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BIOGRAPHY |
In the last six months, 17-year-old Victorian distance protégé Amy Bunnage has achieved four outstanding performances and is now set to wear the green and gold at the 2023 World Athletics Cross Country Championships.
After withdrawing from the 2022 World U20 Championships team in June, three months later Amy won the Australian U18 Cross Country title by one minute, followed by two outstanding 3000m track times of 9:03 and 9:00 – the later to win the Zatopek U20 race in an Australian U18 record, then finally in January 2023 she won the U20 6km event at the Australian team trials for the World Cross Country Championships by a staggering 82 seconds.
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It all started for Amy Bunnage when her brother persuaded her to join Mentone Little Athletics – she was instantly hooked.
“I started little athletics at the age of eight and immediately found myself enjoying the longer races. Since then, running and competing have become a large part of my life,” said Amy who was participating in many sports including soccer, swimming, triathlon and gymnastics.
Success in athletics followed quickly, competing at her first National championship aged 10. By age 12 she had run 4:39 for 1500m and was winning national championship medals.
In 2019, ahead of the COVID effected years, now aged 14, Amy had clocked times of 4:29 (1500m) and 9:50 (3000m). At the end of 2020 she joined Tim O’Shaughnessy’s squad and was soon back into competition in the summer of 2021, with the now 16-year-old re-writing her PBs with times of 2:07.5 (800m), 4:21 (1500m) and 9:19 (3000m). At the end of the 2021 summer Amy won the National under-17 3000m in a time of 9:26, significantly faster than the winners of the under-18 and 20 titles. The performance earned her selection in the Australian U20 team, however due to security and pandemic concerns, Australia did not travel to the World Juniors in Kenya, rather opting for competions on the Gold Coast in June. Amy was again in brilliant form slicing over six seconds from her 1500m PB, clocking a dazzling time of 4:14.62 at age 16.
In the summer of 2022, Amy complied another strong domestic campaign with three sub-4:20 1500m times and a 13 second 3000m PB time of 9:06.93, on the way to winning the National junior title. The win secured automatic selection for the World U20 Championships, but in June 2022 she withdrew from the Australian team before they travelled to Columbia.
Her 2022/23 campaign has been stunning, winning the 2022 Australian U20 XC title, recording 3000m times of 9:03 and 9:00, ahead of winning a place on the Australian team for the 2023 World XC Championships.
Amy explains why she has progressed so well recently:
“I am under the amazing guidance of my coach, Tim O’Shaughnessy, and I also really enjoy doing everything I can to perform at my best. I really enjoy the training sessions and love being a part of such a fun, motivated group of runners. My coach has an amazing way of bringing out the best in all his athletes and by focusing on everyone’s unique ability, he helps them to reach their full potential.”
Amy found a positive for her running career during COVID.
“I got into Pilates and have found it has helped me so much with my running. Strength work has always been something I undervalued, but now I truly believe it is just as important as running training. I have been able to build a great rapport with my Pilates instructor, and she helps keep my body in tune.”
Biggest challenge you've faced: Finding balance between my academic studies, sporting commitments and life outside of running. (For the Victorian end of high school exams, the VCE, Amy was named one of the top students, particularly in Accounting)…Most influential person in your career: My family have played a massive role in helping me become the best person and athlete I can be…Advice to your young self: Just keep showing up and enjoying the sport…Hobbies: painting and yoga…Education: completed VCE in 2022 at Haileybury Girls College, going to Stanford University in 2023…Interesting fact: My Grandma was born and grew up in Botswana.
@ 1 Feb 2023 David.Tarbotton@athletics.org.au