Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
10000m walk: 2007 - 2nd (U20), 2008 - 1st (U20)

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
World Walking Cup: 2008 - 10km walk 5th (46.44)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:
3000m walk
2004   14:35.05
2005   14:21.96

5000m walk
2004   25:21.89
2005   24:22.78 
2006   24:24.34
2007   23:26.55 
2008   22:08.76

10000m walk
2006   50:15
2007   49:29
2008   46:15 (national U20 record)

10km walk
2007   47:03
2008   45:45

20km walk
2008    1:37.34

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
5000m walk: 22:08 - Melbourne, 09/02/2008
10000m walk: 46:15 - Gold Coast, 14/03/2008
10km walk: 45:45 - Melbourne, 23/02/2008
20km walk: 1:37.34 - Canberra, 27/01/2008

RECORD(S):
National U20 record - 10,000m track walk 46:15.17 - Gold Coast, 14/03/2008

Interesting Facts

Jess has recently moved to Melbourne where she has commenced a physiotherapy degree at La Trobe University. 

Sporting Career

It would be fair to say Jess has walked a tough road to reach the top of her sport. Living with her parents on a dairy farm in Katunga (2 hours drive from Bendigo, in north eastern Victoria), Jess had limited opportunities to train with the walkers at Bendigo and most of her training was done on her own.

Added to that, competing in State championships meant a 3 hour drive to Melbourne that had to be fitted in with her  parents' demanding lifestyle as dairy farmers.

It's not exactly the ideal environment in which to nurture a champion athlete but Jess and her family have achieved in spite of the odds.

In Melbourne 2003, Jess won the Australian Under 16 5km road walk, slashing her previous best, to stop the clock in a time of 24:09.

In 2006, Jess approached Simon Baker for coaching help and the partnership produced spectacular results. 2007 saw Jess doing her Year 12 studies so her racing opportunities were few. She started the year with 2nd in the Australian 10,000m track championship in a PB time of 49:29, but then settled down to a year of hard study and raced only occasionally.

Once the final exams finished, Jess burst back on the scene with a series of spectacular races, including victory in a PB time of 47:03 at the Victorian Race Walking Clubs 10km race held at Albert Park.

A 6 week training block with the AIS walkers followed, before her debut appearance at the National Series 20km walk in Canberra
on Sunday 27 January 2008.

Jess took to the longer distance like a seasoned professional, upstaging her older, more experienced competitors to claim victory in the 20km road walk (1:37:34). The performance would see her rocket into a top 20 position on the Australian all time ranking list.

Two weeks later Jess travelled to Melbourne where she won the Victorian Under 20 5000m track walk title in a new Victorian Junior record (22:08.76).

Jess then won the U20 10km road walk on Sunday 23 February in Fawkner Park. Her time of 45:45 was another PB that would see her go to
the top of the Australian 10 km ranking list.

She then rounded her summer season off with a comfortable win in the Australian 10,000m track championship with a scorching new Australian Under 20 record time of 46:15.17.

It was no surprise that she was subsequently named to represent Australia at both the 2008 World Racewalking Cup and in the 2008 World Juniors.