HERVEY Bay sprinter Kai Peacock is ripping up the athletics track.

The 16-year-old recently ran qualifying times in the 100m and 200m events for the 2023 Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Perth in December, and the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Adelaide next April. 

Kai said he was thrilled to be included in the Queensland team and that all his training and effort were paying off. 

“At the moment I’m probably training about 10 hours a week, that includes time out at the track in Dundowran as well as in the gym,” he said. 

The Year 11 Xavier Catholic College student said he really enjoyed the “grind” to keep going and maintain his training.

“I would love to continue pursuing the sport to see where it takes me, but having fun while competing will always be a must for me.”  

Looking at his schedule, including school and other responsibilities as well as the need for some downtime after a busy season, Kai said he had decided not to compete at the All Schools Athletics Championships in Perth, but would rather focus on Adelaide in 2024. 

“Right now, it’s going to be good to have a bit of a break and then get back into it all to peak around the March and April period next year and have a real go in Adelaide.”  

The sprinter started to realise his potential at school athletics carnivals and decided to put his head down and make the most of his talent. 

“I treat sprinting like an extra subject at school,” Kai said, acknowledging that what he puts in is what he will get out.

Providing testament to his hard work and effort, Kai trains largely by himself and watches clips on YouTube to hone his skills and improve his performance. 

“I draw a lot of inspiration from the international sprinters I watch online. Noah Lyles and some of the other Americans are among my favourites.”