Veteran Ventris is victorious

Evergreen Bunbury-based race walker Lyn Ventris was crowned winner of the 2018 AJ (Tood) Buswell South Western Times Sports Star of the Year award on Wednesday night at the City of Bunbury function centre.

Ventris, 62, finished ahead of George Wittorff, with Western Fury skipper Chloe Piparo in third.

Last year was an incredible period for Ventris, who broke the 10km road race walking world record at the 2018 World Masters Athletics Championships in Malaga, Spain.

Her achievements are even more remarkable given there were moments when she considered retiring from athletics.

“The whole thing for me since 2013 when I had my hamstring surgery has just been to try to get back into the sport,” she said in a recent interview with the South Western Times.

“I had a number of attempts at it. I competed in France at the 2015 World Masters Athletics Championships and I won my events there and I thought I was right.

“When I got back from Lyon I had more issues going on with my leg. And in January 2016, I just walked away from it totally.

“I think the lead up to Spain was the most important time for me.

“Just in terms of considering if I could come back and still get my times pretty close to being the best – considering what I had been through.”