If anyone would like to see photos of the 2014 Nippys Loxton Gift please visit the following website http://gswatty.smugmug.com/Athletics Grant Schwartzkopff took these photos for the Loxton local paper and has kindly shared the link with us - thank you Grant

I first came across the Camden Classic in 2003 when I was a spectator. I witnessed Lee Myatt win the Women’s classic that year, a brilliant runner I had grown up with and always looked up to whilst participating in Surf Life Saving beach sprinting. Seeing that race for the first time planted a seed of interest in me. At this time, my beach coach of many years was encouraging me to become a 400 metre runner because I seemed to have that natural ability. I always had the strength from my beach sprinting to pull out a good 400 and it was this day seeing the Women’s Camden Classic that cemented my interest for such a challenging race.

I began running at the age of 10 as a beach sprinter for the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club. I was coached under the guidance of Ian Dyson and trained closely with a number of athletes including my younger sister Jessica. I had a number of successful years whilst beach sprinting, making the South Australian Surf Life Saving State team each year as a junior and as captain in my last year. My most successful outcome in beach running was making the national final in the under 16 female beach sprint in 2002 and finishing 6th. But it was my most proud moments in surf life saving, watching both my younger sisters, Jess and Hayley win beach flags at the Surf Life Saving Nationals that made me want to strive for success. In hunt of this success I approached Paul Young and ran with the Young Guns from 2004 until 2008. It was with this squad my professional running career started and looking back I am honoured to have started my career with such an amazing group of people, many of whom are now my closest friends. In 2006 I made my first Camden classic final and finished 4th behind Pirrenee Steinert, Katherine Robb and Anthea Kotyla. I was so proud to be a finalist in such a prestigious and challenging event, but I wanted more, I wanted to win it one day and get my name in the history books amongst those I admire. In 2007, I went out to experience the world as a backpacker and returned to witness the win of a close training partner, Jo Fenech. Such a hard working, gutsy and quiet achiever, I observed how hard someone must train to win the Camden Classic. So I channelled my vision on the main prize and knuckled down to years of intense training. I had many hiccups and obstacles along the way, including pneumonia from training too hard, but it was John Anderson my trainer, whose positivity and passion kept me focused. My next coach, John Hodge, proved to me how hard I could actually push myself in training, which becomes a valuable skill to have when training for 400s. Running this race requires the mental capacity of pushing your body to its boundaries without totally fatiguing in the home straight, and those who run this race would agree, it is a mental fight to run a 400 metre race well. I began running with Luke Hildyard and the Coastal Districts Athletic Club in late 2010. It was the amazing man I met earlier that year, Billy Todd, whom is now my fiancé, and my youngest sister, Hayley, who proved to me that as focused as you are on your goals, you should never let the fun of the sport go. Luke and the squad have taught me that running and reaching your goals does not have to take away other things you love in life. A balance is needed, or you may look back later and have regrets. Having fun brought back the love of running and that is when I started seeing results. The 2012/2013 season has been my most successful season throughout my running career. Leading into this season, Luke had me working on my speed as this was needed to win the Camden Classic. We also worked on the pressures involved in racing and I adapted my racing techniques to respond and go with those backmarkers who come up onto you in a race. I felt very different leading into the Camden Classic in February 2013. Normally I am sick with nerves and question whether I have done enough to win the Camden Classic. I had such great success in the 2012 Bay Sheffield gift, making the final and finishing 5th, and therefore knew my speed had improved immensely. I also had the experience of making five Women’s Camden Classic finals and had rehearsed the race hundreds of times in my mind. I knew 2013 was the year for me; I just needed to make it happen. I felt nervous, excited and confident on the line before the race as well as honoured again to make another final with such amazing talent, great competitors and ultimately friends whom have similar feelings to me about winning the Camden Classic. I remember prior to starting I kept saying to myself, ‘just do it.’ Luke gave me instruction to run the first bit of the race as hard as I could and as the gun fired that is just what I did. The race seemed to be a blur but I knew I had to catch the front marker as quick as I could and make the most of the back straight whilst relaxing into my running stride. I approached the front marker and upped the pace to kick into the final bend; I was in the lead and saw that finish line as I turned for the home straight. That finish line was all I could see. I’m not going to lie, the final 30 metres hurt, but as Claire Thiele, another close friend and the winner of the 2012 Camden Classic quoted last year, ‘that pain disappears as soon as you cross that Camden Classic finish line first.’ It was relief, happiness and pride that overcame me and then ultimate fatigue as I collapsed to the ground. The moments following the race were some of the happiest moments in my life. Feeling the embrace of the most important people around me, my fiancé Billy, my competitors and friends, my training partners, my coach Luke, my sisters, my mum, and my dad who is my hero and made Camden so special for me because he would always be there at that one race to cheer me on. The Camden Classic for me is the most special race that means so much to get my name in the history books alongside those I admire. A race in which you need to overcome that mental test to push yourself to your boundaries in a 400 metre race and to run a perfect tactical race makes it one of the biggest challenges in the pro-track circuit. I thank all those who have made it possible for me, Frank McHugh for hosting the event year after year, the officials whom make it possible for the race to be run, Luke Hildyard my present coach who put the joy back into running for me, my talented Coastal Districts squad, my family, and Billy who supports me everyday not just with my dedication to running but with all things in life. Yasmin Openshaw January 2014

My first trip to the Camden Classic carnival was in 2004, where I came over with my coach John Henry and training partner Matthew Callard. I knew nothing much of the race then, just that it was a big 400m. I was in the heat with fellow Victorian Andrew Wilcox, in which he won the heat and went on to winning the final. It was from that point on that I saw the class of the race and wanted to be in that 1st position crossing the finish line. I was fortunate enough to win in 2009 off a handicap of 16m. Since then, and in respect to the race, I promised myself that I would make the effort to get to the Camden Classic every year.

2013 was no different. I was running well in Victoria and was lucky enough to get some racing over the 400m distance under my belt. I knew that this was going to play to my advantage, as the South Australian athletes only have a few 400m races to compete in, leading up to Camden. I ran well at Wangaratta, the weekend before, making the 400m final and backing up the next day with the big Albury 120m final. I was pleased with how I was racing leading in to Camden. We arrived as we normally do on the Saturday and went down and had a look at the track, which was in great form as usual. We had a relaxing afternoon, a good feed for dinner, and as we usually do before a big meet, early to bed. Going into the race I had no expectations of results, I was just hoping to get some good hard racing under my belt. I was running off the mark of 10m, which was 6m less than the first time I won this race. I had seen my heat and saw I had Ben Wright out in front. From what I had heard, he was in good form and was the early favourite for the race. Some people may see this as a bad thing, however I have come to enjoy having the favourites in my heat. This causes me not to be lazy and have to run a proper race in order to progress through to the next round. There were a few scratching’s in our heat and I had a big gap to make up on the fellow front markers out in front. When the gun went off, I took off hard, as you have to being a backmarker, and wanted to get myself in a good position at the 200m mark. I got to the top bend and had made up most of the ground then. I ran home strong and won my heat in one of the quickest times. Going into the final I was very relaxed and did not think much of it, until my coach John Henry told me I had time up and was in this up to my eyeballs. I was in the white and was surrounded by the Watkins brothers. I went into the race with the same race plan as the heat; running a strong first 200m and trying to get into a good position on the bend. When lining up on the starting line, the nerves had not really kicked in and before I knew it, Brian Heart was shooting the starting gun. I remember trying to take off hard. I had a small gap to make up on Bryce Watkins and I got to him by the end of the bend. The pace was on and I could not get around those in front, so I tried to stay on the line as much as possible. Rounding the 200m mark, the field had mostly bunched up and I had a wall of people in front of me. I could see Clay Watkins in the red passing me and I was stuck; boxed in. It was not until the top of the 80m straight, where the field started to open up and I saw my chance. I had been given an easy run until now, sitting on the back of Bryce Watkins, I saw a gap on the outside and went for it. I had more speed than the others and got close the front with ease. It was not until this point that I saw Robert Killmier still out in front on the line. I just dug deep and all I could remember was throwing my chest hard at the finish line. It was not until my brother jumped on me saying that I had won, that I knew the result. The win took a little while to set in and not just the win, but also for winning it the second time. I have been told that there has only been 3 other Victorians, besides myself, to win this race in its 34 year history. Making it hard for the interstaters to win, and being only the 3rd person to win it twice, makes this win even more significant and special to me. The Camden Classic has always been a race that I have loved competing in, due to the hard style racing that the South Australian athletes provide, which I find different to the style the Victorian’s run. This is one of the reasons why I have won more 400m races in South Australia, than I have in Victoria. The Camden Classic was also a great racing base for me competing in the Victorian Championships, which were 2 weeks after. This is where I ran my 400m PB of 47.83, picking up a bronze medal in the process, and securing a spot at Nationals. I would like to thank the people who have made this win possible; Frank McHugh and the whole Camden team for putting on a great meet and a fantastic surface to run on. Colin Rowston for making the interstaters feel very welcome. To the Coach of the JH Squad, John Henry, for all the hard work he puts into his athletes in order to get such great results, and to the JH Squad as a whole for their support and commitment at training. And lastly to my wonderful wife Sam, who unfortunately has not been to Camden, but will be making the trip this year. Thankyou for all your sacrifice and support and allowing me to do what I love.