Olds throwing coach and athlete Rachel Andres has big plans for the upcoming outdoor season.
Andres finished in first place in the shot put open category during the Alberta Indoor Track and Field Championships, held March 8-10 with a throw of 12.52 metres (m).
Andres is happy to win that competition, but it's only the beginning this year, she hopes.
"This is just a preparation meet to get me ready for my first discus competition down in the U.S.A. at the end of March," she says.
Last year, Andres qualified for the Pan American Games in distance with her top throw of 56.82 m. Those Games will be held July 26-Aug. 11 in Lima, Peru.
This year, she's also hoping to qualify for the International Association of Athletic Federations (IAAF) world championships, which take place Sept. 27-Oct. 6 in Doha, Qatar. The qualifying mark for that competition is 61.20 m.
The Canadian Pan Am Games team will be named in mid-June, while the Canadian IAAF worlds team will be named at the end of July.
