Athletes to reach new heights in local camp

Jock Campbell and wife Melissa run Jock Athletic, a high performance training company. 

Campbell has trained some of the best athletes in the country, from the Australian cricket team to world champions in surf life saving. The altitude camp is aimed at amateur athletes looking to achieve an elite athlete experience.

It is usually conducted in the Snowy Mountains but will be shifted to The Armidale School next January. 

The camp is run over two weeks and Campbell said the facilities at the local school including the indoor pool and gym helped persuade him to move the camp. 

"I love the town, love the scenery, flying in today was magnificent,” he said. 

"I just can't believe the facilities of this school. We need all the facilities near us and this has got way more than we need. It is based around running training so we have all our runners come, our surf lifesavers.” 

Melissa Campbell is a champion in surf lifesaving and said the camp gives the amateur athletes in the program an understanding of how elite athletes train. 

"We try to give them an elite athlete experience for amatuer athletes so whether you are world champion or doing school athletics, they can experience all the boarding, the good food, the advice, the professional training programs in a controlled environment,” she said. 

"So what an elite athlete would get anywhere else.”

The camp focuses on running and improving endurance through training at a higher altitude. 

Athletes also learn about looking after their bodies properly through food with dietician Dee McCarthy. 

"She is our dietician and trains with us so she runs the show when we are here and teaches the athletes what they need to eat,” Jock Campbell said. 

"She cooks each night and I give her two of the athletes each night and they learn to cook and learn what to eat.

"She doesn't let anyone bring chocolate and goes through everyone's bags to make sure they don't have any dodgy food.” 

He said traditionally it has been run for athletes coming up through the ranks but elite level athletes have attended with great feedback. 

"A lot of our professionals want to come away on this camp as well,” he said. 

"Two of them who have played professional cricket and played all over the world, the first time they came they said it was the best week of their life.”

The altitude camp will not only be for Jock Athletics’ current athletes. Locals are encouraged to get involved with the two week program. 

"We have usually been limited by our accommodation [but] here, there is no real limit on numbers,” he said. 

"We have never had it in the school holidays before so we are a bit scared of what might happen but we have plenty of coaches who work for us so the more people we get, the more coaches we bring up.” 

More information can be found at jockathletic.com