2023
Marie Kay – Athlete
Biography – Records – Awards – Stats
“A dominant force in multi-events.”
Marie’s dedication to her sport commenced as a Little Athlete. She would use public transport to morning competition in Randwick, then return home to Wollongong for afternoon competition. This dedication culminated in her selection in the first NSW team to attend the National Little Athletics Championships. At the age of 15, she chose to forgo athletics for gymnastics at which she excelled to become a champion and later a coach. Encouraged by her husband and three children, Marie returned to athletics in 1994 and immediately displayed her talent had not been lost by medaling in her first NSW Veterans Championship. Extremely competent in each individual discipline Marie soon became a dominant force in the heptathlon.
From 1994 to 2016 Marie dominated Veterans/Masters athletics with a multitude of records and titles at all levels, State, National, Oceania and World in both indoor and outdoor competitions. Her world record for the heptathlon in Lyon smashed the previous record by a massive 600 points. A member of NSW Masters until 2007, Marie changed to QMA in 2008 whom she represented until her retirement in 2016.
Marie was a master at overcoming adversity; in WMA Lyon winning the long jump with her shoe taped together and in Perth defeating a torn hamstring to win the heptathlon. Marie has received numerous awards with the highlight being named IAAF World Masters Best Female Athlete of the Year 2010.
Not only an athlete Marie has supported the sport as a coach, passing her acquired knowledge to her own squad including her biggest achievement, the selection of James Turner, World and Paralympian champion into the 2016 Australian team for the Rio de Janeiro Paralympic Games. Marie has been a successful coach, ambassador and role model.
She has represented Oceania on the WMA Women’s Committee, relay selector for WMA championships, been Australian flag bearer at WMA Indoor Kamloops, Athlete representative WMA Perth reading the athletes oath and Baton Relay runner for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, Queensland.
Jan Banens – Athlete
“Epitome of a Masters athlete.”
Jan Davies started jogging with her two sons in the early 1980’s progressing to become an Accredited Fitness coach training older groups of women in 1986. Jan became a member of VVAC/VMA in 1987 and wanting to compete with her friends at the World Veterans Athletic Championships she commenced her throwing career. Under the watchful eye of her hammer coach, Roy Foley, Jan rapidly improved her skills and performances to take 5th place at the Melbourne World Veterans Athletics Championships.
In 1988 Jan won her first gold medal in the hammer, the first of numerous at Victorian, ACT, Australian, Oceania and World championships, mainly in the hammer but also weight throw, throws pentathlon and other throws disciplines. In 2000 Jan, now Jan Banens, moved to Canberra and ACTVAC.
In this year Jan competed in the hammer at the Sydney Olympic trials/Athletics Australia Championships where she qualified for the Sydney Olympics at the age of 59! Along with many World, Australian, Victorian and ACT records both indoor and outdoor, Jan regularly ranks in the top three for hammer and weight throw in the Annual World rankings and top ten All Time rankings. In her 35 year (and continuing) involvement with Masters athletics Jan has been a willing official, administrator, promoter, and mentor raising the profile of masters athletics in the broader athletic community.
She has held the positions of Victorian Throws Committee member; ACT committee member, Vice President and President; Jan is currently Public Officer for AMA and Oceania Masters Athletics, positions held since 2010 and 2011 respectively. Among many other awards Jan has been awarded the AMA Thrower of the Year, ACT Sport Star of the Year and the Royce Foley Best Throws Pentathlon at AMA Championships multiple times along with AMA Administrator of the Year in 2013.