Brooke Krueger and other 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medallists were honoured with their image placed on our Australian postage stamps.
Brooke Krueger won bronze at the 2003-04 Australian championships in the hammer throw.
It may not sound startling, but it signalled what was to come within the next two years.
She was a trend setter, given neither SA nor Australia had a strong tradition in throwing a 4kg ball weight, which required enormous strength and exceptional technique and timing.
Born in Tailem Bend, she had placed fourth at the 2002 Commonwealth Games and would finish 7th at the 2006 IAAF World Cup.
But it was on 20 March 2006 at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in front of 80,000 people, the likeable South Australian broke the Games record with a throw of 67.9m and took the gold medal.
As a result, she and other gold medallists were officially honoured with their image placed on Australian postage stamps – a rare distinction and celebration.
The Adelaide primary school teacher competed in the 2003 World Championships and then threw 63.88 at the 2004 Olympics.
Encountering strong eastern European athletes, she did not reach the final in either the world champs or the Olympics.
Her personal best was a throw of 70.72m in Sydney in 2006, a distance that would have given her 7th place at the Olympics in Athens.
Brooke Krueger-Billett is a member of the Athletics SA Hall of Fame.
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