Further Information 

Competition Stats

AUSTRALIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS:
3000m walk: 1996 - 1st
5000m walk: 1999 - 1st, 2000 - 1st
10km walk: 1999 - 1st, 2000 - 1st, 2005 - 2nd
20km walk: 2008 - 2nd (1st Australian)

INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS:
World Race Walking Cup: 2006 - 20km walk 38th (1:36:49)

ANNUAL PROGRESSION:

5000m walk
1999  23:12.88
2000  23:58.00
2001  24:11.70
2002  23:30.08
2003  23:23.81
2004  25:35.31
2006  22:34.75
2008  21:46.70

10km walk
1999  51:19
2002  51:54
2003  53:03
2005  47:11
2008  46:40

20km walk
2003  1:49:09
2005  1:37:46
2006  1:35:45
2008  1:32:57

EVENTS / PERSONAL BESTS:
1500m walk: 6:14.6 - Melbourne, 13/03/99
3000m walk: 12:48 - Canberra, 28/10/06
5000m walk: 21:46.70 - Melbourne, 9/02/08
10km walk: 46:40 - Melbourne, 23/02/08
20km walk: 1:32:57 - Melbourne, 23/02/08

Interesting Facts

Kellie began race walking seriously at the age of 11. She left the sport in 2004, disappointed that she hadn’t improved enough in a five-year period, but returned later that year.

Sporting Career

A natural talent, Kellie’s interest in race walking flourished at Little Athletics and before long she was a regular medallist at State level.

Speed was her obvious attribute, though there was some reluctance to take it to the National stage. While Kellie dominated the Victorian scene, she appeared little in Australian title races.

In 1995, at the age of 14, she won five gold medals in Victorian competition but only walked the Under 15 All Schools 1500m, finishing third.

She won the Under 17 All Schools 3000m walk in 1996 but kept to Victorian competition in 1997 and 1998 for her final two years of school.

Once her studies were completed, Kellie made her move for serious training and the National level. In 1999, she took the Australian Junior 5000m title as well as the Victorian and National Junior 10km road crowns.

Hopes of World Junior Championships selection were dashed in 2000 when she was dealt a bout of glandular fever. She still raced domestically, winning the Junior 5000m and 10km titles, but struggled with her times down on 1999.

Kellie didn’t race in 2001 and kept it to a minimum in 2002, 2003 and 2004, taking only to the Victorian State League. Despite 5000m titles in each of those years, her desire had waned.

She took leave from the sport in 2004, only to be talked around at the end of that year and joined Paul Van Kopplen’s training group. She soon changed to Frank Bertei and in 2005 finished second in the Australian 10km titles in a Commonwealth Games B-qualifying time.

Fifth place in the Australian 20km walk titles encouraged selection for the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in La Coruna, Spain, where she finished 38th in personal best time.

A move to the Australian Institute of Sport to join coach Brent Vallance followed and her improvement spiked, highlighted by a new 20km PB set in Geelong.

However, injuries flared to sideline her for seven months before a cautious return in June 2007. By September, surgery on her troublesome hamstring was required.

A comeback over 10km at the 2008 Canberra Athletics Classic was very promising, with her time of 46:58 a PB. Victory over 5000m at the Victorian Championships followed in a State record time, setting the stage for the National 20km walks titles in Melbourne.

They doubled as the selection trials for the Olympic Games, meaning Kellie faced the prospect of fulfilling her sporting goal. She responded in the best possible fashion, finishing second to Brit Jo Jackson to take the Australian title in A qualifying time. It was a personal best by nearly three minutes.

Selection for Beijing was hers.