WODONGA’S Jodi Elkington says she has unfinished business.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Only days after winning a gold medal in the long jump at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the 21-year-old is preparing to return to training to qualify for the world championships in Qatar next year.
“It’s just made me hungrier for more,” Elkington said yesterday.
“I really want to achieve more at international level.”
Elkington, who has cerebral palsy, overcame a serious bout of nerves to pull out a personal best with her first jump in Glasgow and followed up with two more on the way to victory.
She is now No. 1 in the world.
“I was a relief more than anything,” she said.
“I put a lot of pressure on myself and was really nervous before my first jump.
“Thankfully I did a personal best and settled down a bit.
“Being the favourite added some pressure as well.
“To get on the podium was fantastic but to get on top was even better.”
This year’s The Border Mail Fed Hill Challenge ambassador took up athletics in 2008 after being inspired watching the Beijing Paralympics.
She competed in the sprints at the London Olympics before giving the sport away for six months and switching her focus to long jump, which she excelled at as a youngster.
“I’m fairly determined once I decide to do something,” she said.
So when Elkington says the Rio Paralympics in 2016 are her long-term goal, it’s a safe bet she will be there.