A LOCAL student is on the fast track to success after recently making the cut for a national sports team.
Nick Newton, a Year 10 student at Good Shepherd Lutheran College and GS Aquatics Swim Club member has been selected to compete in the Under 15 Australian Water Polo team as goal keeper for the European Tour in July.
A huge achievement for anyone, Nick’s accomplishment is particularly significant because he had only started playing water polo in the past 18 months.
During that time he has represented his school in competitions and then joined the Sunshine Coast Water Polo Team which lead to a spot on the Queensland team.
Earlier this year Nick attended trials in Brisbane and was invited to attend a five-day camp at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in Canberra to try out for the Australian team.
“The camp was attended by players from all around the country,” said Nick.
“Being selected as one of the two team goalkeepers to go to Hungary and Serbia was a great honour.
“I am really grateful for this amazing opportunity to play water polo for Australia.
“After training for a week at the AIS in Canberra, I expect the training will be very intense while we are in Hungary; I’m looking forward to the challenge and learning a lot more from other international teams,” said Nick.
Ambitious to pursue his water polo dreams, Nick would like to make the Australian team again next year with the hope of competing at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo but, in the meantime, he is keen to see the sport grow.
“I would like to encourage kids to take up water polo and support the growth of the sport on the Sunshine Coast.
“Mrs Oakley has been fantastic in encouraging kids to participate in sports like water polo and I am very grateful for her support.”
“I would also like to thank my water polo coach Uros Kralj (Sunshine Coast), my swim coaches Brian Stehr and Peter Diamond, for all the hard work they have invested in me, as well as Chris Kelly from Mass Nutrition Noosa,” Nick said.
