| The Early Years: Orienteering has been part of my life from my earliest memories. I first experienced orienteering as a toddler, being carried around courses in a backpack by my grandfather. As years passed I progressed to string courses (where you follow a rope from one control to the next and so on) to running courses with my parents and finally to completing courses by myself. I started competing from the age of seven and won my first placing at a State Championship that very same year, competing against orienteers nine and ten years old. Winnning placings and competing against older competitors were trends set to continue in the following years. The highlight of my early competitive career was winning the under 13 relay at the Australian Championships in 1988. Breaking onto the International Scene: In 1993 the Australian 3 days Orienteering Championships were held in Perth, in the M14 age group I had a great tussle with Victorian Stuart Colls. After placing second on the first two days behind Stuart, only seconds behind, I came though on the decisive third day to claim victory. It was on the basis of this victory that I was first selected to represent Australia, for the Australia-New Zealand Challenge to be held around the North Island of New Zealand in January 1994. Over in New Zealand I met up with Robbie Preston and Steven Gale my team mates in M16. The highlight of the week was when I placed 3rd in the Asia Pacific Individual Championships, at every other occasion Robbie, Steven and I were trounced by our New Zealand competitors. State Representation: 1994 was also the first year I was selected in the State Schools team, to compete in the National Schools Championships in South Australia. There I placed 4th in the individual race and 3rd in the relay in the Junior Boys Category. I was also selected in the National Schools Honour Team along with Troy De Haas, Andrew Hill and Steven Jones. National Junior Team: For several years I only orienteered socially, keeping busy with a wide range of activities at school. It was the National 3 Days Championship held in Broken Hill in 1997 which re-kindled my competitive instinct. After running poorly on the first two days I ran strongly on the last to have the second fastest time and almost take 3rd place overall. This made me realise that I could have what it takes to make the National Junior Team. The National Championships were held in Canberra in 1997. I prepared well and had a great result in the lead up ACT championships, 2nd behind Nick Hain. At the National Championships I caught two minutes on Nick, my biggest competitor, two thirds of the way round the course and new that I was doing well. As I ran up the finish chute I remember Blair Trewin, who was commentating, calling Nick as having the fastest time of the day as he ran in behind me, of course I was over two minutes quicker. After this result I was picked in the National Junior Squad and attended the National Junior Camp that Summer. After training hard all summer I managed well enough at the trials to be picked in the National Junior Team to travel to France for the 1998 Junior World Orienteering Championships. Disaster strikes: After travelling to France and spending a few weeks acclimatising and familiarising myself with the terrain disaster struck just days before the Championships. During a social soccer match I dislocated my patella and ruled myself out of the competitions. Recent History: In 1999 I was again selected in the Junior Team but was disappointed by my races in Bulgaria, the one highlight being running well on the first leg of the relay. After the Junior World Champs I spent another 4 months travelling around Europe and competing in major orienteering races. In 2000, my first year as a senior, I was selected in the Australian Universities team and the Senior team to run the World Cup races in Portugal. After suffering from Glandular fever throughout 2001, I returned to competition in 2002, finishing 5th at the national 3 days and gaining selection in the National Senior squad. |
| Orienteering History |
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