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Profile
Posted under Races and Results by DonnaSporting Career
Donna was introduced to athletics at Larmenier Primary School in Launceston, Tasmania. She won her first race at the interschool cross country in grade 6 (1988). Donna continued running in high school, where she started training with her first coach, Di Barnes (now Huxley). Donna won a bronze medal in the Under 15 3000m at the Australian Championships in Hobart (1990).
In her later school years, Donna enjoyed racing over 800m, 1500m and 3000m on the track, as well as over cross country. Her most successful year was in the Under 20 age group. She was a surprise winner in the Australian Cross Country Championship in Bendigo in 1996. In 1997, Donna won the Under 20 800m and 1500m at the Australian Track and Field Championships in Melbourne. She placed 2nd in the 3000m.
Donna represented Australia in a number of Ekiden Women’s Road Relays in 1999 and 2000 (Yokohama, Japan; Beijing, China; Seoul, Korea). She was one of the early runners in the steeplechase, winning a bronze medal at the Australian Championships in Sydney in 2000. However, she ‘retired’ shortly after to focus on her career and family.
After more than five years out of the sport, Donna returned to athletics in the 2005/06 season, winning her first return to the steeplechase event at the Zatopek Classic in Melbourne in 9.51.60 under new coach, Max Cherry.
Donna improved greatly during the season and qualified for the 2006 Commonwealth Games team in Melbourne. Donna ran a personal best of 9.25.05 to win the bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games. This time ranked her in the world’s top ten for 2006. Soon after, she placed 29th at the World Cross-Country Champs in Fukuoka and was a member of the Australian team which won a bronze medal for the first time in history.
Donna was a member of the Osaka 2007 World Athletics Championships team, representing Australia in the Steeplechase. Some bad luck saw her accidently trodden on by another competitor early in the first round heat and she lost one of her shoes. Donna continued running with only one shoe for another two laps before being forced to withdraw from the race with a badly burnt and blistered foot.
Donna concentrated her efforts in 2008 on the Beijing Olympic Games. But it was the sudden death of her coach, Max Cherry that became the tragic focus, just three months before the Olympics. She continued to train under new coach, Peter Fortune and relocated with her family to Belgium for six weeks in order to compete in Europe during June-July. After Max’s death, Donna won the Doha Super Grand Prix and then set a new Australian and Oceanic Record in the Steeplechase at the Oslo Golden League meeting in Norway in July. She didn’t progress to the Olympic final.
2009 was a struggle. Donna again won the Australian Championships but missed all that she loved about running under Max. Her motivation was challenged and her road to the World Athletics Championships was very tough, reflected by performances below her best. She placed 12th in her heat in Berlin. After having a break, she is now improving her fitness and determining her next challenge.