Nearly 40 years may separate the two track and field athletes but they both had hugely successful months on the track.

Junior winner Sam Watkins is currently competing at the primary school nationals at Homebush after qualifying in the multi-event discipline.

Senior winner Christine Shaw recently won a silver medal in the 4x100m relay at the state relay titles after winning five medals at the World Master Games in Sydney in October.

Watkins won all the 12-year events at his Berrima Public School carnival before winning all the events at the district small schools carnival in October.

He then went onto the Highlands school district carnival where he again won all events. The next stop was at the regionals where Watkins came away with a first, two seconds and a third. At the state titles the Year 6 student was ninth in the 100m and made the semi-finals for the 200m.

At the nationals, Watkins is competing in the multi-event, which is a smaller version of the decathlon. The event includes the 800m, 100m, shot put and long jump.

Watkins is a busy boy and when he is not hurling a shotput or racing around the track he plays soccer for Bowral, water polo and touch football.

Lisa Watkins said it was the first time her son had won a BDSA monthly award and he loved sports.

Shaw only got back into competitive athletics two years ago after ferrying children Rachel and Hayden to the Athletics Wollongong club.

With only three months preparation for the Masters Games the 50-year-old won gold in the pole vault, silver in the 100m and triple jump and bronze in the hurdles and long jump.

The Berrima resident said she hasn’t looked back after joining up at Wollongong and trains once a week down the coast.

“It keeps me fit and we do it all - hammer throw, javelin, discus and hurdles,” she said. “I was happy and excited to win the award and the World Masters was friendly and relaxed. I enjoyed the camaraderie.”

Shaw said she is not planning to attend the next World Masters because she doesn’t like flying, but she has a busy calendar in 2010.

Next year she will compete at the NSW Masters in March before the Australian Masters and then Pan-Pacific Masters in November.

Athletics is a family affair for the Shaws and Christine will compete with her children at the Country championships at Beaton Park, Wollongong, in January.