The importance of family and sport goes hand-in-hand for Sharon McEvoy.
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Growing up in a family of 10 kids, a competitive spirit was installed in her from a young age.
Never one to shy away from a challenge, her desire to run saw her complete grueling tracks, both at home and overseas.
But before her running career even began, there was another sport that held a special place in her heart.
"My dad always wanted a Wimbledon champion, but in the end he got a lot of good tennis players," McEvoy said.
"We didn't have much, but we had tennis.
"It was a big part of my life way before running took over."
McEvoy was first introduced to Albury's Nail Can Hill by her husband, John.
Little did she know she would later go on to become a four-time winner at the track and become the first female to break 50 minutes.
"I remember the first time I came up here he took me running over Nail Can and it nearly killed me," she said.
"It was a first date kind of thing."
Running out by her family's Dederang farm soon became one of her favourite pastimes, with a little help from her friends Jennie Miller and Pat Grealy.
In 1991 McEvoy contested her first Melbourne Marathon, finishing in a time of 3:43.
The following year she did it in 3:04, but she knew she still had more left to give.
"I started to wonder if I could break three hours," she said.
"Then I started training, not just going for runs.
"My philosophy was if I wanted to be a fast runner I have to start running faster."
And run faster she did, completing the course in 2:58 in 1994, after coming back from an injury the year prior.
It helped set the stage for what was her biggest year, completing three marathons in 1995, starting in Canberra.
"I then wondered if I could get the Melbourne Marathon in under 2:50," she said.
"I ended up coming second with 2:49.
"There was a sister marathon in Japan, and the winner was offered a trip over there to compete in that.
"She didn't want to do it for whatever reason, so it was offered to me as the second female.
"I thought why not? I had a week long holiday in Japan, but I also had to run a marathon.
"It was really good because it was the first time I ever got to be a guest runner.
"You often had to line up with thousands of people and then people would come and stand in front of you.
"We didn't have to get there hours early and stand there so that we got a good spot.
"We had a special room and there was about 40 of us from different countries."
McEvoy finished in a time of 2:52.
"I was pretty buggered," she said.
"I caught the plane over and didn't sleep a wink, so I was trying to catch up before the race.
"I wasn't expecting to run another race that year."
The same year McEvoy also experienced what she now refers to as "her claim to fame."
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"I ran up Mount Bogong with Steve Moneghetti and Pat Scammell," she said.
"When I say that, I ran up on the same day as them.
"Running back down was what really killed your legs. I was never what they called a billy goat.
"Nail Can was the same, I just never could let go and fly down the hills."
Multi-talented McEvoy also rose as a star on the netball court, racking up four premierships with Dederang/Mount Beauty and two with Yackandandah.
Her 1997 and 1998 flags with the Bombers remain a highlight.
"We had a really great team that year," she said.
"We had Cate Crisp, the mum of Collingwood footballer Jack Crisp, and she was just brilliant.
"We had eight girls and we all turned up every week.
"John was the president at the club for four years when the kids were little, so we'd be the first there and last to leave."
The sporting gene remains prominent in the McEvoy family, passed down to Sharon and John's kids Kate, Matt, Ben and Pete.
But in order to see their arrival into the world, McEvoy would often have to put her running days on hold.
"I had to stop running to get pregnant," McEvoy said.
"Female athletes can often have a thing called amenorrhea.
"I used to say to people when you see me jogging down the road again you'll know I'm pregnant."
But it wasn't long before the whole family was enjoying sport again together, with Ben going on to play 200 games in the AFL.
"Getting the kids involved in sport was a great thing," she said.
"When I was little I had midweek tennis competitions for them and they'd do swimming and music lessons.
"The boys all play the guitar and Kate plays the piano."
After playing in two premierships with Hawthorn, Ben was this season announced as the Hawks' captain.
It wasn't long before a phone call was made to Dederang.
"He rang and asked me if I was sitting down," McEvoy said.
"I thought 'what's he going to say?"'
Originally a North Melbourne supporter, McEvoy has now cheered on the Hawks and St Kilda, as well as VFL club Coburg, where youngest son Pete is the captain.
It's been a remarkable comeback for the youngest McEvoy, who in 2010 suffered serious injuries after a bushwalking accident.
"He realised he had a second chance at life," McEvoy said.
"He's an inspiration."
Now retired from teaching, McEvoy spends her days on the family farm.
Tennis remains a passion, with the family's tennis court still getting some use.
"There's often a Dederang Races tennis tournament at the McEvoy house," she said.
"We have lots of people here, so we get out on a Sunday and play."
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