I attended Coonabarabran High School and began the sport as a 800m/1500m/Cross Country style runner, representing the North West region at State Championships on multiple occasions.
During year 11 and 12, I filled out and hit the gym, and discovered a speed ability to go along with strong fitness which ultimately led me to success competing at state level in the 400m event, setting a Coonabarabran High School record that still stands today.
With no Little Athletics Club in Coonabarabran at the time, I had no access to coaching to help develop my abilities. After completing High School in 1997 I moved to Armidale to complete my University degree, and during this time stopped training and competing in athletics.
After watching the Sydney Olympics in 2000, the desire to compete was reignited, and I returned to the sport after a three year break, medalling in the long jump at the NSW State Championships in 2003.
By 2004, I was successful in being selected to represent Australia in the 400m and long jump for my first Oceania Championships and I would be lucky enough to travel overseas while competing around the Oceanic region for the next two decades, as I was selected to compete for Australia a further four times (2006, 2008, 2010, 2012), as well as three additional times (2016, 2017, 2019) selected as part of the Regional Australian team.
I was chosen to be the Australian team flag bearer at the Championships opening ceremony in 2008, 2010 and 2012, and was named the team captain in 2010 and 2012.
After 2010, at 30 years of age I moved into Masters Athletics, with great success, winning a total of 18 Australian Masters titles since, while setting NSW records in the 60m, 200m, 400m, long jump, 4x100m and 4x400m, as well as Australian records over 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m (indoor) and 4x400m.
In 2016 I began competing at the World Masters level, and travelled overseas to compete at World Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, where in 2017 I won a total of four World Masters titles in the indoor 200m, indoor 400m, outdoor 4x100m and outdoor 4x400m.
World Masters level silver medals came in the 200m (2017), 400m (2017), indoor 4x200m (2019) and I won bronze medals in the outdoor 400m (2016) and indoor 400m (2019).
In 13 years of Masters competition, I am thus far undefeated against Australians in my age group over 200m and 400m, and I am currently the 2nd oldest Australian to ever break the 50 second barrier over the 400m (41yrs), and the 22 second barrier over the 200m (37 years).
While training during the Armidale winter of 2001, I began helping school age club athletes prepare for their competitions, and later that year formed a 'Viper Squad' of training partners.
After injuring myself while competing during the 2004 Oceania Championships, I studied to get my coaching qualifications and expanded the squad in an official coaching capacity. Since that time I have continually upgraded my coaching qualifications to now be a Level 3 coach in sprints, relays and hurdles, and a level 2 advanced coach in middle distance, long distance and jumps, with over 20 years of experience in all disciplines.
The success of the Armidale club athletes I coached led to me being named Athletics NSW's Club Coach of the year in 2017, and I was selected to coach the Regional Australian team at the Oceania Championships during 2016 (as an athlete/coach), and 2018 (exclusively as a coach).
After 20 years coaching in Armidale, during mid 2021 I made the move down to Tamworth to continue my coaching and athletics journey.
As of the end of the 2021-22 season, I have coached a total of 19 athletes to International level, 54 athletes to National level, and a further 155 athletes to State level.
Helping athletes achieve their full potential, whether in the sport of athletics or otherwise is a passion of mine that continues to motivate me to continue competing in this sport, long after most of my competitors have retired.