By Renae Jones
Capping off a phenomenal week at the 2025 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships, 17-year-old Leah O’Brien has been named Commonwealth Games Australia’s Emerging Athlete of the Month for April.
“I’m excited and honoured to be awarded Emerging Athlete of the Month,” O’Brien said. “It’s been an incredible month already, so this recognition really just tops it off.”
Competing on her home track at the Western Australian Athletics Stadium, O’Brien delivered a blistering run of 11.14secs (+1.7) in the U18 100m final – breaking Raelene Boyle’s 57-year-old national record in the process and claiming the national title.
Her time not only rewrote the junior record books, but also matched two-times Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sally Pearson as the equal fourth-fastest Australian women over 100m and placed her ninth on the U18 world all-time list.
“Breaking the record was incredibly special, but doing it on my home track in front of my family and friends made it even more meaningful,” she said.
“It was unforgettable. I think you can tell by my face, I was in shock.”
O’Brien’s Nationals success didn’t stop there; she also claimed the U18 200m national title with a personal best of 23.37secs (-1.1) and won silver in the Open Women’s 100m final, finishing just 0.004 seconds behind national champion Torrie Lewis in a dramatic photo finish.
“It honestly still feels a bit surreal,” O’Brien reflected.
“My goal was to place on the podium in the U18 100m and 200m, make the Open 100m final, and hopefully break some junior state records.”
“I definitely exceeded my expectations.”
O’Brien’s athletics journey began at age eight with UWA (University of Western Australia) Little Athletics Club. From sprinting to long jump, she tried it all – but it was sprinting that stuck.
“I love the sense of accomplishment in sprinting – seeing the hard work pay off is so rewarding,” she said. “And the amazing community, from teammates to competitors, everyone is so supportive and encouraging.”
Despite her recent achievements, O’Brien said her proudest moment wasn’t a medal or time, but overcoming adversity.
“Last season I developed shin splints that held me back – I knew I had more to give,” O’Brien said.
“I worked incredibly hard and wanted to leave Nationals with no regrets.” And that’s exactly what she did.
Looking ahead, O’Brien aims to sharpen her 200m and consistently run 11.1-11.3 seconds in the 100m, with long-term ambitions of representing Australia on the world stage.
Off the track, she is just as committed, volunteering at school sports carnivals, coaching junior athletes, and helping raise over $200,000 for youth homelessness through community events.
Grateful for the village behind her, she thanked coach Braiden Clarke, her family, friends, and Perth College for their ongoing support.
“Running on my home track where it all began made me realise just how far I’ve come.”
The Commonwealth Games serves as a platform for developing the future stars of Australian sport and the Emerging Athlete of the Year forms part of a refreshed Awards and Honours program developed by the CGA Heritage and Awards Committee.
The CGA Emerging Athlete of the Year Award celebrates the next generation of Australian sport stars and those that may make an impact for Australia at major sport events in the future.
Over the course of 2025, an athlete will be recognised each month as the Emerging Athlete of the Month and will receive a $500 contribution towards their training and competition expenses.
Three finalists from the monthly winners will then split a $7000 cash prize, with the winner receiving $5000 and the two runners-up $1000 respectively.
