Local athletes celebrate

Wairarapa's young athletes are still buzzing about a $300,000 cash injection from Masterton District Council that's brought the plan for a new all-weather athletics track one step closer.
Training on the present grass surface at Masterton's Colin Pugh Sports Bowl are, from left, Joel Farley, Charlie Thomlinson, Tom Quinn, Kurtis Paine, Molly Creagh, Laura McKenna, Vicky Paine, Stevie Paine and George Hewitt.
"It's just fantastic, it'll make the world of difference," 17-year-old William Simpson said. "I'm down in Wellington almost every weekend now - if we had an all-weather track here I'd be able to train six days a week on it in the summer and three or four in the winter. It could be used by other sports, too, without getting all torn up when it's wet." "And no more slipping over when it's wet," 14-year-old Tom said.
Slipping is not an issue for Joel, who enjoys a bit of mud at the Athletics Club fortnightly cross-country runs, but he's looking forward to training on the same surface he'll be competing on.
Medal winning sisters Stevie and Vicky both think the facility will make Wairarapa teams more on a level with other teams, and help put Wairarapa on the map.
"It will be great to bring other athletes and their families here, and showcase a bit of the Wairarapa," they said. Laura was meanwhile rapt about the break it would give her family. "The cost of petrol and food when you are away a lot mounts up. I think having events here will bring money in instead of it all going out."