Txai and Ashlyn – a winning friendship
- deansimpson7
- Jul 22
- 5 min read
BY LAUREN MARTIN
When the mothers of Australian athletes Txai Anglin and Ashlyn Blackstock organised for them to meet at an airport before flying to an international event, what could have been an awkward moment turned out to be a long-term blessing.
“I had never met Ashlyn and now she’s one of my closest friends,” says Txai [pronounced ‘Chai’].
“It was super easy,” adds Ashlyn. “Salvos are so connected, so automatically it’s like – this is someone from my family.”
Both Txai and Ashlyn grew up in The Salvation Army – Txai at Stafford Corps in Brisbane and Ashlyn at Eastlakes Corps in the Hunter region of NSW. Through the Salvo grapevine, their parents became aware of each other, as both daughters are professional athletes – Txai in track, and Ashlyn in discus and shot put.
Their friendship, which blossomed from that first meeting two years ago, has become a source of strength for them, both in and out of the sporting arena.
“We both think the same and have the same morals and values,” says Txai, who is the obvious extrovert, in contrast to Ashlyn, who admits she doesn’t really like meeting new people.
After their first meeting, the two athletes kept in contact through social media. However, earlier this year, when both were selected to represent the under-23 Australian team to compete at the Taiwan Athletics Open, they opted to be roommates. Now, despite living in different states, the pair are inseparable. “We speak nearly every day,” says Txai.
A life of sacrifice
Txai and Ashlyn’s connection centres around their shared faith, as well as their shared understanding of living life as full-time athletes.
Being a professional athlete means training five to six days a week. Every other aspect of life – work, study, faith, socialising and recreation – is managed and juggled around the centrepiece that is their chosen sport.
Txai’s main event is track – the 400 metres. Currently, she trains five days a week, with some of those days being ‘double days’ where she trains two sessions in one day. She also works part-time and studies law full-time. “I have a very busy schedule,” she laughs.
Ashlyn competes in discus internationally and adds shot put to her repertoire in domestic competitions (“I like throwing things!” she laughs.) She has two trainers and trains five to six days a week, often doing ‘double days’, like Txai. Ashlyn holds down a part-time job and is studying a Bachelor of Visual Communications, majoring in animation. “She was even doing her assignments overseas,” Txai praises her friend with pride.
The life of an athlete is meticulous and disciplined. It can also be a lonely and isolating experience.
“As athletes, we are taught to be selfish and focus on yourself,” says Txai. “But as Christians, we are taught to put others first.”
That self-focus of an athlete is thought to be essential to gain that ‘winning edge’. So, when Ashlyn took time out from her pre-throw session at the Taiwan Athletics Open to go and support Txai during her 400m event, the act of sacrifice sent beautiful shockwaves of love through the sprinter.
“Knowing that she was there, putting herself last, to support me ... and it was pouring rain as well! It was an incredible act of selflessness,” Txai says. “That action had a flow-on effect that I still think about to this day. It has helped to encourage and spur me on, to be like that [sacrificial] too.”
Higher hopes than gold
When asked what their athletic aspirations are, both Txai and Ashlyn will respond with the somewhat predictable answer of: “I’d love to go to the Olympics”, but it quickly becomes apparent that there’s a deeper desire burning within both athletes.
Whilst Ashlyn may be introverted, her discus shoes are not shy at all about the power behind her throw. “I have Bible verses written all over my shoes,” she says. “So, if I get nervous, I just look at my feet!” She starts every training session and every competition in prayer with her coaches, despite one not professing to have a faith. “I just say, ‘Do you mind if I pray before I start?’ and he is open to it,” she says. Before every big competition, God gives her a verse to focus on that keeps her grounded. “The goal is to throw really well … but also showing what God is doing in my life to be the best I can be.”
Their faith, and the way that they encourage and inspire each other to be brave about sharing it at domestic, national and international levels, is one of the deepest connections in their friendship.
“I want to be able to spread the Gospel through what I do,” says Txai. “My [late] father told me, ‘Your talent is your gift from God and what you do with your talent is your gift back to him’.”
“Ashlyn has inspired me,” says Txai. “Knowing that there are people like me – like-minded in Christ – and having that support has helped me be more confident in who I am and expressing myself to have no fear in talking about Scripture and specific things that relate to me.”
The gift of joy
When athletes compete at different events and locations across their nation or around the world, it is rare that friends or family can afford the time or money to attend each event. So, they often compete with no one, except their coach, who is there to support them.
When it was time for Ashlyn to compete in Taiwan, Txai made sure she was in the stands.
“It was my third throw when I saw her in the stands,” remembers Ashlyn. “When I looked up into the stands and saw Txai, I was so happy, there was no fear in that competition, and I was throwing for pure joy.”
That feeling was a gift for Ashlyn, who had competed not long before in Germany and hadn’t performed as well as she had hoped. In contrast to that trip, she says, “When I got home from Taiwan and people were like, ‘How was it?’ I said, ‘I had the best week of my life, I have never had that much fun before,’ and that came from Txai. She is so much fun, and it’s contagious.
“I now want to feel that same joy that I had [in Taiwan] and bring that to every session.”
The two say their friendship is “their secret super power”. It’s a sentiment that all Christians who share in friendship with another believer can no doubt relate to – “As iron sharpens iron, so one friend sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17).
