Anyone wanting to walk a mile in Isaac Beacroft’s shoes would be well advised to follow the Sydneysiders advice concerning a little spoken pre-race detail for walkers . . .  trim your toenails and tie your shoelaces nice and tight!

Beacroft, the world under 20 record-holder, notes something as minute as a toenail that’s a few millimetres longer than its ideal length can become a thorn in the side of a race walker intent on striding hard and fast for 10, even 20, gruelling kilometres.

“Sometimes if you wear a white sock you get to the end of a race and it’s red, completely,” he said with a noticeable wince. “You can’t feel it at the time but when your [foot] is moving around inside your shoe you get blisters and stuff.”

While 18-year-old Beacroft triple checked he packed his nail clippers alongside his seven pairs of shoes before leaving for Scotland to make his Commonwealth Games debut, he revealed why he’s taking an insatiable hunger into Scotstoun Stadium.

“The world record is really nice, it’s awesome to have,” said Beacroft of smashing Russian Viktor Buravev’s 22-year-old record by clocking an astonishing 38:02.68 in Sydney last December. “But I think the main goal of the career is to win medals, and I think that’s something that I haven’t quite done yet.

“I’ve won previously a world U20 title, but since then I haven’t done as much as I would have liked. I think Glasgow is time to really step up that game.”

Beacroft, who features in the New South Wales Institute of Sport’s NSWIS Lights Up Glasgow social media campaign, has proven he possesses tonnes of grit.

His dramatic come-from-behind effort as a 16-year-old to win the World U20 10km title in Turkey  by overtaking  China’s seemingly victory-bound Shengji Shi in the final metres of their duel was an example of his determination and doggedness.

Such resilience, says Beacroft, is forged far away from the glare of the sporting public. It’s developed by racking up thousands upon thousands of kilometres in long and lonely training sessions under the watchful eye of his father, Dave, who doubles as his coach.

Yet, the teenager indicates he thrives in the single-minded determination his pursuit of excellence requires, echoing a quote attributed to NBA mega star Kobe Bryant that you need to work hard in the dark to shine in the light.

“I love that feeling of pushing myself; love that feeling of going hard when you know there’s no one watching,” he enthused. “And yeah, getting those results, standing on top of the podium . . .  probably the best feeling in the world.”

His first experience of that feeling’ came via Little A’s. He did all the sports on offer – sprints, long jump, high jump, hurdles, shot put and discus – before finding his stride in race walking.

“I just enjoyed it,” he says with a smile.

His love for the sport became so strong, it led him to . . .  walk . . . away from his place in  the Greater Western Sydney AFL team’s Academy, an elite talent development program run by the Giants which aims to identify and prepare footballers in the U16 and U18 range groups for professional careers in either the AFL and AFLW.

“That was going absolutely nowhere, but I still like to claim it a fair bit,” he said, dismissing any notion he might have forged a career in the big league. “[But it] played a big part in my development as an athlete. I learned some things there that you don’t really learn those individual sports. And I think I’ve taken a fair bit from that, a few learning experiences and yet it’s made me better for my walking now.”

As he prepares for his Commonwealth Games debut – and then the World Under 20 championships in Oregon literally days after competing in Scotland – Beacroft spoke of the physical and mental battles that walking tosses up.

“What pace am I on? How am I feeling?” said Beacroft of the questions that constantly whirl about in his mind during competition. he dismisses the suggestion he should perhaps distract himself by humming The Proclaimers song I’m Gonna be (or 500 miles) with a roll of his eyes.

“You feel pretty wrecked after doing a 10K or 20,” he said. ” [It’s] tough. You feel it’s hard, especially in the race. If you’re having a tough one . . . I think you feel so much worse after having a bad race than if you do have a good race. You’re walking through the line [after a good race] feeling alright and feeling strong. You generally recover pretty well.”

“So, it’s now all about doing the prep and keeping training fun in the lead up to Glasgow.”

And, not forgetting to trim those cursed toenails!

Daniel Lane, NSWIS

Cover photo: Rachel Tingey, NSWIS

Tags Isaac BeacroftKobe BryantViktor Buravev
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