In Love with the Sport – Key Sessions from Brittany Burkitt

Firstly, I would just like to say “thank you” to Runner’s Tribe for contacting me to share a little bit of insight about myself and my journey thus far.

Hi to everyone reading, my name is Brittany Burkitt and I am a 100m and 200m sprinter. My journey started back when I was 6 years old when my parents could not stop me from running around the house, so they decided to take me to a local little athletics club (Nunawading Little Athletics Club) and ever since this day, I haven’t stopped. I am now 23 years old and couldn’t love this sport more if I tried.

I started investing a fair bit of my time in Athletics when I was about 12 years of age as a triple jumper and long jumper. I continued this for a few years until my growing/developing body couldn’t handle the impact/training and realised that I could run fast over a short distance.

I started to take this sport seriously as a sprinter around my last years of little athletics (14-15 years of age). With continued hard work and training, my results seemed to improve quite quickly.  I then started running personal bests sometimes nearly every week and then running club records. Don’t get me wrong, as a junior athlete I was alright, but I wasn’t ‘the number 1’. I believe it is important for younger kids and teenagers to understand that like myself, you might not be the best junior athlete – as it’s taken me to the age of 23 to have the best year yet of my career.

Year 12 (2012) was a very tough year for me with study. I gained a bit of weight, partied hard through the year, with all my friends turning 18, and expected my results to improve also. At the end of this year (2012) it was the turning point that led me down to a path called success.

In 2014, I was lucky enough to be selected in the Australian team for the World Junior championships In Oregon, USA. Unfortunately, I wasn’t selected to run in the 4x100m relay which broke my heart, but I was so thankful for the opportunity I was given and the things I learnt on this trip.

After 2014, I started to take up a new event, 400m. Very simply, I wasn’t very good, this event wasn’t for me but I gave it a go and realised the shorter the better.

To this point, I had a few coaches along the way and a lot of training partners all of whom had an impact to my journey and I thank you all very much for investing time in me.

2016 – to current:
My coach is Robert Stevens (Stevo) former Longer Jumper (PB 7.70m). Together, we have done some amazing things in a couple of years which is now starting to be recognised by the public. Every athlete is different with different strengths and weakness and I think that it is one of the hardest things as a coach to recognise. What works for someone, may not work for everyone and Stevo is undeniably great to understand this. I am so thankful for the friendship that we have as a coach and athlete. Communication can make or break a partnership and I am lucky to be able to reach out to him for anything on and off the field.

My training partners, Michael James (100m & 200m), Antony James (Long Jump), Harrison Roubin (400m hurdles) and Lizzie Hedding (Long Jump) are 4 very special people in my life. I spend most of time on and off the track with these 3 boys who are like brothers to me, who get me through the good days and bad days on the track. Most of my training is completed with Michael and Lizzie who are two amazing and supportive people to have by my side.

I am incredibly excited for 2019 and look forward to some big competitions coming up.

Thank you for reading a little bit about me and my journey.

4 key sessions of my training are;

Weights

Cleans 2-6 sets, 2-6 reps @ 55-75kg
Seated O/H press
Core

Back Squat 2-6 sets, 2-6 reps @120 – 160kg
Dumbbell bench press
S/L back extension

Trap bar dead lift 2-6 sets, 2-6 reps 2-6 reps @80 – 120kg
Chin ups
Core

Block start practice

2 x 10m
2 x 20m
2 x 30m
1 x 50m
1 x 75m

Speed endurance practice

100m, 80m, 150m (90 sec/6min) x 3

Plyometric practice

Stair jumps
Hurdle drills and jumps
ST LJ x 4
ST TJ x 2
Hop, step, hop, step x 2
DL jumps x 4
Single leg take off with weight vest
Med ball O/H dribble x 60m
Bounds with weight vest
Bounds with no weight vest