Athlete in final mission
FRESH off a heavy medal performance in Mackay, Townsville’s Terminator, Tim Johnstone, is ready for his final mission of the season on home soil.
Johnstone was unstoppable at the Oceania Masters Games a fortnight ago and will aim to bring that momentum into the North Queensland Athletics Championships this weekend.
It will be his final meet of the season after stringing together nine championship performances since April. It has been a hefty toll for the multiathlete, but one he has refused to shy away from.
“In at least seven of them I have been sick heading into the event, so it is a credit to my coach Wally (Plath). He has managed to keep the body like a well-oiled machine. Like a car, you top up your radiator fluid and oil and get back on the track.”
It is a body that has been pushed to the limit, and almost reached breaking point in Mackay after Johnstone sustained a glute strain ahead of the competition.
While he nursed the injury through the opening stages of the competition, it got to a point where the 36-year-old almost considered giving in.
“I got through to day three not too bad. I got to javelin, threw a PB and got a silver medal but I knew I was ruined for the rest of my throwing events,” he said.
“By day six it was starting to bank up on me in the pentathlon. But I know my limitations and where I am at.
“I had extensive work done on the glute after the pentathlon and that actually helped me for the last day on day seven. I played a bit of tactics in the final (of the 400m), I knew the body was starting to break down a little bit.”
Midway through the race Johnstone felt a tearing sensation in his right hamstring, and it forced the seasoned athlete to settle for a silver medal.
It was one of six silvers, including the throws pentathlon, javelin, weight throw, triple jump and 800m, to go along with a gold medal performance in the outdoor pentathlon.
But better than the medals was his improved efforts, finishing the week in Mackay with a combined six personal and season bests despite going into it behind the eight ball.
After rehabilitating his muscles over the past fortnight, Johnstone is ready to take on the regional championships at Townsville Sports Reserve this weekend.
The extent of the hamstring injury has ruled him out of sprints and jumps events, but it has not deterred his enthusiasm in the throwing events.
“I have three chances to qualify for Australian Athletics Championships in the Opens division,” he said. “I am also up against the Oceania athletics champion in javelin.
“If I could get a medal in the opens and be on the podium with both the Oceania champions that would be awesome.”
The Athletics North Queensland Championships will take place at the Townsville Sports Reserve from September 27-29.