By her own admission, the 11-year-old lives a busy sporting life and the past 12 months have been particularly hectic.

Not only was she a point guard for the Braves under-14 girls Blue squad at five major tournaments, she also won a Victorian pole vault title and represented her state at the national championships, bringing home a silver medal.

Her pole vault personal best rose from 1.60m in October, to 2.30m on the final competition day last month - a height that would have won her gold in Sydney a week earlier.  

“The last year has been.... big,” says Emma. “Going to nationals had always been my dream, but I wasn’t expecting it to come this early. It was a great experience.

“I was worried when I started with Braves that I might not be able to keep doing everything, because my brothers do their own sports and there’s so much driving around that mum and dad have to do for me.

“I’m pretty fortunate to have them as my parents.”

Despite her best efforts, there was one schedule clash that Emma could not overcome.

The Bendigo Junior Classic basketball tournament in January was held the same weekend as the 2015 Victorian country track and field carnival, where the youngster had won running and jumping medals the previous two years.

Emma chose basketball.

“It was really hard because athletics is such a big part of my life,” she says. “But I had a commitment to the Braves because it is a team sport, and every player in the team can help make a difference.”

Emma says her all-round game has improved markedly under Junior Braves coach Nina Cass.

“She’s been awesome and taught me a lot about decision making, setting up different plays and looking around for options.”

The Bendigo South East year 7 student started little athletics when she was six, but later switched to senior competition.

Mum Melinda and dad Brett are  both active members of the Bendigo Harriers club and Brett runs a successful stable of athletes.

He has coached several national pole vault champions.

“I was out at the track almost every day with my dad and his training group when I was little and I’ve always loved to run, so it was natural that I took up athletics.

“I first tried pole vault when I was seven, and dad would just push me up onto the bag,” Emma says. 

“But I really only started competitively last season.”

Emma earned a bronze medal at the Victorian All Schools titles last year before winning the state junior event in February - both results qualifying her for nationals.

According to her family, she has always had a fierce competitive streak and brothers Matthew, 13, and Jackson, 8, are the perfect rivals.

“She always tried to keep up with her older brother, whether it was racing to the dinner table or being first out of the car and into the house,” laughs Brett.

“It isn’t something you strongly encourage, but that’s just the way her mindset works.”

As her father, Brett is extremely proud of Emma’s development in all her sports (she has competed at state finals in cross country, triple jump and 800m, as well as winning her age group at the Bendigo inter-school cross country event for the past four years in a row).

“It is a bit of a fairy-tale to be coaching athletes for a very long time, and to think my own daughter might be good enough to be competitive at nationals was fantastic,” he says. 

“But she’s still young and she’s having a good time and that’s what matters most. If she wins a few things or gets into a Braves team, that’s great, but it has to be fun.

“Emma is lucky to be surrounded by people who encourage that. 

“All the guys in my squad are very keen to make sure training is enjoyable, and she’s had a bit to do with some of the Bendigo Spirit basketballers who have given her the same message.

“Sara Blicavs has just been fantastic with her and she’s very much like Emma in her approach.

“Sara is a very competitive beast and a great basketballer and athlete, but she likes to enjoy herself and has given Emma so much fun over the season.”

Speaking as a pole vault coach, Brett says his young charge has good scope for improvement as she grows, but may face an increasingly difficult challenge of finding time to train, especially if she continues to pursue her basketball.

“Because she can’t bend the pole at the moment, it is her speed and how high she can hold it that is getting her over the bar.

“Because she has a good foundation, she will develop quickly once she can bend. She’s not far off, and if she has a growth spurt over winter, she could be doing it by next season.”

Emma has set herself some lofty short-term goals.

She hopes to make the Braves under-14A team and play in the Victorian Junior Basketball League later this year, even though the demands could adversely impact on her availability for athletics.

“On the track,” she grins, “my new pole vault aim is to clear 2.50m.”

Onwards and upwards...