Robbo’s birthday but he’s handing out gifts
VIKINGS sprint coach guru Brett Robinson’s 40th birthday today will be showered in gold.
The famed Currumbin squad are reigning in the latest in a long list of achievements under the tutelage of Robinson after bringing home a swag of medals from the Queensland school athletics championships in Cairns.
Rising stars Britney Ingr picked up three gold medals in the under-14 100m, 200m and long jump and silver in the triple, Bailee-Anne Tewake won gold in the under-13 100m and silver in the 200m, Jess Mead took gold in the under-17 100m, Caitlin Lythgo claimed second in the under-16 400m and Liv Matzer took out bronze in the under-16 100m.
Robinson’s squad also recorded 10 personal best times across the championships where the Vikings competed against about 2000 emerging stars, 300 or so from the Coast.
“The whole squad is like one big happy family,” said Ingr’s dad Patrick.
“It’s not all about pushing yourself to extremes and a weight of expectation but just about doing your best.
“Within the squad, there’s so many amazing athletes like Ellie Beer and Murray Goodwin and world beach sprint champions.
“Success breeds success and there’s so many talented athletes so it rubs off.”
What started as a small group of Currumbin surf club beach competitors who trained under Robinson following his own beach sprint career has turned into a squad of almost 80.
That group contains national champions in athletics and beach sprinting, as well as Stawell Gift winners and Commonwealth Games reps.
Ingr said his daughter, who turned 14 on the day she won the 100m final in a time of 11.87 seconds, dreamt of matching Beer and Goodwin thanks to Robinson. The squad now looks to Perth’s national athletics titles in December.