General News
13 November, 2025
Gift honours milestone for women
THE Terang Athletic Club will host their annual Victorian Athletic League Gift meeting on Sunday, November 30 in what club members feel is shaping up to be another great event.
This year the club has decided to shine a light on ten years of holding the Women’s Gift.
When the Terang Gift first began in 2007, under the rules of the Victorian Athletic League (VAL), the feature event on the program was ‘The Roy Northeast Terang Gift’ and was open to both male and female athletes alike.
After running for several years, the club felt it was appropriate to give the women their own race.
In 2015 the club introduced The Jill McKenzie Women’s Gift and renamed The Roy Northeast as a Men’s Gift, with the inclusion of the Woman’s Gift having gone on to become a bonus to the Terang Athletic program.
Club president Ken Plummer said when naming the woman’s event there was only ever one choice – local identity Jill McKenzie.
“Jill had been an outstanding junior state 400metre and 800metre champion,” he said.
“When she moved to Terang as a teacher, Jill was to become one of the clubs’ founding members, the club secretary and coach of many young athletes from around the district.
“We were honoured to name the event after Jill.”
This year the club has contacted past female winners, with some planning to return to the Terang Recreation Reserve on race day to celebrate and remember their wins.
Mr Plummer said the first female to take out the race was Cara Boustead Hill from Innisfail in far North Queensland.
“Cara came back to Terang the following year and, after winning the 300metre at Warrnambool the day before, was elated to win her second Jill McKenzie Woman’s Gift,” he said.
“She remains the only athlete to achieve this feat to date.
“It was great to hear from Cara Boustead Hill to let us know she was delighted that we were acknowledging our past winners and is planning to make the trip down with her young family to be at Terang at the track for the Terang Athletic Gift to help us celebrate.
“Last year’s female winner Imogen Nobbs will also be there and competing.”
There have been a couple of other past winners in Clare De Salis and Nicole Berridge who have also said they are also hoping to be make their way to the Terang Gift this year.
Mr Plummer said he was excited this year’s event would be headlined by some of the best athletes across the nation running on a premiere track.
“The Terang Athletic Club is always pleased with the transformation from football oval to turn out a good athletic track,” he said.
“The track is always fit for some of the best sprinters in Australia, as most years we have had Stawell Gift winners both male and female.
“We would like to thank those that make the track possible, particularly Michael (Rake) Heffernan who does an amazing job.”
The Terang Gift will return to the Terang Recreation Reserve on Sunday, November 30 with racing action to begin from 10.30am.
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