Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
800 metres: 1997 (U20) - 1st
1500 metres: 1997 (U20) - 1st
3000 metres: 1997 (U20) - 4th (2nd Australian)
3000m steeple: 2000 - 5th (3rd Australian), 2006 - 2nd, 2006 - 1st, 2007 - 1st, 2008 - 1st, 2009 - 1st
Cross country: 1996 - (U20) 4km 1st, 2006 - 2nd

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
Commonwealth Games: 2006 – 3000m steeple 3rd (9.25.05)
World Cross Country Championships: 2006 – 4km 29th
World Championships: 2007 - 3000m steeple DNF heat (inj.)
Olympic Games: 2008 – 3000m steeple 9th heat (9:32.05), 2009 - 300m steeple 12th heat (9:52.46)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
1500 metres:
1998 4:20.47
2006 4:15.83
2007 4:12.44/4.10.37m (mix)
2008 4:17.63
2009 4:19.94

3000 metres:
2006 8:50.65
2007 9:03.71
2008 9:02.14

3000m steeplechase:
2000 10:31.10 (mix)
2005 9:51.60
2006 9:25.05
2007 9:26.63
2008 9:18.35
2009 9:57.14

EVENTS/PERSONAL BESTS:
3000m steeplechase: 9.18.35 - Oslo, 6/06/08
1500 metres: 4.12.22 - Osaka (JPN), 5/05/07 [4.10.37 in unsanctioned mixed race]
One mile: 4.33.52 - Melbourne, 2/03/07
3000 metres: 8.50.65 - Melbourne, 9/03/06
5000 metres: 15.46.43 - Hobart, 18/03/07

RECORDS
Oceania/National record - 3000m steeple: 9.18.35 - Oslo, 6/6/2008

Interesting Facts

Donna combines her athletic efforts with being a mother of two young children in Hobart.

In 2008, Donna won the TIS Female Athlete of the Year Award. She is arguably the most recognisable female athlete in Tasmania and second sportsperson overall to Ricky Ponting.

Sporting Career

1990 – Won her first national medal, a bronze in the U15 5000 metres at the Australian All Schools Championships.

1997 – Won the U20 Australian Junior Cross Country and the national 800m and 1500m titles.

2000 – Became one of the trailblazers in women’s steeplechasing, collecting a national bronze.

2005 – After taking a five-year break to start a family, Donna returned to competition in December.

2006 – Within three months, Donna netted bronze in the inaugural Commonwealth Games 3000m steeplechase in Melbourne and began a rapid rise which saw her ranked in the top 10 in all three recognised world ranking systems by year’s end. Success not only came over the jumps and in cross country, where she was part of Australia’s first ever medal winning team at the World Cross Country Championships two weeks after the Games, but also on the flat with fine wins over 3000 metres in international meets in Australia in both 2006 and 2007.

2007 – Won her first national senior title in March, followed by wins at 1500m in Karlskrona (SWE) and in international steeples in Doha (QAT) and Luzern (SuI), with a second in Oslo (NOR) in her Golden League debut. New personal bests in other non-preferred distances of the mile and 5000m also came, as did her inaugural world championships berth. Some poor fortune in Osaka didn’t do an otherwise terrific year justice; Donna lost a shoe in the opening stages of her 3000m steeplechase heat and was forced to withdraw despite trying to persevere without it.

2008 – Donna won the World Athletics Tour Melbourne in an A-qualifying time of 9:29.93. At the national championships in March Donna made it two in a row and achieved automatic nomination for her Olympic debut. At the 2008 IAAF Oslo Golden League Donna demolished the Australian record by six seconds, running 9.18.35. On debut at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, Donna went into her race hotly rated and on paper, the third fastest in the heat, however she never looked comfortable. The race was won in a time three seconds slower than her personal best, though it proved too hot to handle as she battled on to place ninth in 9:32.05.

2009 – Following the disappointment of Beijing Donna bounced back to take out her fourth consecutive national 3000m steeplechase title at the national championships in March and earn selection to her second world championships team.