NATIONAL JUNIOR ROGAINE CHAMPIONS!

CONGRATULATIONS to Shanii Austin and Daisy McCauley who are now Junior Womens Australian Rogaine Champions after winning their category over the weekend. Article in the WOW News section! Other WOWers who took part were Paul Williams ( Wil ) who with Ben Corry came 2nd overall and first mens team, Ricky Thackray whose team came 5th overall and 3rd mixed, Chip ( 14th overall, 9th mens, 4th mens supervets ) Kim Hazeldine ( 29th overall and 2nd womens ), the Martins, the McCauleys, Nick and Debbie, Bryan and Jane Hardy, Brian Austin, Chris Howitt. Ian Dalton, John Toomey and Jen Graham-Taylor. Anne Austin and I helped on hash which was headed up by Dawn Agnew and Brian Dunnage and Rosalie headed up the admin team. Gary Carroll was the co setter for the event – a huge input from WOW to the ‘all night sport’.

CONGRATULATIONS also to Paul (Wil) Williams and Ben Corry - 1st mens and 2nd overall in the Wandering West National Rogaine Championships, June 2009. Read the article in the WOW News section to find out how it was done!

CONGRATULATIONS also to Peter and Cathy Hamilton who celebrated their 47th wedding anniversary at the rogaine and came 3rd mixed ultra vets.

ERIN POST  -  AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR JWOC (Junior Wprld Orienteering Championships)

2003, 2004, 2005

Erin started orienteering with her family from age 7 and won her first WA Champ’s at age 9 (W10)
She won her first national Champ’s aged 12 (W12) Despite these and other achievements, she still preferred to orienteer with a friend. Even once she progressed to H4 courses, she’d often conspire to wait for other juniors starting behind her so she’d have someone to go around with. Calisthenics was a big part of her life as well but the State Champ’s of these 2 sports always clashed, so finally a decision had to be made and orienteering won.

Erin was a member of the WA Schoolsport team from 1998 – 2002 (years 8 – 12). She won the national junior female schools champ’s in 2000, the only West Australian to have ever done so (until 2009).
Through performances in these competitions, she was chosen in the National Honour team in 1999, 2000 and 2001. She also represented Australia in the ANZ Challenge in 2000 and 2003 (W16 & W18)

Erin was a JWOC representative in 2003, 2004 and 2005, the only West Australian female to have done so at the time (Kellie Whitfield – 2006) and the only West Australian to have done so more than twice (Gareth Candy and Shane Hill twice)

To achieve all of this, Erin decided from age 13 (after her first schoolsport experience) to do all she could to achieve as highly as she could at orienteering. She travelled (with parents and sometimes other unsuspecting club members (thanks Wades, Dunnages) to national competitions at Easter and in September, as well as to other state junior training camps and Xmas 5 days – all to practise and gain competition.

To afford all of this, Erin worked at her local supermarket from age 14 ½ and sold an average of 3 boxes of Freddos a week at school. Parents helped lots but Erin contributed as much as she could.

Peta Whitford from Victoria took Erin under her wing at first, then Andy Hogg and Natalie Smith helped with talks, training and games. Finally, Rachel West became her coach and devoted many hours to planning and setting up exercises in the Perth Hills, as well as running training with her.

Erin has now completed a Physiotherapy Degree and currently works at Prindiville Physiotherapy in Ocean Reef. She still trains ( with Rachel, brother Mike and her Dad ) and occasionally orienteers, mainly in summer.