Allanah Pitcher

BIOGRAPHY

While still in her teens, the rise of Allanah Pitcher over the last 18 months has been significant, driven by a love for the sport and own determination. A leading junior for a decade, she makes her senior Australian team debut in Budapest at the World Championships.

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Alannah Pitcher started her journey in athletics a decade ago when she was aged nine. She was enjoying distance running at her local Little Athletics Centre, but wanted to begin formal training with a coach for this discipline, which led her to her current coach Frank Overton at the same athletics track. 
“I noticed Frank had a group of racewalkers and my interest was piqued. I asked him to show me how to do it, and he was eager to teach me the technique. In the following years I continued to train for both racewalking and running with Frank until we decided it was time for me to specialise in the walk events. I was a particularly natural junior walker, and I was able to win several national age titles up until around the age of 15.”
One standout win was the Australian Little Athletics Championship in 2016 where she broke the meet record.

But there would challenges in her teens, suffering two hip injuries that took her away from racewalking for a significant period of time. 
“I knew that I wanted to be on this journey for the long-haul, so I persevered through the long rehabilitation. In the years following these injuries, my results were largely inconsistent and poor as I struggled to regain my former confidence as an athlete and was learning how to navigate my mental health.”
She also struggled to manage her studies and training during the COVID years 2020 and 2021.

But things turned around in early 2022, when Allanah was 18.
“The beginning of 2022 was a breakthrough from these struggles, after I was invited to attend a training camp at the AIS with our elite racewalkers from across the country. Here, I learnt a lot from my fellow athletes, such as Jemima Montag, who was eager to share her wisdom and experience. This was a catalyst for me finding my purpose and ‘why’ I do my sport, which has fuelled my training and racing ever since. “
Within two months Allanah would wear the green and gold, selected for the World Racewalking Teams Championships in Oman she placed seventh in the U20 10km walk and won a team silver medal.

She also managed to achieve an excellent score in the higher school certificate (in 2021), leading to Actuarial Studies/Science studies at Macquarie University in 2022. But she would switch to Biomedical Engineering (Honours) at the University of Sydney in 2023.

The performance breakthroughs continued in 2023 in one very special performance.
“My debut 35km walk in Wajima, Japan in April 2023 was a very memorable race for me for a number of reasons. Namely, I made the spontaneous decision to enter and book flights about 10 days before the race date. Since it was my first year as a senior athlete, any thought of qualifying for world championships seemed out of the question for me. Thus, when the idea to try and chase a Budapest qualifier was brought up, I thought it was obscene. Despite the enormity of the distance and qualifying time, I approached the race with a confidence in my mental strength. With a couple of kilometres to go, I realised that the crazy idea of qualifying for world championships and breaking the Australian record was about to come to fruition. I was suddenly overwhelmed by gratitude and disbelief that carried me through to the finish line. The pain of completing the race was so rewarding, and I felt like I proved to myself that no challenge is impossible crossing that finish line. It is definitely a race that was a turning point for my walking career and one that I will never forget.”

In June, Allanah was named for her senior Australian debut, the Budapest World Championships.

Hero: Australian racewalker Jemima Montag, due to her wisdom and class she exhibits on and off the track. She has a rare ability to balance her life and achieve any goal she wishes to pursue due to her positive mindset. She is an inspiration and mentor to myself and many other young athletes…Most influential person in her career: Although there are many individuals who have had substantial impacts on my career, I would say the most influential person would be my mum. For years, she has driven me to training sessions…Advice to your young self: Your self-worth is not determined by your race results, and your identity is not tied to your sport. Follow your passions and do things with purpose. Use your ‘why’ to fuel you through the tough sessions and races, and always listen to and treat your body with love and compassion. Do things you enjoy and don’t take life too seriously. It is possible to find a balance if you prioritise, so don’t limit your endeavours and go after all those goals…Hobbies: reading, painting, drawing, playing the guitar, practising code and hanging out with friends in my downtime…Interesting facts: My mother used to be a competitive horse-rider in dressage, and even competed at the Sydney Royal Easter Show one year. She also used to compete at the state level for cross country running…Sporting ambition: seeing how far I can push the limits of my body and mind while continuing to enjoy the sport. My greatest fulfilment will come from passing on my experiences and learnings of the sport and empower the next generation of athletes. Thus, I would eventually love to get the opportunity to do public speaking and use the sporting platform to inspire change and participation in physical activity.

@ 1 August 23 david.tarbotton@athletics.org.au