Stuart Geddes' debut selection for Australia has coincided with him being largely untethered from the support network that helped him get there.
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Geddes left Gunnedah on Wednesday en route to Townsville, where he will compete for Australia in the under-20 3000 metres steeplechase at the Oceania Area Championships next week.
This year the 19-year-old moved from Armidale to Gunnedah with his family. His father, Scott, is the franchisee of Harvey Norman in town.
That meant saying goodbye to the successful Armidale Athletics Club, although he still receives long-distance coaching from highly respected mentor Jay Stone.
But, obviously, he is in the midst of a major upheaval as he tries to adjust to training alone.
"I've been with Armidale Athletics Club and training under Jay Stone for the last four, five years now, and moving to Gunnedah has been a big change," he said.
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"I used to go to the track four times a week and have a squad there and have people to help push me and run with me. I've now got just myself.
"It's harder that way. But I've sort of got to get used to it and find the motivation to do it all."
Geddes said Gunnedah had a "couple" of squads that "looked like they'd be nice to be in". "But they don't look like they cater for the longer distance stuff - they're more sprinters."
Geddes competed for Regional Australia at the Oceania Area Championships the past three years. Last year as an open competitor, he won the 800m and claimed silver and bronze in the 3000m and 3000m steeplechase, respectively, despite being 18 years old at the time.
"This year I'm hoping to get on the podium again and hopefully run a sub-10 [minutes] 3000m, because I haven't done that yet," he said.
Geddes will be joined in Townsville by another Gunnedah athlete, Emma Kennedy, who will compete in the 100m and 100m hurdles (open category).
The favourite for the 100m hurdles is the London Olympics gold medallist in the event, Sally Pearson.
It is the first time Kennedy, 20, has made the Regional Australia team, meaning it is her first Oceania Area Championships.
"I'm very excited. I feel very honoured to have been selected," she said, adding: "I'm expecting to go out there and run the best that I can.
"I'm hoping for some fast times and feel good to run against Australia's and Oceania's best runners."
It is Kennedy's first year as an open competitor, and it is Geddes last year as a junior competitor.
