Hear from Aidan Murphy, Darcy Miller, Marley Raikiwasa and Olivia Sandery before they take on the World

Four SA athletes will represent Australia at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships, which will be held in Columbia in early August.

Saints Athletics Club's Aidan Murphy and Darcy Miller, Pembroke Athletics Club's Olivia Sandery and Tea Tree Gully Athletics Centre's Marley Raikiwasa were selected in the Australian team, while Saints' Adam Goddard (Men's 1500m) and Jordi McMillan (Women's 100m and 200m), and Pembroke's Lakara Stallan (Women's 200m) also achieved qualifying standards, but weren't selected in Australia's team of 60 athletes.

The Championships will be held in the Columbian city of Cali from August 1 to 6.

After each winning State and National Titles and breaking a combined 20 State Records (some records fell multiple times) this season, Murphy was selected to run the Men's 200m and Men's 4X100m Relay at the World U20 Championships, while Sandery will compete in the Women's 10,000m Race Walk, Miller in the Men's Discus, and Raikiwasa in the Women's Discus.

2021/22 Athletics SA Emerging Athlete Program Members Olivia Sandery, left, Darcy Miller, Aidan Murphy and Marley Raikiwasa will be heading to Columbia for the World Athletics U20 Championships.

Fresh off a Silver Medal at the 2022 World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Oman, and a National Title at the 2022 Australian Track and Field Championships (both successes coming in the U20 10,000m Race Walk), Sandery said she was once again ready to take on the World. 

The 19-year-old believed her experience in the Australian uniform in Oman was "priceless" for her World U20 Championships preparation.

She is the only SA athlete to come in to World Juniors with past National team experience.

"I can't wait to compete over there (in Columbia) and see what I am capable of - a PB would be nice, and I would love to be up amongst the top placings at World Juniors, I feel that a Medal is maybe possible," Sandery said.

"I feel like I am definitely ready for it - representing Australia means a lot. It's not something I ever thought was possible, it's exciting and a big honour.

"The experience in Oman was awesome - it was my first International race and it was great to have that experience under my belt.

"I think World Juniors will be a similar field to what I raced in Oman so it's nice knowing what I will be in for, and it was great to get a Silver Medal alongside the other Australian girls (Allanah Pitcher and Alanna Peart).

"I know what it takes now and it makes me hungrier for more - I know the training I need to do and how fit I need to be - I am really looking forward to it."

The Athletics SA Emerging Athlete Program (ASA EAP) member is coached by SA Olympic Gold Medallist Jared Tallent and Bob Cruise.

"Jared is such an inspiration, I sometimes forget how good he was," Sandery said.

"He has been to the big Meets, he knows what it's like, and he passes all that experience on to me - I have seen some great results since I started working with Jared.

"I thought I would see some PBs this season, but I didn't think I would have this successful of a season - I have exceeded my own expectations and expectations of other's as well."

All things considered and despite her Silver Medal in Oman, Sandery said the highlight of her season came in late March when she won the 2022 Women's U20 10,000m Race Walk National Title in a (Women's U20) Meet Record 45:28.96, which officially booked her place on the Australian World Juniors team.

She broke the Women's U20 10,000m and 5000m Race Walk State Records this season, and is currently ranked as the number one Women's U20 10,000m Race Walker in the World (45:24.1)

"Winning in Sydney and getting the automatic qualifier was a sigh of relief - I have been working towards it for a while and I knew that I was capable of it, so to cross the line in Sydney and get the auto qualifier was really exciting." Sandery said.

Olivia Sandery.

The 18-year-old Murphy won the 2022 Open Men's 200m National Title in Sydney last month to conclude a dominant 2021-22 Summer Season, but with several World events on the calendar he believed that he was just getting started.

Murphy ran 20.53 to claim the 200m National Title, and finished with a Season's Best 20.41 which he ran to win the Open Men's 200m State Title in February and set a new Open Men's State Record and National Men's U20 Record in the process.

Currently ranked as the third best Men's U20 200m sprinter in the World (behind USA's Erriyon Knighton and Nigeria's Udodi Chudi Onwuzurike), Murphy said he was confident in his ability, and excited to pull on the Australian colours for the first time.

"I like the thought of green and gold, I am so excited," Murphy said.

"This (World Juniors) is a really big World event, and it is a big deal for SA to have four athletes representing the State and country.

"I am hoping to run at the World Athletics Championships (in July) and World Juniors (in August), so I hope to be running really quick and hopefully in a good spot for Medal contention in Columbia. 

"I love running fast, I love winning and strong competition is something I live for.

"I want to Medal and PB at World Juniors."

Competing regularly at Copyworld Toshiba Interclub competition, as well as at State Championships, National Championships, the Chemist Warehouse Adelaide Invitational high performance Meet and interstate Track Classic Meets, Murphy clocked six State Record runs throughout the Summer Season, including the Men's Open 100m, Open 200m, U20 200m (three times) and U20 100m.    

"My season isn't over yet, but winning Nationals did mean a lot to me - it was the first time since 1927 that a Junior athlete won the Open Men's 200m Title, but I put it down to my preparation and my training program," Murphy said.

"When I laid my first times down on the track (100m 10.67, 400m 47.14, 200m 20.64) this season I realised that I had some real potential this year, but being a lanky six-foot-four-inches I know there is a lot more to work on technique wise, which excites me more than what I have done this season - the potential to improve.

"I have had some injuries in recent years so to put together a full season of training and competing, and to come out in front of great competitors like Caleb Law and Jake Doran at Nationals means a lot. 

"Racing (Tokyo Olympian) Rohan Browning and Doran for the first time at the Adelaide Invitational meant a lot to me, because they are the big guys so to be race on the same track as them is awesome.

"It has been hard work but it has paid off, but I want to create a legacy that I am proud of."

Murphy is coached by former Olympic sprinter Peter Fitzgerald, while his mother, Tania Van Heer, is a Gold and Bronze Medallist from the 1998 Commonwealth Games in the 4X100m Relay and 100m respectively.

Aidan Murphy

Raikiwasa is one of two SA Discus throwers heading to Columbia, and at 16 years of age will be one of the youngest members on the Australian team.

The Year 11 Tyndale student broke the Women's U18 Discus (three times), U20 Discus (three times) and U18 Shot Put State Records, won four State Titles (Open Shot and Discus, U18 Shot and Discus) and two National Titles (U20 and U18 Discus), while surpassing the World U20 qualifying standards on multiple occasions.

Despite her age and coming into the competition (currently) ranked seventh, Raikiwasa believed she was ready to take on the best Junior athletes in the World.

"I am ecstatic, and so excited that I was even considered for the team," she said.

"This means everything, this is a big dream for me, I have always wanted to represent Australia.

"I worked hard to get into the team and was so happy to qualify as many times as I did and to win the U20 National Title to get the automatic qualifier spot was such a good feeling.

"This is everything that I worked for, but all of that (Records and Titles) is a bonus for me, I just love to progress my technique."

Raikiwasa said she had doubts about her form heading into the Summer Season after switching coaches to Steve Larsson (who also coaches Darcy Miller) during the 2021 Winter.

"I was nervous (changing coaches) because my technique was going to go under construction and I didn't think that I would progress too much, so to progress as much as I did and get a PB this year was so exciting," she said.

"I really had one goal this year and that was to win the U20 Discus National Title and I did - I was so happy with that, and to perform well in the U18 and Open Discus (at Nationals) was good.

"To stay consistent around the 50m mark, and throwing a 52m attempt (at Copyworld Toshina Interclub 11) was the highlight of my season."

Turning 17 in August (during the World Juniors) Raikiwasa has future opportunities to represent Australia at Junior level, and was excited by this "bonus" selection. 

"I am just happy to be going, I am looking forward to the competition in general, and competing - it will be such a good experience, being on my first National team," she said. 

"I am nervous, but I have confidence in my technique and training, and if I trust that I should be able to perform - but if I don't, just being on the team and experiencing the competition will be so valuable. 

"I am not putting too many pressures on myself, I just want to throw well and not foul out."

Marley Raikiwasa

Miller will become the fourth member of his family to represent their country on the sporting field, a legacy that started nearly 100 years ago.

"My Great Grandma Bobbie Heine-Miller in 1927 won the French Open Doubles Tournament and made the Wimbledon Doubles Final (she also made the Semi Final in the French Open Singles Tournament and was in 1929 Ranked the fifth best tennis player in the World)," Miller said.

"Her (Heine-Miller) brother Peter Heine played cricket for South Africa in the 1950s and 60s (playing 14 Test Matches), and my grandma was captain of the Australian Squash team, so there is quite a history.

"I am aiming for what they aimed for - we are a big sporting family, so this selection is a big sense of accomplishment and achievement."

Currently ranked in the top 10 U20 Discus throwers in the world, the 18-year-old Miller will be one of the younger Men's Discus competitors, but he believed a top eight finish was in his sights.

"I am over the moon to be selected," he said.

"Making the team was one of my goals at the start of the season, and pulling on the green and gold has been a dream of mine for a long time - that dream is coming true this year.

"I am looking forward to the team aspect of the competition, travelling as a team, competing as a team - that will be really cool.

"Cali will be great - I have never travelled that far in my life and it will be cool to go there for the first time."

Miller said it was a difficult year to prepare for considering the implement weight change moving into the U20 age group, but he went on to set State Records in the Men's U18 Discus (twice) and U20 Discus (twice).

"Moving up a weight is tricky, I started with the U18 weight (1.5kg) so that I could extend my State Record (to 61.27m at the 2021 SA All Schools in October), and gradually incorporated the U20 weight (1.75kg) with my eyes set on the World Juniors team," he said.

"Winning the U20 Discus National Title, with a near PB 58.12m in awful conditions was a real highlight because it automatically selected me in the World Juniors team.

"World Juniors is still a while away - I am nervous because I have never competed at this level before, but I am training hard (12 to 16 times a week) so I will be ready when it comes to competition time."  

Murphy, Raikiwasa, Sandery and Miller will attend the Athletics SA Awards Presentation Luncheon on May 22 as guest speakers. 

Purchase your tickets to the event here

Darcy Miller

Seventeen SA athletes will be heading to the Queensland city of Mackay for the 2022 Oceania Athletics Championships in June.

South Australians representing Team Australia will be Aidan Murphy (Open Men's 200m, U20 4X100m Relay), Dylan Stenson (Open Men's 800m), Caitlin Adams (Open Women's 10,000m), Jamie Scroop (Open Women's Pole Vault), Courtney Smallacombe (Open Women's Pole Vault), Lachlan Page (Open Men's Discus), Darcy Miller (Open Men's and U20 Discus), Angus Hincksman T38 (Men's Para 400m and 1500m), Jack Netting T35 (Men's Para 100m and 200m), Keira Post T37 (Women's Para 100m and 200m), Akeesha Snowden T37 (Women's Para 100m and 200m), Olivia Sandery (Women's U20 5000m Race Walk and 10,000m Race Walk), Jessica McManus (Women's U18 800m and 1500m), Jonathan Harris (Men's U18 800m and 1500m), Nellie Langford (Women's U18 5000m Race Walk), Tryphena Hewett (Women's U18 High Jump and Pole Vault), and Taylor Larsson (Women's U18 Shot Put).