Athletics Australia Life Membership – Heather Mitchell

27 October 2019

Athletics Australia Life Membership – Heather Mitchell

At Athletics Australia’s AGM last week, long term Sutherland official, Heather Mitchell was awarded Life Membership.

Athletics has been a substantial part of the life of Heather Mitchell. She was awarded a Little Athletics NSW Merit Award in 1993 and Life Membership in 1998 because of this enormous commitment and involvement.

But athletics at state, national and international level were also very significant beneficiaries of her skill and efficiency both in administration and officiating. She thus became one of those who found a way to make a quality contribution to athletics simultaneously in senior and little athletics at local, state and national level whilst also proving her worth as an international official.

When two of Heather’s children joined Port Hacking Little Athletics Centre on its opening day and her two younger ones started as soon as they were old enough, it began a family commitment to athletics.

Heather has undertaken many roles at club, zone, state and national level including serving as a member of Little Athletics Australia’s Technical Committee.

But at all levels Heather’s most significant contribution to the sport has been in race walking most notably as a judge and officials educator but also in competition organisation and administration.

From Little Athletics walk judges’ coordinator to IAAF area judge and lecturer, Heather’s contribution has been measured and effective. In an event area which sometimes draws controversy and disputes, Heather’s calmness in approach and respect in return has been a big positive for the sport.

She has been president and treasurer of the NSW Racewalking Club Inc. and vice president of Race Walking Australia. She has been a regular as a judge at both RWA and AA national events and championships from 1984 and received the 25-year merit award from RWA (then AFRWC) in 2009. More broadly as a national technical official, Heather is qualified in walks, track, jumps, out of stadium and administration and has exercised those skills over more than 30 years. She was accordingly recognised with the AA Gold Service Award in 2010.

Heather began her international officiating career at the 1996 World Junior Championships in Sydney. There were later appointments including as a track umpire and walks official for the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne and as an international race walk judge for the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi.

She was amongst the first appointed to the International Race Walk Judges Panel (Oceania Area) serving from 2005 to 2013 and was appointed as an IAAF/OAA lecturer to educate and evaluate national, state and local level judges.