NEWLYN’S Olympic race walker Jared Tallent took part in the Queen’s Baton relay in the region last week.
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Tallent, an OAM recipient, joined other notable regional people and many unsung heroes from the community during the relay in the lead-up to the upcoming Commonwealth Games.
Olympian Tallent breezed through crowds lining the Bridge Mall in Ballarat during the relay.
Tallent is an Australian race walker, and Olympic gold medallist in the 50 km walk from London in 2012. He is a four-time Olympic medallist, three-time World Championship medallist and holds the current Olympic record in the 50 km walk.
The baton relay is taking Queen Elizabeth’s message to athletes from Buckingham Place across the world and all the way to the Commonwealth Games.
But this relay stanza was all about celebrating the region.
Starting under the Eureka Flag at the Museum of Australian Democracy at Eureka, young Anzac ambassador Alyssa Britnall started the journey of 28 batonbearers all the way to View Point at Lake Wendouree where Commonwealth Games chef de mission and hometown hero Steve Moneghetti made the final change to Ballarat Mayor Samantha McIntosh.
There was dancing: community all-rounders Monique Ford and Bayden Mellington linked arms and skipped their way through a changeover.
There was a touch of history: marathon man Richard Tann took a Sovereign Hill horse-drawn carriage down Victoria Street. Even Ballarat mayor Samantha McIntosh ran barefoot on grass curbs nearby to cheer Tann.
And there were scores of school children lining major streets to cheer batonbearers on their way.
Moneghetti, a Commonwealth Games marathon gold medallist, said running had been his life but the Games gave him his start and a career he loves.
For Moneghetti, it was particularly special to bring the baton into his hometown because of what it means to so many people and for promoting community spirit.
“When you’re on the bus together, you’re seeing a lot of people who are pretty emotional about it who have done so much good work in the community. They’re humble, they’re modest, but you can tell on the inside they’re really excited and to share that with so many people,” Moneghetti said.
“That’s what the baton does.”