10 JULY 2026
ON TRACK FOR GREATNESS Samford Valley local Amaya Mearns has been selected to represent Australia in the World Under 20 Track and Field Championships in Eugene Oregon, USA in August. The 18 year old will compete in the 200m and 4 x 100m relay. We have been following Amaya’s athletic journey for some time now. Readers may recall that Amaya followed her older brother into Little Athletics when she was 9 and made State Championships in her first year. This motivated here to start training and she hasn’t stopped since. “Since my first National Championships at 13, I’ve won more than 30 national medals across 100m, 200m, long jump, triple jump and relays, including multiple 4 x 100m relay national records,” said Amaya. Being part of the Australian Relay Squad and pathway programs for the past three years has supported her development in high-performance environments. “Competing in the USA Indoors, New York in 2025 was a great experience and exposure to international competition. With support from Athletics Australia, I competed across the Australian domestic summer circuit and was fortunate to compete at the Maurie Plant Meet this year, gaining valuable experience racing at an elite level.” Amaya currently holds multiple Queensland relay records and the U18 Queensland 200m record. She also
completed in the 2025 Stawell Gift semifinal as backmarker. Amaya says her coaches have been the most influential figures in her career, crediting Mayne Harriers Club coach Andrew Iselin’s guidance and technical coaching as central to her development, including achieving national medals at a young age. Her family has also played a huge role in supporting her journey and she’s been fortunate to train with Olympians, such as
Lachlan Kennedy, Caleb Law, Ella Connolly and Ash Moloney. Her advice to her younger self, includes to “focus on the full picture - eat well, take care of your body, prioritise fun, rehab and recovery and understand that performance comes from balance, not just training. Study hard at school as you always need a backup plan.” Amaya commences a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas in August and will also be part of the UT Track and Field squad competing in NCAA Division 1, in short sprints and relays. She is excited to have Julian Alfred an Olympic gold medallist as a volunteer coach and Edrick Floreal as her college coach. Sport has always been a big part of Amaya’s family. Her great-grandfather represented Australia in baseball and umpired at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. Her grandmother, Ann Gerhardt, was a sprinter, medalling three times in the 100-yard event at the Queensland Championships held at the Brisbane Exhibition grounds, and her grandfather was a race car builder and driver who also raced there. With multiple generations of her family competing at the Ekka, now the future site of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic stadium and village, it’s a really special connection. “I hope to compete there and be part of that legacy.”
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