Our Olympian
Dale competed on Friday night. He had to throw a massive 20 metres to get in the final. He couldn't quite do it but we are all proud to know an real Olympian.
Dale competes on 3rd August 2012
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Pump that iron Dale
So now Dale is off to London
I have resurrected our page to celebrate and encourage our Olympian. Yes Dale Stevenson is in the London Olympics. Let's take an interest and encourage him to great achievements.
He looks like he is ready
He looks like he is ready
It's BRONZE
Dale has done it. Throwing a personal best of 19.99m he has taken a podium place in teh Delhi Commonwealth Games.
CONGRATULATIONS Dale.
Not bad for a Collingwood supporter.
CONGRATULATIONS Dale.
Not bad for a Collingwood supporter.
How the Times of India saw it
NEW DELHI: India's medal hopes in shot put Om Prakash and Saurabh Vij fizzled out after finishing fifth and sixth respectively on the second day of the track and field competitions of the Commonwealth Games on Thursday.
Om Prakash threw the shot put to 19.51m, well below his personal best of 20.02m and season's best of 19.99m. Vij, who was permitted to take part in the Games at the eleventh hour after his provisional suspension for flunking a dope test was lifted by NADA, was worse as he could clear only 18.60m against his personal and season's best of 20.65m. Canadian Dylan Armstrong, the favourite to win the event and season's leader among Commonwealth shot putters, won easily with a throw of 21.02m, though it was lower than his personal as well as season's best of 21.58m. Jamaica's Scott Dorian won the silver with a throw of 20.19m while Australia's Dale Stevenson bagged the bronze with a personal best effort of 19.99m. |
The Stevenson's are in the spotlight again
Anyone watching Sunrise on Monday 4th October at about 8:15am would be excused in thinking that the Stevenson's were the only Aussies in Delhi. Once again interviewed on Channel 7 Sunrise program after the opening ceremony the whole family put their stamp of approval on the ceremony.
Ian, Jenny, Lauren and Erin were all given an opportunity to comment. It was all very stirring and supportive. But really, did we need to hear Ian in his rendition of Aussie, aussie, oi,oi,oi! It is also encouraging to see that the Stevenson's have flaunted the advice of the Australian government as they were fully decked out in the green and gold, including the massive Aussie flag. No shrinking violets here. GO DALE. (even though you are a Magpie supporter!!!) |
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We are loving it.
Check out the article from Jenny Stevenson in Hindustan Times 1st October.
Finally, a positive opinion. “Delhi is not filthy,” said Jenny Stevenson, an Australian visitor to the city. “I'm having a great time.” Jenny, 50, is no ordinary tourist. She is the mother of Dale Stevenson, an Australian shot put athlete who will be competing in the Commonwealth Games this Wednesday. We caught up with Jenny at the ticket counter of Humayun's Tomb on Thursday afternoon. She was with her son's girlfriend, Lauren Jones. It was hot and they both were enjoying orange ice candies. A teacher in Melbourne, Jenny has been to Delhi before. For Lauren, a student of real estate, this is her first time. Considering that the Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged Australians to exercise a high degree of caution in India, Jenny was not exactly worried. “I'm feeling perfectly safe in your city,” she said. “We’re very happy to be here,” said Lauren. Is Delhi looking like a world class city in their opinion? While praising Delhi airport’s new international terminal, Jenny said, “It is important that different cities must look different. If every city looks like a Western city, then what’s the point? You better stay at home.” Dismissing the talk that Delhi has become a mess due to its delayed preparations for the Commonwealth Games, she said, “No, I'm not seeing filth anywhere in the city. I'm happy with my accommodation and Delhiites are so friendly.” What does she feel about the Indian media’s largely negative coverage about the Games? “I think Indians are very hard on themselves,” said Jenny. “You people should go easy,” said Lauren. |
Aussie athletes play out their own grand final
THEY are a long way from the MCG but Australia's Commonwealth Games athletes fought out their own version of the AFL grand final on the lawn of the Athletes Village in Delhi. It started with a kick to kick amongst the mens' hockey team and grew when shot putter Dale Stevenson and 400m hurdler Lauren Boden joined in.
Behind them a troupe of Indian dancers was treating an audience to a display of local culture but pretty soon it was Australian culture that drew the bigger crowd as torps and speckie took centre stage. For Stevenson 22, a lifelong Collingwood supporter and Boden 21, who has followed the Saints through thick and thin, the kick around had special significance. Proudly dressed in the Collingwood jersey he never leaves home without, Stevenson said his beloved Pies deserved to win "because they've been the best team all year. And that's not just coming from a Collingwood supporter," he said. "Anyone will tell you that." Anyone but Lauren Boden, it would seem. "You're only as good as your last quarter," she said, flicking her Saints scarf in his face. "And we won that." It will be ecstasy for one of them, agony for the other. "I saw them lose twice and I cried both times," said Stevenson. "Still I was only 14." "Yeah," said Boden. "I cried last year - and I was 20." Boden's love affair with the Saints began when the Auskick program came to her Canberra primary school. "The local team we did it through was Ainslie and they wore red, white and black. That's the only link I can think of but I've been a supporter ever since." Melbourne born and raised Stevenson says he has always been a Collingwood supporter, although he does come from a mixed family. "My old man goes for Melbourne and my mum goes for North," he said. "I'm the black sheep of the family. Actually, make that black and white sheep." |
Frankston shot putter vows to go to Delhi Games SHOT putter Dale Stevenson will go for gold in India next month despite serious security and health warnings.
The Frankston thrower said he had thought long and hard about travelling to Delhi for the Commonwealth Games. “I am definitely going. I’m not nervous, more a little concerned but the advice we have been given doesn’t match the media reports.” The prep teacher, currently in training in Cairns, is making his Games debut and is keen to take the opportunity to stamp his mark as an elite athlete. “I have thought about this, everyone has, and we are listening to the advice. I think, at this point anyway, a majority of athletes will travel,” he said. Frankston Paralympian Ellie Cole will also go to the Games. Her mum Jenny said they were “excited but very nervous”. “Ellie is nervous but really wants to go. This is important to her because she won’t swim in a separate Paralympic event but in a combined event,” Ms Cole said. The Frankston athletes’ decision came as several Commonwealth countries spoke out about the state of the athlete’s village, claiming it was filthy and in a shambles. Last Tuesday a footbridge at the main stadium collapsed, adding to the disquiet and by Friday there were dire warnings of a mass pull-out. A shooting outside New Delhi’s main mosque more than a week ago heightened fears of a terrorist attack during the Games and a recent outbreak of dengue fever is also a concern. |
Check out Dale and Scott
AUSTRALIA'S top-ranked shot-putters, Scott Martin and Dale Stevenson, say they are ready to challenge for a medal when they compete at the Delhi Commonwealth Games in less than four weeks.
The friends are looking forward to going head-to-head, having been training partners and confidants in the lead-up to the Games. Martin, 27, of Victoria, rose to prominence with his gold and bronze medals in discus and shot put at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. The Commonwealth gold medallist holds the Australian shot put record of 21.26 metres, but has 22-year-old fellow Victorian Stevenson snapping at his heels. It was a different story in 2007, when a younger Stevenson threw a personal best of 15.46 metres, but that was more than metres less than the best mark by an Australian. After contemplating where his future lay in the sport, Stevenson turned to the team that produced his future housemate, Martin. ''I made a decision that I wanted to get serious about it [shot put], so I obviously checked with Scott that it was all right to train with him and I think it's been a benefit for both of us," Stevenson said. ''Scott's the best and coach Gus Puopolo [seven-time Australian hammer throw champion] is the best, so you've got to be there.'' Last April at the nationals, Stevenson threw 19.67 metres, improving more than four metres in three years. Martin said he was impressed by Stevenson's work ethic and his improvement was an indication of the many hours spent in the gym. |
''He [Stevenson] has probably been the hardest trainer over the last couple of years, which is why he has got the results," Martin said. "He has got a great attitude." Martin is not the only one that is confident in Stevenson's ability. ''[Throwing] 20 metres is going to happen … I'll celebrate it but I set the bar higher than that," Stevenson said.Both athletes qualified for the Commonwealth Games at the Australian Athletics Championships in April by placing first and second. Martin won with 19.83 metres - 16 centimetres ahead of his training partner. Stevenson expects Martin to be among the medals in Delhi. "Scott's the best thrower we've had, he's got the Australian record. He has realistically got what it takes to not only medal in Delhi but medal in London [2012 Olympics], maybe win." At the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in 2006, a distance of 19.76 metres was good enough to win the gold medal. Martin expects fiercer competition this time and said the winning distance in Delhi would be above 20 metres. "There are four or five competitors throwing over 21 metres … 20.50 [metres] will probably win.'' Martin and Stevenson have spent up to 25 hours a week together and believe it is crucial to strike a good balance between being friends and competitors. "We're intense on the field but off the field we're good mates … we don't always have to smile at each other or high-five each other when we're throwing well,'' Martin said. "We've both got a healthy respect for each other.'' Stevenson said Martin had helped him immensely. ''Scott has helped me heaps, we get along well personally, which makes a huge difference,'' he said. |
Dale's second entry in the Athletics Australia diary
As I sit here on my beanbag watching Saturday night AFL, I am particularly interested in two players featuring in today’s action; Jack Riewoldt and Taylor Hunt. You may wonder... why these two? Granted, Jack is having a great season, but that is not the root of my intrigue. The reason is that I once competed with both of these boys as a junior in athletics. Whilst they are now enjoying the spoils of primetime TV, Coleman Medal races, generous sponsorship endorsements and comfortable contracts, I recall my competition today at Ringwood Athletics Track where total attendance was about 30 people (including athletes!) and ponder...
What reason is there for young athletes to choose our sport? I can’t speak for others, but I do know the reasons that kept me in the sport through the formative years. 1. PURITY Break down the fundamentals of any sport and you will inevitably derive the same set of commonalities; endurance, coordination, speed, power, strength, focus, balance etc. All of these characteristics are, predictably, the foundations of our sport. The beauty of athletics is that we can honestly say that we are the best exponents of these aspects of any sport in Australia, or indeed the world. There is one stringent set of rules, which have not changed much since the days of ancient Olympia. This pure and simple nature appeals to me greatly. 2. FRIENDS Yes, this seems paradoxical, but the reality is that humans are social creatures. Our sport is an individual sport; results and medals are not awarded to coaches or training partners, but we wouldn’t achieve the former without the latter. Friendships I have already forged in the sport are what gets me to the gym when I’m sick and sore, or what helps me push on when I can’t feel my extremities whilst throwing in the freezing rain. The dualism of individual and social components that shape our experiences in athletics are an integral part of my attraction to the sport. 3. CHALLENGE As a younger athlete, I often wondered what kept people in our sport when they were ‘past their prime’. Why would you compete if you had no chance of beating your PB? With time, I have grown to understand and appreciate that the challenges facing a true athlete go beyond one’s maximum performance. If I measure my success only by my PB, then all of my other throws are essentially failures. Something I learned from my former coach John Eden, my current coach Gus Puopolo and training partner Scott Martin, is that challenges are a process for an intelligent athlete, not a result. Every throw, lift, jump, run, session, week, month, period, season and year has a purpose and accordingly; a challenge. As aforementioned, these are the major factors which keep me in our wonderful sport. Chances are that if you are reading this, you will have your own investment in athletics and your own set of reasons. For young athletes; if you are in sport for money or notoriety, please don’t choose athletics. I’m certainly not insinuating that Jack or Taylor chose AFL because of superficial reasons, but rather encouraging you to think pragmatically about the options available to you. I suppose that I probably haven’t answered my earlier question; it requires investigation beyond the scope of this diary entry. The best way I can summate this is to put it plainly - stay true to the reasons which initially drew you to the sport. If, like me, you enjoy the purity, friendships and challenges of athletics then you might find yourself a very content and happy 22-year-old sitting on his beanbag watching the footy. 'Carn the Pies, Dale |
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GOOD LUCK DALE
Did you see the article in the Herald Sun - 14th Aug
SAT 14 AUG 2010, Page 080
Big Dale gives it his best shot By Chris de Kretser and Daryl Timms IT'S 50 days to go to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and the children at St Joseph's Primary School in Collingwood can't wait for the action to start. Their trainee teacher Dale Stevenson will make his Games debut in the shot put and they'll be forming his own special cheer squad back in Melbourne. Stevenson is king of the kids, a friendly 110kg giant who is an immensely popular figure with his prep pupils. But away from the classroom Stevenson is developing into an elite athlete with his performances stamping him as a thrower with a big future. His personal bests have continued to improve significantly and he is now clearly behind only Melbourne Games bronze medallist Scott Martin as Australia's best shot putter. Caption: Need a lift? Dale Stevenson works out with students from St Joseph's Primary School in Collingwood. Illus: Photo IllusBy: COLLEEN PETCH Column: SPORT CONFIDENTIAL Section: SPORT |
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 Our representative at Delhi 2010
We have a couple of very proud parents, Ian and Jenny, preparing to leave in late September to go to Delhi to watch their son, Dale, compete in the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
I have inserted this page so we can watch Dale's journey to Delhi as he puts years of training into practice with his shot put. |
GAMES village almost ready for Dale "Twelve of the 34 towers have already been furnished, with only minor fittings to be sorted out."
The Village will be home to 8,000 athletes and team officials for over a month. A total of 34 residential towers, with 1,168 air-conditioned apartments comprising 4,008 bedrooms, will house the guests. The main dining hall, with a seating capacity of 2,300, will cater to their food requirements, dishing out approximately 22,000 meals daily. The Village will also provide medical services at the Polyclinic. A team of 88 paid staff and 460 volunteers will look after Games Village planning and operations during the Games. |
Dale's first entry in the Athletics Australia diary
I would like to preface my comments with an apology; an apology that my sentiments may not possess the same inspirational or erudite qualities as those of Tristan Thomas. Additionally, we aren’t all blessed with the beauty of a Jody Henry or the rugged good looks of one Mitch Watt. Nor can I share with you exciting stories of international jaunts or intricate surgeries at this point.
If you are anything like me, you probably enjoy reading extended blogs about as much as one enjoys the flood of lactic acid whilst your coach reassures you that you are ‘almost halfway there’. Not much. Resultantly, I have attempted to summate my Commonwealth Games preparation experiences into bite-size chunks.
1. Learning. This is my first senior team, and not making juniors or youths, I suppose it is my first team of any real significance (World Unis in 2009 being my only other international experience). As a teacher, I am fascinating in learning as a concept; talking with experienced athletes is very important to me. I am blessed to have a training partner in Scott (Martin) with whom I can talk openly and share ideas, and a coach who could talk under wet cement. Although we have all heard (coach) Gus's (Puopolo) stories/jokes/opinions hundreds of times (literally), they certainly make a freezing cold night in the gym more enjoyable. But for me, the best learning is experience; and that is something I cannot rush. Whilst I will never use inexperience as an excuse, I am also aware that I am a relative baby in my sport.
2. Growth. Unlike the previous point (which got a bit abstract/far-fetched/Tristan Thomas-like), this point is quite literal. In an event where strength underpins performance, the last four months have been spent investing in my physical condition. Whilst this is not glamorous or particularly exciting, all athletes know that time must be spent doing ‘donkey-work’. These hours, complimented by an ever-increasing weekly food bill, will hopefully equip me to throw further this year and beyond.
3. Excitement. It would be remiss of me to ignore the fact that this is a time of excitement. The chance to represent my country is why I got into Track and Field years ago. The reality of training, work and other everyday functions sometimes dull my anticipation; but underneath it all is a giggly schoolgirl.
Finally, I would like to take the chance to thank some of the unsung heroes in the life of an athlete. I am forever grateful for the ongoing support of my training partners, girlfriend, family, workmates, friends and coach for their assistance in allowing me to do what I do. I promise that is the last of the mushy stuff you will get out of me, I'll leave it to Tristan from now on.
Yours in sport,
Dale
If you are anything like me, you probably enjoy reading extended blogs about as much as one enjoys the flood of lactic acid whilst your coach reassures you that you are ‘almost halfway there’. Not much. Resultantly, I have attempted to summate my Commonwealth Games preparation experiences into bite-size chunks.
1. Learning. This is my first senior team, and not making juniors or youths, I suppose it is my first team of any real significance (World Unis in 2009 being my only other international experience). As a teacher, I am fascinating in learning as a concept; talking with experienced athletes is very important to me. I am blessed to have a training partner in Scott (Martin) with whom I can talk openly and share ideas, and a coach who could talk under wet cement. Although we have all heard (coach) Gus's (Puopolo) stories/jokes/opinions hundreds of times (literally), they certainly make a freezing cold night in the gym more enjoyable. But for me, the best learning is experience; and that is something I cannot rush. Whilst I will never use inexperience as an excuse, I am also aware that I am a relative baby in my sport.
2. Growth. Unlike the previous point (which got a bit abstract/far-fetched/Tristan Thomas-like), this point is quite literal. In an event where strength underpins performance, the last four months have been spent investing in my physical condition. Whilst this is not glamorous or particularly exciting, all athletes know that time must be spent doing ‘donkey-work’. These hours, complimented by an ever-increasing weekly food bill, will hopefully equip me to throw further this year and beyond.
3. Excitement. It would be remiss of me to ignore the fact that this is a time of excitement. The chance to represent my country is why I got into Track and Field years ago. The reality of training, work and other everyday functions sometimes dull my anticipation; but underneath it all is a giggly schoolgirl.
Finally, I would like to take the chance to thank some of the unsung heroes in the life of an athlete. I am forever grateful for the ongoing support of my training partners, girlfriend, family, workmates, friends and coach for their assistance in allowing me to do what I do. I promise that is the last of the mushy stuff you will get out of me, I'll leave it to Tristan from now on.
Yours in sport,
Dale