Zoe Boldiston.
ZOE Boldiston has joined an elite group as a multiple winner of South Bendigo Athletics Club’s most outstanding achievement award.
The race walker from Kialla capped a superb 2012-13 track season by being named the winner of the Raymond Foley trophy for most outstanding achievement and also earning the club’s most outstanding junior award.
Boldiston had won the Ray Foley award in 2010-11 and in doing so joined the likes of Clare McKechnie, David Purdon, Jo Bromfield and Josh Pickthall as a winner of the club’s highest honour.
Her latest success means she joins triple Paralympic representative Tim Matthews, and Commonwealth Games representative Tim Driesen in the “multiple club”.
A gold medallist in the 4x100m relay at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, and gold medal winner in the 4 x 100m relay and 4 x 400m relay at the Sydney Paralympics, Matthews earned South Bendigo’s major award in 1997-98 and ‘99-2000.
Driesen had done so in ‘98-99, 2000-01 and ‘11-12.
McKechnie and Annabel Thomson achieved consecutive wins in 2001-02 and ‘02-03, and ‘03-04 and ‘04-05 respectively.
At her latest meet, Bolidston won gold in the under-17 5km walk at the Australian Junior track and field championships in Perth.
Her time of 23minutes 55.31seconds was one-hundredth of a second from the record.
The August, 2012 winner in the Bendigo Advertiser-WIN Television Sports Star of the Year, Boldstion was also the recipient of the Maxine Crouch Trust Fund of the bankmecu-sponsored awards.
Coached by Paul Rance, Boldiston’s superb walking feats in 2012-13 included a silver medal in the under-18 5km walk at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival in Sydney, and gold in the under-16 5km walk at the Australian Roadwalking titles.
Other major award winners at the Champions IGA South Bendigo Athletics Club for the 2012-13 season were Ella Farnell, the Allen Stuchbery Memorial encouragement award; the Tim Matthews sprint awards to Jack Dooley and Emily Lawson, and the Peter Huthnance perpetual trophy for best club contributor in summer to long-time coach and official, Peter Barrett.