It’s easy to find young people who are passionate about a range of sports, but much rarer to find individuals who perform at an elite level in more than one discipline. Amelie Sun is one of the few whose tireless work ethic has seen her perform at the top of her age group in two sports: Athletics and Tennis. Since starting at Meriden in 2016, she has twice been awarded Sportswoman of the Year, a testimony to her athletic versatility and sportsmanship.
Year 10 student Amelie made her debut in Athletics competitions at the age of nine and since then she has performed strongly in school, state and national events. Her coaches say Amelie’s star quality is her consistent improvement on her personal best times, an achievement that requires both focus and grit.
Mrs Nicole Boegman-Stewart, Head Coach Athletics and Cross Country, herself a former Olympian, said Amelie has the potential to go far on the Athletics track.
“Amelie has a very good work ethic and has been patient with her development as a young distance athlete,” she said.
“She has shown great improvement over the past few years in both Cross Country and Track racing and is now amongst the top performers in the country. She has enormous potential for a future in distance running.”
Amelie went into the 2019 Australian Athletics Championships ranked second in New South Wales in the Under 16s 1,500 Metre race. At the national competition, she finished ninth in this event and also ran a personal best time of 10:21.49 in the 3,000 Metre event, finishing fifth in her Under 16s category against the best runners in the country. In 2018, Amelie took first place in the 14 Years 3,000 Metre race at both the IGSSA and CIS Cross Country events before being selected for NSW All Schools Cross Country and National Cross Country Championships.
Amelie said one motivating factor in Athletics is seeing her personal progress over time.
“I feel a real sense of accomplishment at the end of a training session or race and I like that I can measure my improvement through personal best times from competition to competition,” she said.
Amelie’s Tennis form is just as impressive as her Track record. She is ranked number eighteen in her age group in New South Wales, with a National Open raking of 601. She has been a winner and finalist in doubles events in the Bathurst, Blacktown and Springwood Junior Tournaments and has been a member of Meriden’s Tildesley Tennis Team for four years, with her on-court performances contributing to the squad’s overall victories each year.
In a single week, the young athlete will attend three running sessions before or after school and complete a sixty minute run on Sundays. She will do two strength and conditioning sessions at the gym as well as training most afternoons at Meriden Tennis Academy. As a member of Meriden’s Olympus program, Amelie has access to specialist academic and athletic support, which helps to ensure young athletes manage their competing priorities.
Meriden looks forward to seeing Amelie’s continued progress in her sporting goals.
