Torrie Lewis was training the house down in Potchefstroom, an academic town in the middle of the South African highveld, when sprint sensation Gout Gout put the world on notice.
“It’s unbelievable, crazy,” Lewis said.
“I mean, it feels like it is a good time in athletics. Yeah, it feels like … as soon as we got the announcement that Brisbane ’32 was happening, everyone just started going crazy — running crazy times, jumping crazy, throwing crazy, like all of that.
“So I don’t know if it’s the motivation of the Games or just track and field culture in Australia is just improving a lot, but everyone seems to be just going amazing.”
Eight months ago, it was Lewis who made the world sit up and take notice after stunning American superstar Sha’Carri Richardson in the 200 metres at the China Diamond League.
By then, she had already laid claim to being the fastest woman in Australian history over the 100m and later walked away from her Olympic debut in Paris after being knocked out in the semi-finals of the 200m.
Before the year was out she won a silver medal at the world juniors and lined up a move abroad to begin training alongside Dutch legend Femke Bol.
Which explains why one of the golden girls of Australian track was in an unlikely athletics hub dubbed “Potch” this week, training up a storm under the guidance of Laurent Meuwly, the brains behind superstar Bol.
“I think this year I’ve been to every single continent except for Antarctica,” Lewis said.
“It was a really big decision, but so far — I’ve only been here for like three weeks now — I’m really enjoying it. I like the group, I like the program, I like the coach.
“So, you know, everything’s going well. Because it’s winter in Europe during these months, a lot of squads in Europe actually go to South Africa or even just somewhere warm.
“So we’re doing our first four-week camp now and then we’ll go back to the Netherlands for Christmas. Then we’re going to come back to South Africa for like a three-week camp in January.”
Lewis only spent a week in the Netherlands — she lived in an Airbnb — before the training group packed up and headed to the highveld.
They will head back to the Netherlands for Christmas but Lewis will spend the festive period in England with family before returning to the Netherlands and basing herself out of the city for the rest of the year, honing her craft alongside the likes of Bol and Lieke Klaver.
For most 19-year-olds, packing their bags and moving to the other side of the world to train alongside one of the biggest names in world track and field would be accompanied by a cocktail of trepidation and intimidation.
Not for Lewis. Packing bags, moving home and taking risks is in her DNA.
“It’s not really (a risk) to me because I was six years old living in England and just me and mum, moved to Australia and she knew nobody, knew nothing about Australia,” Lewis said.
“She like moved us over there. So I don’t know, I feel like …. my mum did it, I can do it.
“I see it less as daunting and more of this is where I want to be, to get where I want to get. So I think of it more as just like a step to take.”
In Meuwly and Bol, she has linked with two people at the top of their game.
Meuwly was honoured with the coaching achievement award last year by World Athletics. Bol is a four-time Olympic medallist and one of the biggest stars in the sport.
“Femke is like one of the nicest people I think I’ve ever met,” Lewis said.
“I feel like when you see them at training, even if you were intimidated a little bit, that all just goes away because you just see them as they are.
“You don’t see them with their competition face, when they’re a little bit stressed out. You see them when they’re happy and relaxed at training.
“She’s (Bol) just a beast at training like running, doing her reps with the boys, keeping up, staying 110 per cent focused.”
Lewis plans to spend much of this year focusing on the 100m, her belief that if you nail the sprint down the straight it can only help with her 200m.
She wants to qualify for the world indoors in China before heading home for the Maurie Plant meet and the national track and field championships.
Then it will be back overseas for the world relay championships, the European season and more work alongside Meuwly and Bol.
These are heady times for Australian track and field.
Gout Gout has tongues wagging around the globe. Jess Hull was targeted by athletics legend Michael Johnson to sign with Grand Slam Track.
Nina Kennedy is at the top of her game. So too Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson. Matt Denny is a contender every time he throws the discus. Gout Gout and Lewis were once the future but recent performances suggest they may be the present as well.
“I’m definitely learning a lot, which is really cool,” Lewis said.
“I just think being around like some of the top athletes will just hopefully rub off on me and help me learn some of their good habits.”
STORY BY – BRENT READ (NEWS SPORT NETWORK)