missing out on what promises to be a very competitive tournament.

well that's it if for me for another week, hopefully i will be home to see some of the action this coming weekend, but not counting on it as management has me tied up at family events in Melbourne this week.

GREEN HAS HIS TIME IN THE SUN

Fourteen starters on a great sunny day saw Ron Green get 25 stableford points to beat Boof Fraser on a countback also on 25 points…Bob Fletcher had 24 to come in third on a countback from a prodigal player in young Norm Lewis, getting 24 points on his first day playing after a 14 month layoff (seems like it)…no NTP but Vince Ferrari won the NAGA uncontested with 14…the pool pitted Gus and Greg K. against Terry and Bob F. with Bob and Terry advancing to the final, the second match had Norm and Tiger against Pom and Mal R. with the Pom and Mal meeting Bob and Terry in the final…with the black left set up by Terry the Pom sank the black as expected to have Mal and the Pom champs for the week, next week it's front 9.

Reminder  October 25 is our LAST Wednesday game.

Fung (stand-in publicity officer)

Wednesday 4th October a very warm spring morning saw 14 players attend an Ambrose event with drawn partners and opponents and Kim Handsaker’s kindly donated Trophy.

Winners of this hard fort event for Kim Handsaker Trophy were Vicki Gainsford & Judy Heckendorf 64 nett.

Runners up and 1st Opp Ball went to Betty Berryman & Peta Ferrari 68 nett.

Nearest Pin 9th Gail White and 17th won by Vicki Gainsford.

Drawn card was won by Wendy Jeffery & Marie Houghton.

Raffle was kindly donated by Judy Barlow and won by Joan Collins.

Saturday October 7 a small field of 11 players attended Par event with Gail White’s kindly donated Trophy. Gail kindly donated nearest pin trophies and the Raffle.

Trophy winner was Vicki Gainsford +2. 1st and only Opp Ball winner was Gail White +1.

Nearest Pin winner 9th was Tracy McIntyre.

The 10th pin disappeared into thin air (male suspects) so was not won. Drawn card went to Joan Collins. Raffle won by Marie Houghton.

Today October 11 (Program Change) will see 3rd round Narromine Bowl with Pat Mitchell’s kindly donated Trophy also a Putting Comp with Joyce McCutcheon’s kindly donated Trophy. This is an ALL DAY arrive early to start play at 9.30am and don’t forget your plate for a shared lunch.

Saturday October 14 will see Northcott Spoon A&B grades mixed draw.

Wednesday October 18 Stroke/Scratch/Handicap event with Jenny Fitzgerald’s Trophy.

All Lady Members are required to attend our AGM 10am sharp Thursday 19th October a light lunch will be served after meeting.

Saturday 21st Oct. will be our last Saturday for 18 hole golf it has been a Program Change by match committee a Stableford event will take place instead of a Mulligan Stroke this will still maintain Vicki Gainsford’s kindly donated Trophy.

Wednesday 25th October Stroke event (program change) mixed draw with Sue McCutcheon’s kindly donated Trophy also this day The Mitsubishi Trojan will be heading East for Wellington Open Tournament. Those wishing to climb aboard better make your booking NOW.

The following Saturday 28th October we will join the Gerries for their delightful 9 ‘hole’ Stableford so efficiently run by Terry.   

Weekly Ponder; an attribute to success is this- Never give or take any excuse.

Granny Golfing Guru

Central West horses seek an anniversary celebration

By Ben Walker

While the $10 million TAB Everest (1200m) will take centre stage at Randwick on Saturday, bush trainers are also in for a crack at some big money. The $200,000 Anniversary Highway (1400m) will be held for country horses that have competed in a Highway Handicap at some point since its inception.

Six runners from the central west are among the nominations for the event – Not For Export (Dar Lunn), Galaxy Warrior (Gayna Williams), Beau Hoffa (Lee Van Den Bos), Cowboys Karma (Allan Gibson) and the Mack Griffith pair of Puzzling Wonder and Schedule.

Such has been the interest in the Anniversary Highway, a massive amount of nominations were received, forcing the hand of Racing NSW. And they have responded by adding a new race to Saturday’s program, the $100,000 Highway Consolation (1400m).

The race is dependent on there being sufficient acceptances for it to be run, with all nominations from the $200,000 Anniversary Highway (1400m) being automatically nominated for the Highway Consolation. For the consolation to proceed, Racing NSW requires that there must be at least 12 acceptances plus the emergencies from the Anniversary Highway.

The four emergencies declared in the Anniversary Highway will be the first four runners included in the Consolation.