Bunbury champ meets fastest man on earth

Bunbury’s first lady of racewalking Lyn Ventris took her place among the world’s elite athletes earlier this month, honoured alongside international luminaries like dual world record holder Usain Bolt.

At a glittering awards ceremony in Monaco, Ventris was recognised for her outstanding year when named the International Association of Athletics Federation’s World Female Masters Athlete of the Year.

Also crowned at the event on Saturday, November 12, was Bolt as World Male Athlete of the Year and Australian Olympic hurdler Sally Pearson who took out the title of the World’s best female athlete.

Ventris, 55, holds 10 World Masters records and won every race walking event she entered this year.

She said she had to pinch herself when she met the who’s who of world athletics at the event.

‘‘It’s the biggest event that the IAAF have so to be involved in it was brilliant,’’ she said.

‘‘After I found out, I walked around for two weeks just not believing that it had happened.’’