THREE weeks ago Corlette sprint sensation Summah Harrison was battling COVID and in extreme doubt for the Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Perth.

Wind the clock forward ten days and the Tomaree High School flash is standing on the podium at WA Athletics Stadium after the 100 metres final, proudly donning her bronze medal in the Under 18 Girls category.

The medal achievement underlined Summah’s teak-tough character and fierce will-to-win as she overcame the odds to qualify fastest for the final with a heat time of 11.84 seconds.

It was a herculean effort by the seventeen year old schoolgirl who despite a disrupted preparation found her groove when it counted.

A determined Summah virtually climbed out of her sick bed to resume training and guided by leading coach Tim Eschebach rediscovered the form that earned her the tag of NSW’s most promising sprinter.

Through sheer hard work the gifted Harrison showed her champion qualities to grab a medal and become the third fastest schoolgirl sprinter in the nation.

Outstanding Western Australian sprinter Olivia Dodds claimed the gold medal in a sizzling time of 11.49 sec.

In the final Summah clocked 11.92 sec and was pipped for the silver medal by her former training partner Keira McGregor (11.90 sec), who is now based in Queensland.

Keira, a Hawks Nest native, trained with Summah in Newcastle under the coaching of Gerrard Keating before following her mentor to Brisbane.

A jubilant Summah told News Of The Area that she was “absolutely stoked to win a medal at a national athletics championship event”.

“Initially I was a little disappointed (not to snare silver) but that’s just the competitor in me,” revealed Summah.

“It was a very close finish but I’m happy for Keira, she deserved the silver and is a great friend of mine,” she reflected.

“We trained together in Newcastle and enjoy each other’s success.

“The COVID knocked me around but looking back at the circumstances I’m more than happy to have reached two finals and come away with bronze medals,” Summah added.

There is no doubt that the ‘Corlette Express’ is made of the right stuff.

Running into a stiff headwind as second leg sprinter, Summah helped the NSW 4 x 100m Relay team secure bronze behind Western Australia and Tasmania.

The twin medals capped a memorable 2023 for the Port Stephens phenomenon on the athletics track.

Summah stamped herself one of the nation’s fastest sprinters with her superb gold medal victories in the NSW Under 18, NSW Combined High Schools and NSW All Schools 100 metre championships and being crowned the State’s Champion of Champions Sprinter.

With a view to 2024 she plans to compete at the NSW Country Athletics Championships in Wollongong (January 19-21), National Under 20 Track & Field Championships in Adelaide (April 11-19) and NSW State titles (March 14-17).

Summah also hopes to obtain her coaching ticket with Port Stephens Athletics and post the qualifying time of 11.76 sec for the Junior World Under 20 Athletics Championships in Peru during August.

By Chris KARAS