Sport
7 November, 2025
Ashley Curtis marks rousing running journey with national and Oceanic golds
Ashley Curits’ inspiring running journey continues to take incredible strides on and off the track, with the Maryborough local recently winning Oceanic Athletic and Australian Masters Games Gold medals.
Ashley, who has complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD), started running in March 2024 to help regain his active lifestyle and meet new people.
After successful races at the 2025 Victorian Masters Track and Field Championships and the Victorian Masters 30+ 10,000m Track Championships, Ashley competed in his first interstate race at the Oceania Masters Athletics Championships held in Brisbane in September.
Ashley’s journey to Brisbane wasn’t all smooth sailing, entering the race after recently completing rehab on an injured hip and still on antibiotics the day of the race to treat a case of bronchitis.
While all that adversity in the lead-up to representing Australia would send most people into a fluttery nervous state, Ashley said it was nothing compared to the stress of securing the logistics needed to compete with CPTSD.
“It’s very daunting, the running is not the hard bit, once I’m running I’m fine, the lead up and the little logistics are the hard part,” he said.
“All of the other athletes were just leaning against the fence and I was like a cat on a hot tin roof, just filled with anxiety about where my partner Rowena (Gribble) and my assistance dog would be.
“The dog stopped dogging 10 minutes before the race, without the dog, I can’t move, so it was very stressful.”
Despite all that, Ashley managed to get to the starting line for the Male 60 5000m and delivered another astonishing performance, winning gold with a final time of 17:54.30.
“All I’ve got to do once I’m running is keep going around in circles. It all finishes very quickly,” Ashley said.
“They put the 40-year-olds and up together with the 60-year-olds. I had to race with them, it’s hard to know who’s who.
“My coach said that one of the 40-year-old athletes runs about my pace, so I stuck with him for a lap and it was too slow, so I took off.
“That was my motivation, to beat all of the younger guys.”
Winning a gold medal for your country in any capacity is a lifelong achievement. However, for Ashley, it was the catalyst for something even more special.
With family living in Brisbane, Ashley was able to meet descendants he hadn’t seen in several years.
Ashley said his running adventure enabled him to check off a “big goal” of creating cherished memories with his loved ones.
“I got to stay and spend quality time with my son and saw the grandkids, which was awesome.
“It’s a long way to go for just one race and very expensive, so seeing the family was the drawcard absolutely.
“If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t have invested so much financially to get there.”
Ashley added to his growing collection of prestigious athletics medals at the Australian Masters Games held in Canberra last month, winning the Male 60 5000m with a time of 18:43.35.
“I had been sore all week, even though I was tapering, my legs were aching, so I had to race smarter,” Ashley said.
“My coach kept saying that personal bests are good, but you can get a personal best and still lose the race, so it’s all about race strategy and getting over the finish line first.
“I sat behind my opponent until seven laps to go and then I really put a surge on.”
While Ashley continues to light up the track, his partner Rowena Gribble said the hospitality of event officials has made a potentially challenging endeavour much simpler.
“They have been brilliant, once I explained what Ashley needs to have happen for him to be able to run, which is to park close to the track and for me to be able to walk around the outside of the track, they were all so accommodating,” she said.
“It’s a bloody great relief, I can tell you, everyone is really inclusive, which is fantastic.
“In fact, everyone makes a beeline to come and communicate and after Ashley has been around the traps, people will remember him. They are all very kind and accommodating.”
After his recent success, Ashley now has his eyes set on the Australian Masters Athletics Championships held in Canberra next March and the Pan Pacific Masters Games at the Gold Coast in November 2026.
Looking for some financial assistance with his running, Ashley recently applied for an Individual Athlete Scholarship supplied by the Federation University WestVic Academy of Sport.
While he hopes to maintain his prosperity on the track, especially at the Australian Masters Athletics Championships following more time to work on fundamentals with his coach, Ashley said his running journey has a more vital meaning.
“All of these different medals were in Brisbane, my son had them all and I don’t remember any of it, so I’m trying to create new memories with my running and share a good time with my family on the way,” he said.