Sport
12 March, 2026
Like a Phoenix, Pauline surges to National Championships
Streatham Masters Athlete Pauline Graham has taken up the challenge of competing in the Australian Masters Athletics championships in Canberra, a bold move since the devastation her family experienced with the loss of their home and possessions in the January bushfire.
WRITTEN BY KAREN MCINTYRE
Recently, Pauline competed in the Victorian Country Athletics Championships in Albury, bringing home two gold medals in Shot Put and Hammer Throw (PB of 33.69m), and two bronze in Discus and Javelin in the 50+ age group. Pauline's haul of dual Gold and Bronze made her the most successful athlete for Ballarat’s Eureka Athletics Club over the three days of competition.
The inspiration for taking up athletics in 2024 came from Pauline’s history of ferrying her boys around school competitions for many years. Finally, when they finished school, it was her time to try. She has continued to improve locally, and as a member of the Victorian Masters Athletics team, also achieved a podium finish in the Oceania Masters Games in Brisbane in September, earning bronze in the shot put in the 55-60 age group.
Rising up from the ashes of the family home where Pauline and her husband Leigh raised their three sons has not been easy. Her training equipment was burnt, memorabilia is gone, and relocation is stressful.
“The athletics is something to look forward to,” she said.
“I keep in contact with others, keep fit, and belong to a team”.
It is a testament to her strength that upon finding her charred hammer in the rubble, she posted a photograph captioning it “should buff out”.
The Canberra Nationals is a four-day event. Shot Put and Hammer on the first day, Javelin and Discus on the second day, Weighted Throw (a discipline involving a 7.25kg metal ball on a short chain), and finally the Throws Pentathlon, in which all five throws are contested on the last day.
Success came early with a gold in the shot put 10.36m, then bronze in the hammer with 30.64m, she narrowly missed a bronze (by 1cm) with 4th in discus, 6th in javelin, and silver in the weighted throw.
In a close contest, Pauline proudly earned silver in the throws pentathlon, despite outclassing the eventual gold medallist, Queensland’s Althea Mackie, in both shot put and javelin.
Read More: Ararat