Gill Tregenna shortly after her record breaking race with some of her supporters
A Westville grandmother not only brought home gold in the recent SA Race Walking Championships held in Cape Town but managed to shatter the world record.
The KwaZulu-Natal race-walking delegation descended upon the Youngsfield Military Base for the highly anticipated SA Race Walking Championships recently.
Among the participants were four remarkable athletes representing Highway, with Gill Tregenna, 82, of the Westville Athletics Club leading the charge, alongside Oliver Mundell and Belinda Padbury from the Kearsney Striders Athletics Club, and Wayne Snyman from the Clyde Kinloch Club.
Tregenna's performance was nothing short of spectacular, not only securing gold in the fiercely contested 80–85-year-old age category for her 20km event but also demolishing the existing world record. The previous benchmark, established in 2013 at 2 hours and 42 minutes, was left in the dust as Tregenna crossed the finish line in an astonishing 2 hours and 37 minutes.
Padbury also distinguished herself at the championships, clinching victory in the women's open 10km race with a personal best time of 00:58:30.
Expressing her delight at setting a new world record, Tregenna revealed her journey into race-walking began in August 2023 under the tutelage of coach Oliver Mundell.
Despite a hiatus from road running and cross country due to injury after four decades of participation, Tregenna quickly made her mark in the sport, breaking South African and African 10km records in November 2023 during the Africa Championships.
Tregenna's athletic prowess extends beyond race-walking, with an illustrious career in competitive swimming spanning over three decades.
A veteran of the SA Swimming Masters, Tregenna has participated in three World Championships, securing numerous medals and setting records along the way. Her achievements also include triumphs in the SA Biathlon Championships, clinching gold a remarkable 13 times, and earning various medals in the World Life Saving Championships.
Despite her unprecedented success and world-record-breaking feat in race-walking, Tregenna, a retired teacher who spent much of her career at the Westville Girls’ High School, remains determined to further improve her performance. As a devoted mother of two and grandmother to two grandchildren, her commitment to excellence both on and off the track continues to inspire generations.
“I still have more to achieve and I’m aiming to better this record the next time. There’s lots more to do and I know I will get there,” said the determined woman.