AFTER eight years of sitting on the sidelines Sharon Barr decided it was time to get back into the game.
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The Bendigo woman is competing in her first event since taking time out the sport to concentrate on her work.
Barr is taking part in the Oceania Masters Athletics Championships in the hammer throw, discus and the pentathlon.
She threw a personal best distance of 29.52 metres in the hammer throw at the La Trobe University Bendigo Athletics Complex on Tuesday.
“I am proud,” Barr said.
“It is my first event for the games and to do a competition PB, I can’t ask for anything more.”
Barr, a former Australian champion, has been competing in the sport since she was eight years old.
She said she held the national hammer and heavy weight records.
“It was about 20 years ago when I had the records,” Barr said.
“The records have now been well and truly broken by people coming up.”
Barr said competing in her home town was an advantage.
“I know the field, I know the circle and the ground,” he said.
“The circle is slow so you need to work a bit harder.”
“I suppose it works my favour.”
Barr said she only decided to compete in this year’s games in July.
“I saw that the Oceania’s were in Bendigo so I thought it would be now or never,” she said.
“I started working on the strength in my hands and then got all the equipment.
“I got back into training and now I am thoroughly enjoying being out here.”
Barr’s athletic ability also runs in the family, her son is following in her footsteps.
“My son did little athletics, he was throwing a discus at the age of two,” she said.
“He has won Victorian titles and went to the national titles.
“He loves the sport too.”
Barr said her efforts on Tuesday had already exceeded her expectations for the games.
“I don’t care what else happens for the rest of the week, I did my best,” she said.
