| Butler finally did it - Hayley's comet set to strike at Commonwealth Games |
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NICK WALSHAW The Daily Telegraph April 24, 2010 FIVE weeks ago Hayley Butler was just another west Sydney mum. Immersed in bottles, budgets and scurrying around the house in trackies. "Yeah, this is the only running I expected to do,'' the 100m hurdler laughs, chasing her son Cooper as he toddles along the athletics warm up track at Homebush. "I mean, competitive athletics wasn't an option. Hadn't given it a thought. So as for someone suggesting I'd be representing my country . . .'' All anonymity, inspiration and baby bag slung over one shoulder, Butler is the undisputed Cinderella story of our 2010 Commonwealth Games team. A Smithfield girl who has spent the past two years marrying, giving birth, buying her first home and recovering from a nasty shoulder reconstruction. Who then went and rocked the Australian athletics scene last weekend by clearing 10 hurdles quicker than any other woman in the country. So forget all those supermum stories so often screaming from glossy women's magazines. Because unlike, say, Jana Rawlinson, Butler has never been to a Commonwealth Games. Never represented her country, either. This Westfields Sports High graduate, now 26, going nowhere near an athletics field in the two years since tearing her left shoulder at Oz Tag. "But then I saw Dani Samuels win her discus world title midway through last year,'' she recalls. "That was so inspiring and in November I decided to do a little running again. Cooper was almost one so I thought `why not?'.'' And so began the amazing revival of this Sydney mother who, thanks to a rigorous swimming rehabilitation program for her shoulder, gained only 9kg during pregnancy. Who returned to the track and, within days, found her sprint times over 200m had dropped. Down in the 100m, too. Coach Penny Gillies saying, "Hayley, how about the 100m hurdles?''. And just like that Butler was competing in four states in as many weeks. Gold Coast and Sydney on the same day. A incredible journey funded entirely from the savings of this average Sydney family who, only days ago, had to phone Telstra and ask for a payment plan. "Because trying to fund my dream was hard. Well, it is hard,'' the 53kg rocket shrugs. "But what other choice do I have? You've gotta give it a go.'' Which is exactly how Butler eventually arrived in Perth. Crying uncontrollably when, following those 100 metres and 10 hurdles, she received her finals upset, A-qualifying time and Commonwealth Games green light. And an Australian tracksuit to go with those she was kicking around in only five weeks ago. |