Cross country champion
Sophie O’Sullivan is only 11 years old, but her running future is very bright. The Wesley College Glen Waverley campus Year 6 student and Glen Iris resident recently won the Victorian Primary Schools Cross Country Championships for her age group, and will compete at the national championships in Launceston at end of August, where she is aiming for a place in the top 10. Sophie’s mum says that, from a young age, her daughter was very excited when she could take part in cross country races in primary school and is even more excited now she has progressed to the state championships.
In 2011, Sophie finished third at the state championships and an impressive 13th at the national championships.
Sophie has taken part in cross country and track and field for Wesley in the Associated Public Schools (APS) competition, and was a member of the Wesley team who won the APS track and field competition last year, as well as being a member of the gold-winning Wesley cross country road relay team. Sophie is also involved with the Waverley Little Athletics Club, Knox Little Athletics Winter Cross Country Races, the Hawthorn Breakers Basketball Club and the Ashburton United Soccer Club.
Sophie has no formal training or running program away from school, but training for basketball and soccer and walking her dog, Snowy, a border collie, adds to the regime which ensures she is having fun, whilst keeping fit and active.
The daughter of two runners, Sophie was lucky enough to attend the London Olympics and regards John Steffenson, Australian Olympic 400m runner and Mo Farrah, 2012 London Olympic champion in the 5,000m and 10,000m, as her sporting heroes; one day she hopes to compete at the Games herself.
