Four-time Olympian Benita Willis alongside fellow ambassador and Olympian, Glynis Nunn-Cearns. Photo: Jasmine Rolfe
10 November 2016
By Jasmine Rolfe
Four-time Olympian Benita Willis was up early to train this morning and decided to jump in for a jog and a chat with the 5km road race competitors at the Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games (JPPMG) at Murial Henchman Park in Main Beach.
What the distance running champion probably didn’t expect was to be on the podium after accidentally winning the gold!
“I was just jogging around doing a bit of training and jumped in the race and I ended up winning my age group,” Benita laughed.
“I just wanted to jog in amongst everyone and chat to people along the way.
“It was really fun!”
After spotting a few of the competitors that she had met earlier that morning in the road race, now out on the field competing in the 5km track race, Benita was impressed and said she couldn’t think of anything worse than to back it up at another event.
The JPPMG ambassador’s favourite part of this event is that everyone is being active, competing with their friends and are in good spirits, which is what the masters games are renowned for.
– Benita Willis
“It’s not all about winning or the end result. It’s more about just doing sport with your friends.”
She’s also been keeping up to date with games action on social media.
“I’ve met a lot of people at the games and I’ve had a few of them tag me in photos on Facebook from the events,” she laughed.
Another Olympian and JPPMG ambassador, Glynis Nunn-Cearns, was trackside at the Runaway Bay Sports Super Centre, sharing some tips with the other competitors before reigniting her own competitive flame in the 80m hurdles and triple jump.
But Glynis admits she didn’t train much leading up to the event.
“It would help if I actually did some training,” Glynis joked.
“But hey, it’s all meant to be fun.
“I’m just hoping I can make it over the finish line in one piece!”
The 10th biennial Jupiters Pan Pacific Masters Games is being held 5 – 13 November 2016 on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
The event showcases competition in 43 sports and is hosting 13,000 participants from Queensland, interstate and overseas.
