As a high level athlete through high school, in the late 1990s I moved to Armidale to complete my University degree, and during this time stopped training and competing in athletics. After watching the Sydney Olympics, the desire to compete was reignited, and I returned to track and field. Within three years, I was successful in being selected to represent Australia in my first Oceania Championships and I would go on to be selected a further four times, as well as three additional times being selected as part of the Regional Australian team. After 2010, at 30 years of age I moved into Masters Athletics, with great success, winning multiple Australian Masters titles and setting various NSW and Australian Masters records in sprints. Still actively competing, in early 2017 I won the World Masters Indoor Championships over 200m and 400m in Daegu, and followed that up with two more medals at the 2019 Championships in Torun. A big part of my on track success has been the squad of athletes I have built around me in Armidale over the past 18 years. 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 during the 2004 Oceania Championships, I studied to get my coaching qualifications and expanded the squad in an official coaching capacity. Since then I have continued to upgrade my qualifications to now be a Level 2 coach in all athletic disciplines, and an Advanced level 2 coach in sprints, middle distance, long distance, jumps, relays and hurdles. I currently coach around 45 full time Armidale track and field athletes as well as many more part time. The squad comprises a very dedicated group containing many state champions and national medallists. In recent years I have branched out to work in many schools in the New England Region, conducting coaching clinics, skills days, as well as regular training in high schools, while at primary schools teaching the fundamental movement skills used in track and field which can then be applied to this sport as well as others. The success of the Armidale club athletes I coach led to me being named Athletics NSW’s Club Coach of the year in 2017. 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 many of my competitors have retired. Squad track sessions are held at Harris Park and are currently at the following times: Mondays 3:45pm (All athletes welcome) Tuedays 3:45pm (Distance only, please message before any new athlete attends) Wednesdays 3:45pm (Sprinters only, please message before any new athlete attends) Thursdays 3:45pm (Combined session, please message before any new athlete attends) Fridays 3:45pm (Distance only, please message before any new athlete attends) Saturdays 3pm (Sprinters only, please message before any new athlete attends) Sundays 1pm (Distance only, please message before any new athlete attends) Sundays 3pm (Sprinters only, please message before any new athlete attends) New athletes are welcome to come along on Mondays and try Viper Squad training and see if it is for them. The first five sessions for any new athlete are free while they trial the training and determine if they think it will be beneficial for them to continue. For rates, questions or additional information, please call 0402 498 059 or email info@carvedfromstone.net Member Login