By Ashleigh Fielding | posted on November 10, 2017
ALBANY athlete Sophie McDonald has hopped, stepped and jumped her way into the Albany Athletics Club record books by cleanly beating her mother’s 34-year triple jump record on Saturday.
Sophie has reset the women’s under 18s triple jump record to a whopping 10.73m, replacing her mum Tracey Menegola’s record of 10.50m from 1983.
The 17-year-old has proved her skill and stamina as an athlete by setting this record on the weekend, as she is currently in her off-season and is participating on weekends to keep up her fitness before the hockey season commences in January.
She had just three jumps on the weekend to beat her mum’s record.
“I got the record by 4cm on my second jump,” Sophie said.
“I went over to Mum because I wanted to rub it in straight away.”
Menegola knew her daughter could do better.
“I told her, you’ve got one more jump, so go and smash it!” Menegola laughed.
Sophie said she couldn’t afford to be distracted by her cheering mum on the sidelines and told her to go away.
“I said no, don’t come over and watch, I’ll ‘no’ jump!”
Menegola stood away from the jump pit to appease Sophie, but managed to sneak closer as Sophie was making her final jump.
On this jump, the young rising star set the new record of 10.73m.
“Dad was timing another race at the time, but he was really excited when we told him,” Sophie said.
“Everyone was really chuffed for Sophie, especially because of the mother-daughter record,” Menegola added.
Menegola remembers her record triple jump like it was yesterday.
“I remember everything, I remember the day and I remember the pit,” she recalled.
“I had to beat something like 10.4m and I was keen to try the record.
“I’ve never jumped that big again!”
Sophie is no stranger to athletics records, having medalled in triple and long jump in state competitions.
She participated in the WA State All Schools Championships and the WA Little Athletics State Championships in 2015 and continues to challenge herself in the 100m track run, triple and long jump, and javelin.
“I’m going to take on the long jump record, which is 5m,” Sophie revealed.
“I can beat it, I believe in myself.”
