Anne Judkins: Walker on path to success

The Northern Advocate People's Choice Award category in the Konica Minolta Northland Sports Awards is focusing on past Olympians. We are profiling the 13 Olympians you will shortly be asked to vote on next week.

The winner will be announced at the awards on November 30. Today ... Anne Judkins

Anne Maree Judkins became the top Kiwi female race walker in 1985 when she was still studying at Tikipunga High School.

Judkins was a gifted all-round athlete but had a special affiliation with the walking event, which at that stage was still an emerging discipline in track and field events.

She quit the sport when she went down to study medicine at Otago University but when she discovered that the Commonwealth Games in Auckland included race walking, she began training again.

She qualified and duly competed for New Zealand in the 1990 Games, proudly winning a silver medal in the 10km road walk.

The success gave her the motivation to continue in the sport and qualify for the 1992 Summer Olympics where she finished a credible ninth in the 10 km with a time of 45m 28s.

Judkins' personal best for the 10km walk was set in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden in 1992 as she built up to the Barcelona event.

She completed the 10km distance in 43m 12s, setting a national record which still stands today.

She took time off from her medical degree to compete and travel but later returned to finish her degree.

Her best time in the 20km race walk was 1h 36m 44s, set in Hamilton in 1999 and it is still the third fastest time by a New Zealand athlete.