MOSES LAKE - Holly Martin is a three-time medal winner.

The Moses Lake High School distance runner recently returned from the Down Under Sports Program in Australia, where she medaled in all events she competed in.

"I'm most proud of the 3,000 (meter) medal," Martin said. "I knew I wouldn't win but I was very competitive."

Martin took silver in the 3,000 meter race along with a gold in the steeple chase and a bronze as part of a 4x400 meter relay team.

Martin's time in the 3,000 meter race was unofficially 12:14.

"It's a new (personal record) in the 3,000," Martin said. "I'm proud of that time."

The steeple chase, which is not offered during Martin's school league season meets, pitted her against four other runners. The Australian course was less complicated than the course she ran at the Hermiston Invitational, Martin said.

"They had five steeples down there, one in each corner, and the saltwater pit," Martin said.

Martin said the steeple chase was an event that is easy to do well.

"It's easy to keep getting better. It's racing a mile. It's interesting to see who has that extra endurance," Martin said.

In the 4x400-meter relay race, Martin was teamed with sprinters. She took the third leg of the race, which is traditionally the slowest.

"I just had fun with that race," Martin said.

Along with participating in the three-day meet that proved fruitful for Martin, two formal practices were held and plenty of sight-seeing was done.

The practices provided Martin with stretches proving useful over the long-term and new games to make training about more than running.

"Talking to (other runners) and the trainer, all the people in the med tent were Americans," Martin said.

She called the stretching and warm-ups "more intense" than anything she has done while running in the United States. Martin credited the club running atmosphere in Australia for the difference in training techniques.

"They don't do high school sports there," Martin said.

She explained people interested in athletic competition hire a private coach.

When Martin wasn't hitting the track or the beach to run, she was visiting some of the sights of Australia including the Sydney Opera House, a wildlife preserve, and the Great Barrier Reef.

"The whole trip was very packed," Martin said. "There was never a sit alone time until at night, really."

The trip provided Martin with her first ocean experience and a trip to the Great Barrier Reef.

"It was my fist time on a boat," Martin said.

She was able to snorkel along the reef and see sea turtles and other sea creatures.

Martin said seeing the shore birds was unique, as was the way the birds were treated by locals.

"People would leave the restaurant doors open and the birds would just come in," Martin said. "That's something you would never see here."

She was also able to hold a koala and visit kangaroos.

"Koalas are surprisingly heavy," Martin said. "I told them I was hulking-out holding one."

For Martin, the trip opened up a new world of friends and motivation for the upcoming running seasons.

"We went and saw and did all this cool stuff, but the people I was with (were the best part)," Martin said. "We were all there for the same reason and had similar personalities."

Moses Lake High School's cross country camp began today and Martin said she was excited for it.

"I just started running again," Martin said. "I'm excited for the season."

The trip to Australia was also a chance for Martin to meet more people in Moses Lake. Before setting out, she raised money through a few projects and did not have any out-of-pocket traveling expenses.

Martin's grandfather took care of the first deposit required for the trip and the rest was covered by the donations.

"It was really great. I had a lot of help and I'm really grateful for that," Martin said.

She thanked the people donating money and gave a special thanks to her running coach, Loren Childers.

"He was the one who got me into running. He pushed me and continues to push me," Martin said.