Botella jumps at dream
CHLOE Botella is a proud testament to Australia's enduring love affair with the great outdoors.
The versatile Cairns athlete admits she doesn’t like being stuck inside.
She starts her week with high jump training on Monday nights.
She takes to the pool for swimming lessons on Tuesdays before recovery time on Wednesdays ahead of Thursday’s trampolining and tumbling.
The stick and pads come out on Friday for hockey, and Saturday and Sunday can involve any combination of sports.
The 12-year-old’s passion for action and adventure is set to reap rewards on the national stage in her favourite discipline of high jump.
Botella is among a swag of medal hopes heading to Canberra for the Pacific School Games, which begin next week.
A two-time state champion,
Botella is aiming for the national title that eluded her in Tasmania last year.
She is confident of claiming the crown after clearing 1.55m at the state titles, but is prepared to raise the bar to 1.62m in Canberra to secure the title.
Despite the hectic schedule the level-headed youngster keeps her success in perspective, particularly when competing.
"I don’t really stay focused. I talk to everyone," Botella said.
"I just like making friends with everyone and I don’t want to be too into it now because you’ve got a lot of years to come."
Botella praised Mulgrave Athletics Club jumps coach Chris Stirling for helping refine her technique and focus on core exercises.
"She’s been really helpful. If it wasn’t for Chris I wouldn’t be able to jump at the national level."
Stirling is thrilled with the talented crop of juniors coming through the ranks, saying it was one of the strongest groups from the Peninsula region ever assembled.
In high jump alone, Kate Atwell has already competed at multiple national titles, while Innisfail siblings Jason Tara and Haley Strano have become the first Queensland family to stack a Pacific Games squad with three members.
Throw in under-13 competitor Nick Cooper and Daijah Martens and it has the makings of a group that will bring home a stack of
titles.
"As a group we’ve had odd occasional outstanding one but we’ve got good group going down there and all these guys should do really well," Stirling said.
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On a high: Chloe Botella, 12, is involved in a different sport each day of the week but her favourite is high jump in which she will compete at national level next week.
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