Over the June long weekend, the Shire of Leonora hosted its 20th annual Golden Gift, a festival of athletics, cycling, bowls, live music, fireworks, and street markets.
Leonora is a tiny outback mining town of about 1,500 people, which is not exactly the place many would expect to witness world-class athletics.
But every year the town has rolled out the red-dust carpet to Australian Olympians and Leonora locals alike, as competitors and spectators come from around the country to compete in "Australia's richest mile" event.
Over the weekend entrants of all ages competed in races down the main street as spectators cheered from the footpath.
The competition was open to all and the town went wild as four-year-old Matilda Coufos took on competitors three times her age.
Cyclists cross the Goldfields
A highlight of the weekend was the Goldfields Cyclassic, a race spanning two days in which cyclists rode from Kalgoorlie to Leonora along the Goldfields Highway.
Michael Tapscott was first over the line, however Theo Yates achieved the overall fastest time and Richelle Gamble was the women’s overall winner.
Cyclassic Emcee Erik Mellegers spoke to the quality of the conditions and the competition in this year's race.
"The camaraderie between the riders on the road is incredible, and events like this really strengthen that," Mr Mellegers said.
The main event
The weekend's competition reached boiling point as the qualifying runners went neck-to-neck in the pinnacle event: the Elite Mile.
Emerging victorious from the men's race was Queensland runner Callum Davies, while previous 2013 Golden Gift Elite Mile winner Zoe Buckman won the women's competition.
Ms Buckman said she was surprised but incredibly happy to have taken out the top spot.
"It's a good challenge … there are some really tough girls to beat. They're all class runners so I'm really glad to have pulled it off," Ms Buckman said.
"I'm very happy to have come here; it's been really worthwhile."
As gold as it gets
In true Goldfields style, locally sourced gold nuggets stand in for a gold medal but it is no novelty nugget.
Valued at more than $2,400, the gold pieces accompany a cheque for $7,500, bringing the total winning prize to almost $10,000 for each male and female winner.
For those lacking the athletic prowess needed to win a golden nugget, market stalls along the main street provided the goods.
Alongside homemade jams and chutneys, stall owner and local resident Natalie Williams made sure to stock plenty of the precious metal that gives the region its name.
Ms Williams explained she and her husband enjoy prospecting; they often head out bush with their gold detector in order to find nuggets, which she then sells at market.
Close-knit community
Part-time local Donna Mavros was also involved in the street market, where she sold her handmade woollen goods.
"We come over every year when we can … and we spend six months a year here, just because it's such a cool, calming place to relax in," Ms Mavros said.
Diagnosed with breast cancer in 2020, Ms Mavros took to knitting to keep her spirits up; a hobby that is now helping to keep the heads of Leonora folks warm.
Ms Mavros said it was brilliant to see the way the event brought the town to life each year.
"The fireworks last night, they're as good as any city," she said.
Olympic star comes home
Australian bobsleigh Olympian and Leonora local Kiara Reddingius returned home as the patron for this year's event. She wrapped up the festivities with a message for all the aspiring athletes.
"I hope that my story kind of enables people to know that … it's never too late," Reddingius said.
"I started when I was 21 at athletics … I never did any training apart from my Golden Gift training before that.
"It really highlights just giving things a go and working really hard can get you to some special places," she said.
And so concluded a weekend of exceptional athletic ability, set against the stark, red-rock backdrop of regional Western Australia; Leonora was left to bask in the afterglow of the 2022 Golden Gift.
