Ruth Frith & Helen Searle

I just read a fantastic story in The Age's Good Weekend section - its not online or I would give you a link. The World Masters Games were on last month in Sydney. All the usual heart-warming stuff has been in the papers, but I didn't pay it much notice.

However - this story is about a woman who represented Australia in the 1958 and 1962 Commonwealth games and 1960 Olympics, and she is still competing. Which is pretty amazing. But not only is she still shot putting and throwing the hammer... so is her mother. Who she coaches.

Helen Searle is 70, she is the daughter. Her mum, Ruth Frith (100), used to go along and watch her compete in the Masters in the 1970s.

"I used to sit in the grandstand and watch and everyone would ask "Will you mind my bag, Mrs Frith?" This went on for years until suddenly, at 74, I said "oh heavens, I've had enough of bag-minding. I'm going to have a go myself!"