The 11^th IAAF World Championships in Athletics is being held in Osaka, Japan from 25 August to 02 September.

Competing at 7:00 a.m. (11:00 am NZ time) on Saturday September 01, in the 50 Kilometres Race Walk is my buddy and training partner Tony Sargisson.

You may recall Tony won the Silver medal in the 50 km event at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne when he finished second to World Record holder Nathan Deakes of Australia. Sky TV is broadcasting the World Championships, so you can catch this and other events.

The World Championships are undoubtedly the pinnacle of Athletic competitions, surpassing the Commonwealth and Olympic Games. Tony will perform to his absolute best and will be up against some awesomely fast Race Walkers. Unlike many of the International Race Walking athletes, Tony is a genuine Amateur athlete; he works full-time as a Primary School teacher at St Josephs School in Takapuna and is married with two young children. He fits his hours of training in and around his teaching career and family life.

Tony is recognised as one of New Zealand's High performance Athletes by Athletics New Zealand and as such receives some financial assistance for travel and training from Athletics NZ, along with clothing and shoe sponsorships from New Balance and Beattie Matheson Limited and hydration support from Horleys. Tony is also fortunate to receive superb support from the St Josephs School Administrators, who have given him time off so he can finalise his training and preparations to compete in Osaka. The school administrators did the same thing for Tony last year prior to the Commonwealth Games.

It is only through the assistance from his wife (Stacey) and family (Troy and Jo), these main sponsors and his employer that he is able to train, race and be competitive at an International level; it is to his family, his sponsors and his employer that we owe a great deal for your ongoing passion, commitment and support to Tony - he could not have accomplished his international success without your help. Thank you all for your support. I know Tony thanks you all individually and personally himself, but as a fellow competitor and training partner of Tony I want to thank you, because I have seen the improvements in his performance that your support and his dedication to training and competing have made.

So, please join me in wishing Tony all the best and every success in Osaka.

Kind Regards

David Sim