Blue Mountains Grammar School student Christie Pearson’s already remarkable athletics career reached a new ‘high’ in early December, when she competed at the 2009 Skins NSW All Schools Track and Field Championships.

Her qualification for this championship came early, in November, when Christie represented Blue Mountains Grammar at Homebush at the NSW All School’s competition. Christie triumphed, with gold medal-winning performances on both days. On Saturday, Christie became State champion in the 400m 15 years girls with a personal best time of 55.92 (second placed time was 57.46) and on Sunday, she became State champion in the 800m 15 years girls with a personal best time of 2.09.42 (second placed time was 2.11.54).

From there, it was on to the national competition — the 2009 Australian All Schools and Youth Athletics Championships, held in Hobart in December — in which Christie competed in the U16 Girls 400m event and the U16 Girls 800m event.

In her 400m event, Christie won the gold medal convincingly in a PB time of 55.62 with the second-placed runner from Queensland running 56.71. In her 800m event, Christie led from start to finish and won the gold medal in another PB. time of 2.07.52 just ahead of her friend and opponent from NSW who came in second place in a time of 2.07.63. Both girls ran personal best times and Christie was only .02 seconds off the qualifying time for the World Junior Championships next July in Canada.

The top four girls in the 800m event were all from NSW, with the third placed runner coming in a time of 2.15.44. At the completion of her 800m, Christie was asked to be part of the U18 Girls 4X400m relay team — to run the first leg — and this event scheduled only two hours after her 800m run. Christie had another fine run, placing the team in first position at the baton changeover, and NSW looked set to win until the final leg when Queensland’s best runner overtook NSW with only a few metres to go. It was very exciting and a wonderful end to a great national carnival for Christie, who at that event became a national champion in both the 400m and 800m and earning a silver in the 4x400m U18 relay.

Christie is now ranked No. 4 in the Open Women rankings for NSW in both the 400m and the 800m events — and she is still just 15 years of age.