SKAAC is delighted to announce that Justin Rinaldi was awarded Honorary Life Membership of the St. Kevin’s Old Collegians Association (SKOCA) at last night’s SKOCA AGM. The SKOCA will publically present Justin with this honour at the SKOCA Annual Dinner in June 2016.
Please see below for some further information relating to Justin’s contribution to our club:
On the track, Justin has been a multiple State Champion and one-time National Champion at 800m, famously and proudly wearing the SKAAC singlet to victory during the 2006 Victorian State Championships held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Justin was amongst Victoria’s best championship performers over a 10 year period from the mid-1990’s to the mid-2000’s.
He has been a fierce competitor ranking in the Top 10 performances for SKAAC from distances from 100m to 3000m Steeplechase, for which he is the current club record holder at 9:20.2. A small excerpt of his achievements on the track are listed below:-
- 1990/1991 Member of St. Kevin’s Under 19 State Record 4 x400m Relay team. (3:14.6)
- 1990/1991 Member of St. Kevin’s Under 19 & 20 State Record 4 x800m Relay team. (7:40.72)
- 1996/1997 800m National Champion. (1:47.78)
- 1995/1996 800m Victorian State Champion. (1:47.89)
- 2005/2006 800m Victorian State Champion. (1:50.27)
In season 1992/1993, Justin as a junior athlete, was awarded the Syd James Trophy recognising him as the SKAAC Senior Club Champion, an amazing feat.
Justin also served the SKAAC Committee during the 2002/2003 season.
However, over the last 6 years Justin has gained national and international exposure, as coach and mentor to current joint Australian 800m record holder and Old Collegian Alex Rowe (2010). The time, effort and finance sacrifice personally taken by Justin to guide Alex has been incredible and culminated in the amazing run by Alex in Monaco in 2014 in equalling the Australian 800m record at 1:44.40.
Justin is presently committed to establishing a middle distance coaching group of excellence, attracting athletes from across the country to train with him with the aim of maximising the number of 800m athletes that are selected in the 800m for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Nearly everyone in the Australian Athletics community acknowledges Justin as St. Kevin’s “through and through”. On 11th November 2015, the St. Kevin’s Old Collegians formally recognised Justin’s immense contribution to all things St. Kevin’s Athletics by awarding him Honorary Life Membership.
Well done and thanks Justin.
2015/2016 SKAAC Committee
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