Wodonga's Tori Ellis has only been competing in athletics and cross country events for two years, but she's already among the nation's best multiclass athletes.
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The 13-year-old Catholic College student, who trains in Albury, is a finalist for the Marg Angel Junior Sportsperson of the Year in the Victorian Disability Sport and Recreation Awards.
She's the youngest of the finalists by four years with national wheelchair basketball player Teisha Shadwell and fellow athlete Georgia Powning also in contention.
Tori, a short statured athlete, took a liking to cross country after she began competing at school level and was last year crowned the 12 years girls multiclass champion at St Monica's Primary School.
That result sent her to the regional stage, where she was again successful, before claiming the School Sports Victoria state title and earning the right to compete at nationals in Wollongong last August, where she again finished with gold.
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Tori also starred in track and field events.
She took home gold in the 100m, 800m, long jump and shot put in the under-12 girls multiclass at Little Athletics Victoria's Northern Country Region Championships.
Tori won the same four events at the Little Athletics Victoria state titles, with further gold to come at the School Sport Victoria State Championships in 100m, long jump and shot put.
Her performances got her to the School Sport Australia National Championships in Darwin, where she claimed victories in the 800m, discus, shot put and long jump and finished with silver in 100m and the multiclass relay.
"I'm an all-rounder so I do 800m, 100m, long jump, shot put, discus and 200m, which I don't really like," Tori said.
"Out of all of them long jump would probably be my favourite."
Tori set School Sports Australia national records in the T40 classification for all individual events she was in.
She also holds the Australian All Comers record for T40 in 800m and broke the under-20s F40 shot put record at just 12 years of age.
Tori's goal is to represent Australia at the 2022 World Dwarf Games in Germany.
Awards will be presented virtually on December 3.
Previous winners of the Junior Sportsperson of the Year include Paralympian and reigning world champion runner Jaryd Clifford.
Beau Greenway
I like to tell the stories of great people in our communities. Email: beau.greenway@austcommunitymedia.com.au
I like to tell the stories of great people in our communities. Email: beau.greenway@austcommunitymedia.com.au
