CHILDHOOD FRIENDS DODDS & WHITESIDE SET TO TAKE ON WORLD'S BEST

Childhood best friends Olivia Dodds and Jack Whiteside will embark on the trip of a lifetime when they represent Australia at the 2024 World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Lima, Peru.  

From the backyard to the global stage, Dodds and Whiteside have enjoyed challenging each other to see who could run faster and throw further. Starting with selfstarted running races at age five, the duo has spent a lifetime with each other and will now take on the world’s best in their hunt for glory.  

“When we were younger, we obviously didn’t realise how good we were going to be when we got older, so to think now we are going away on an Australian Team together is pretty amazing,” said Dodds. 

Wearing the green and gold for the first time is exciting for any athlete, however for Whiteside, to share that with Dodds is something ‘pretty special’. 

“We’ve known each other our whole lives, so it is pretty special to have someone that close and to go on the trip with them because it feels like you have your family there with you which is awesome,” said Whiteside.  

Whiteside (Inglewood Athletics, Chelsea Whiteside and Grant Ward) got his first taste of the international stage when he won gold at the 2022 Oceania Championships. Since then, Whiteside has further established his abilities with a dominating performance at the 2024 Australian Athletics Championships. Claiming gold with an impressive 7,325 points, Whiteside confirmed his spot on the Australian team as genuine medal contention.   

“I think it’s a great opportunity to be held to something more than just me out on the track, you got the Australian Uniform on, the green and gold.” 

“It means a lot to go out there and showcase what I work hard to do and to do it in front of the whole world is really exciting.”  

The lead up to the Championships hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the young decathlete with stress fractures in his shins forcing the Inglewood Athlete to ‘stay calm and go with the flow’.  

“It has been character building at the end of the day. It makes the journey more exciting because you have something to overcome, then you go out and do your best and achieve something at the end of all that.” 

Whiteside’s positive and optimistic approach has been invaluable for Dodds (UWA, Lyn Foreman) with duo learning from each other’s experience’s on and off the track.   

“Our friendship is so much stronger because we help each other a lot,” Dodds said.  

“I help Jack a lot with sprints, and he always helps me with a side of staying calm and having fun in the sport, so we definitely help each other out with any side of the sport.”  

Dodds has proven the Australian Under 20 4x100m team will be one to watch in Peru after setting a new National record of 44.34 earlier in the year. Joining Olympic semi-finalist Torrie Lewis (QLD), Dodds was named alongside Aleksandra Stoilova (NSW), Jessica Milat (VIC), Thewbelle Philp (QLD), Olivia Inkster (NSW) and Chelsea Scolyer (TAS).  

Utilising every bit of experience ahead of her debut on the track, Dodds was earlier selected for the 2024 World Athletics Relay Championships in the Bahamas and will take advantage of the senior experience.   

“I am very thankful I had the opportunity to go there and sit and watch how those athletes warm up, how they prepare for the comp and what they eat on race day.”  

“It means the world for me to be selected for this team. When I got the email to be selected, I just looked back on the years that I have trained for and how much I have put into it and how much my parents have put into this sport just for me to have fun.” 

“Obviously I have taken a big step, and I have decided I want to do my best in it, and this is where it has taken me now.”

The World Athletics Under 20 Championships are set to take place from the 27th to the 31st of August in Lima, Peru.   

 To follow Olivia and Jack’s journey and stay up to date with the World Athletics Under 20 Championships follow the Athletics West Facebook and Instagram pages.

For more information on how you can get involved in athletics, contact Athletics West at admin@athleticswest.com.au or on 08 6272 0480.   

By Imogen McDonald, Athletics West  

Posted 16 August 2024