A WHOLE lot of talent, training and perhaps some help from her lucky number has taken Mornington long jumper, Geena Davy, all the way to the World Athletics Under-20 Championships, after she sealed her spot on the Australian team with a qualifying jump of 6.27 metres.
“I was born on the 27th and 27 has always been my number,” said Davy.
“I had always said ‘I wonder when I’m going to jump 6.27’ and it happened on my qualifying jump, which was also really cool.”
The 19-year-old held off celebrating until Athletics Australia made the official announcement.
“The day that email landed in my inbox it was honestly just as exciting as the jump itself. It was a huge wave of relief and joy knowing it was definite,” said Davy.
She will fly to the USA to compete in Eugene, Oregon this August. It’s the culmination of a journey that began at age nine at Balcombe Grammar, where a strong sports day performance sparked her love of athletics. She has trained under coach Jason Hodson ever since, making him both her first and only coach.
“The relationship that we’ve built over the years is really special,” said Geena.
“He knows me so well and can build towards the big events.”
After joining Little Athletics Southern Peninsula and then Mornington Little Athletics, Geena eventually narrowed a wide field of events down to long jump.
“Long jump was just the one event I had always loved for so long,” said Davy.
Among her early milestones was equalling the Australian under-12 girls long jump record with a jump of 5.77 metres at age 12.
“I wasn’t thinking about records at all, I was having lots of fun, and I think that’s when the big jumps happen,” she said.
“I understood that the best performances come when you stop overthinking and just do what your body’s been trained to do.”
She has since accumulated six national titles, one international title at Oceania level, and a personal best of 6.41 metres, set in Canberra in January this year.
“It was a really hot day and the track felt really fast and bouncy. I was in a really good head space,” said Davy.
“I was just excited to jump, free of pressure and expectation.”
Now studying a Bachelor of Sport Development at Deakin University, and coaching athletics at Haileybury College, Geena trains three times a week on the track and three times at the gym, with a weekly Pilates session added to her program.
She still lives in Mornington with her parents, and says university has made it easier to structure her schedule around training than Year 12 did.
In Oregon, Geena is setting her sights on surpassing her personal best.
“I can’t control what the other girls jump, so I can just control my preparation and my mindset going into the comp and how I approach each jump,” she told The News.
Looking further ahead, she has her eye on the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.
“I’ll be 25 by then, which is really the prime age for a long jumper, and the fact that it’s a home event makes it even more special to think about. Right now Oregon’s the focus, and every big goal is built in the steps.”
Follow Geena’s progress on Instagram at @geenadavy
First published in the Mornington News – 9 June 2026
