Aspiring Decathlete Turns to YouTube: Little A’s Spotlight
During the lead up to the State Combined Events Championship (previously known as the State Multi-Event) in Dubbo, LANSW has decided to spotlight one of the returning athletes who’ll be competing this weekend – 16-year-old Jackson Willis from Orange.
An aspiring decathlete, Willis has worked tirelessly at refining his skills within the throwing and jumping events, assisting his development as a proficient athlete on both track and field.
His hard work has undeniably paid off – Willis placed 2nd in the U15 Boys category at Wagga Wagga last year, earning him a place in the LANSW State Team at the Australian Little Athletics Championship (ALAC).
Two years earlier, he had also represented NSW at the ALAC in Western Australia, an opportunity he described as unforgettable.
“ALAC is one of the most memorable experiences I have had in my life,” said Willis.
“ALAC taught me a lot about myself and took me out of my comfort zone.”
Last year, Willis placed 4th at the ALAC U15 Boys competition, guiding NSW to 2nd place, falling just short of claiming the Life Members Trophy.
“ALAC is very team based which is completely different to the individual nature of athletics – because of ALAC, I have made lots of lifelong friends,” said Willis.
“Wearing the NSW blue was an unforgettable experience.”
Willis was one of the six fortunate athletes selected for ALAC after their strong performances at last year’s State Multi-Event – eight more competitors will get that same opportunity this year.
At the Wagga Wagga Championship last year, Willis finished 1st in the high jump, 1st in the 800m run and 2nd in the long jump – despite these excellent results, the humble decathlete admits luck played a significant part in his success.
“During last season, my high jump was fairly inconsistent – I was lucky,” said Willis.
“I had some good distance runners with me in the [800m] event last year, with the likes of Cameron Gill – this gave me a good start pace.
“I will be hoping to go faster than last year and post a good time closer to my PB.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/Btar6tkgCd1/
The 16-year-old ventures to Dubbo this weekend for the 2019 competition, now titled the State Combined Events, aiming to improve his stellar record.
“I have been working on consistency this season and I feel like I am starting to make some progress,” said Willis.
“Hopefully I can put it all together on the day.”
Willis has encountered some challenging barriers living in rural Australia but found help from a bizarre, but not uncommon source.
“I tend to watch a lot of Youtube clips and gain as much information and tips as I can – I try and replicate the top international athletes by breaking down their movements in slow motion,” said Willis.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDJ2JzbxXRO/
Despite the difficulties associated with rural life in Orange, the 16-year-old continues to advance his athletics career by focusing on events he is less confident in, such as pole vault, shot put and hurdles.
“It’s hard to improve my shot put without a throwing coach, but I’m learning a lot through trial and error,” said Willis.
“I completed my first Decathlon this year – I don’t think the learning and refinement never ends as there is always something else to work on.
“My ultimate goal would be to represent Australia at the Olympics – wearing the green and gold uniform would have to be the ultimate honour and privilege.”
Willis also hopes to give back to the Little Athletics community by coaching other hopeful athletes, providing advice and encouragement as so many did for him.
“I like training and coaching younger athletes and sharing some of what I have learnt – during my time in Little Athletics, lots of coaches and senior athletes have offered me tips, suggestions and ideas,” said Willis.
“I would like to be able to pass some of this on to up and coming athletes and to hopefully inspire some of them to reach their goals in athletics.”
CLICK HERE for more information on the State Combined Events Championships.
