Greater Shepparton Secondary College student Lucy Potter will represent Victoria in a couple of sprint races this weekend.
Photo by
Rechelle Zammit
Lucy Potter pulled magic out of her legs to land the title of School Sport Victoria state 400m champion at the championships on October 20.
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The 17-year-old, who says she’s been running “pretty much all her life”, ran a 60-second-flat time to take the crown.
On the same day, she claimed silver in the 200m event.
Lucy Potter, 17, is the 2025 School Sport Victoria state 400m champion, and silver medallist in the 200m event.
The fancy foot feat will move her to nationals this weekend, her first foray into competition against the best young sprinters from all across Australia.
“I’m excited for this weekend. I’ve never been to nationals, so I’m definitely pumped,” Lucy said.
Up until this stage, she has represented her school, Greater Shepparton Secondary College, but now she’s conquered the state competition, she will front up to this weekend’s starting blocks in a Victorian uniform to represent the state against the rest of the country.
GSSC director of sport Elisha Fiddes said she felt pride witnessing the dedicated athlete qualify.
“The 200 she went around the corner in fourth place and as she went around the bend she shot into second,” she said.
“Then in the 400 she was just out in front and was just like, ‘come and catch me’.”
Though she had a big lead, Lucy said she never knew if she was going to win a race, she just hoped.
Her mind is clear on the track.
“It’s just a surreal feeling when I run, there’s no worries. I’m not thinking about anything, it’s just me against me,” she said.
“I don’t like to look at other people’s times, I feel like I could psych myself out, I just want to run my race. I just focus on myself, not anyone else around me.”
Despite her relaxed approach, there’s a lot of work that goes into her skill.
A regular week usually includes two training sessions with her squad in Seymour, a couple of gym sessions, and a competition most weekends.
When there’s no competition, she will have a third squad training session and a long run (around five to 10km) on the weekend.
It’s a big commitment for a 17-year-old, who has just embarked on her Year 12 studies and taken on her school’s Warrego House captaincy for the next year, but Lucy is ready for it, and has her sights set on going even further.
“I definitely want to represent Australia one day, it’s always been a dream of mine,” Lucy said.
“If I could pull the Olympics off, that would be amazing, but, you know, it’s a big reach.”
With a PB of 58.63 seconds in her favoured distance — the 400m — she’s heading in the right direction.
Greater Shepparton Secondary College teacher and Lucy Potter's school strength and conditioning coach Aimee Sidebottom with Lucy at the 2025 School Sport Victoria State Championships on October 20.
Enrolled in the athlete development program at GSSC, Lucy has a strength and conditioning session in the school’s weights room with teacher Aimee Sidebottom once a week, but Ms Fiddes said it was what students did outside school that gave them the edge.
“Lucy’s commitment is what’s getting her to the level she’s at,” she said.
“A lot of our students are naturally talented — can run, jump, throw — but not all of them have access to coaching and clubs and things like that.
“So our philosophy is, if they’ve qualified, we’ll make every opportunity to get them down to state championships, so that takes the pressure off the parents.”
The Australian Athletics All Schools Championships will take place at Lakeside Stadium, Albert Park, from December 4 to 7.
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