From valley boy to international track star. Those were the words used to describe 17-year-old Austin Ingram by a training partner and friend at the Petawawa council meeting Monday night. Ingram was presented a certificate of recognition for representing Canada and Petawawa at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai in November. The young track star was competing in his first World Championships against a much older and more experienced crowd.
The Petawawa native didn’t disappoint, setting a national record with a time of 10.99 seconds in the T13 100 meter race. His time was good enough to place him 4th overall in the world. Ingram says he now has his eyes set on Tokyo 2020 with hopes to bring home an Olympic medal.
Ingram says the Renfrew County track meets are fun because you know everyone you’re competing against, but at the international level there’s a big change in mentality. He adds at that level, the athletes know what it takes to win. He says there’s no one trick to success and you need to figure out what works best for you.
Ingram says at the end of the day, it’s a 400 meter track you’re running against seven or eight other guys, so you’re better off looking for similarities instead of differences. Ingram adds the local support he’s received has blown him away and is beyond what he ever expected. He’s currently a Grade 12 student at Valour High School in Petawawa. He says he trains roughly 50 weeks a year and will likely race again sometime in the spring before the summer Olympics next year.
Watch Austin race at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai here.