Torrie Eyes Glory | Young Aussie on the Rise

Barely old enough to drive a car and currently on the hunt for a casual job, 17-year-old Australian Torrie Lewis could easily be mistaken for just another teenager – until she steps foot on an athletics track.

Those who have watched Lewis have regularly been left in awe, with the prodigious sprinter herself even stretched for answers when it comes to her unique ability – “I don’t know, I kind of just do it,” she explains through a giggle. 

It’s not quite the response those in search of the secret to running times of 11.33 (100m), 23.38 (200m) and 53.78 (400m) at the age of 16 may be looking for, but it sums up Lewis perfectly – talented yet raw. 

A brief chat with the Queensland teenager reveals an infectious energy, as though she is just as excited with her progress as those watching from afar – refusing to put a limit on her ceiling and future in the sport.  

“I don’t want to jinx it, but the plan is for me to go all the way. That’s what I want and that’s what I’m planning for, I’m not training to run amazing as a junior and not do anything in the future – I’m training to build up my strength so I can go even further as a senior athlete,” she says. 

Under the watchful eye of former Australian 100m champion Gerrard Keating, Lewis’ rapid development is likely to force her name into discussions for a senior Australian tracksuit in 2022 – but she is merely focused on going around the bend and down the straight.  

“I hope to put myself in the best position possible to get picked in a senior team whether that’s in a relay or individual spot, but I’m just trying to focus on the running part and the rest will take care of itself,” she says. 

Holding qualifiers in all three sprinting events for this year’s World Athletics U20 Championships to be held in Columbia, Lewis will race with a newfound confidence in 2022 having blasted out of the blocks in her pre-Christmas outings. 

“I was expecting a drop soon because I had been running around that 11.5-11.6 consistently for a good eight months, and in the off season I started with some gym work and really worked on my start and acceleration,” she says. 

Lewis is in the rare club of having run 400m races that “felt like a jog”, a subtle reminder as to just how talented she is, having most recently clocked 53.78 off her 100m/200m base training. 

“It gives me a lot of confidence for my 200m, knowing that I have that back end strength and speed endurance – but I don’t plan on doing any more 400m’s this season,” she says. 

For someone so young, Lewis speaks with maturity when rattling off mindsets for different aspects of her life – with maintaining balance as a teenager at the forefront of her mind. 

“I just run, try to stay normal, and focus on one thing at a time. If I’m at school I tend to focus on school 100 per cent, and if I’m at the track then I’m all in on training – I don’t like to mix things,” she says. 

Gaining a start in the sport after quitting gymnastics, Lewis’ early success hatched a winning attitude that stands to this day. 

“I started to feel like I could possibly have a future in athletics, so I started to put more time and effort into it – which is what I have been doing ever since,” she says. 

And whilst most would like to meet their idols, Lewis would like to race them – with Shaunae Miller-Uibo of the Bahamas and Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson high on her wish list.   

“I think I’d be nervous, but once I got on the start line I would just try to get as close to them as possible. I think it would be pretty fun,” she says. 

You can catch Leiws’ next race at Queensland’s Sally Pearson Shield on January 22, where she will run the 100m and potentially the 200m.  

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 13/01/2022