Dedicating his time to one sport wasn’t enough for Variety Heart Scholarship recipient Oscar, 18, who’s been making a name for himself as a swimmer, footballer & a cricketer.
The last year has been a whirlwind for Oscar.
After meeting selection times at trials in Adelaide Oscar was invited to swim at the Para Pan Pac Swimming Championships in Cairns, the first time he represented Australia for swimming though as he was not internationally classified he was only able to compete in heats. Returning from Cairns it was back on a plane, this time to Malaysia for the Australian Vision Impaired Football team. In October Oscar was invited to an Australian Para Camp by Swimming Australia which would run into Hancock Prospecting Australian Short Course Championships, the only catch is that it would require him to sit two HSC exams at interstate schools.
Onto the cricket pitch where the NSW Blind Cricket Team attended, and won, the National Cricket Inclusion Championships. Topping off a great week of cricket Cricket Australia named the Australian Training Squad, and Oscar’s name was on the roster.
Over the last few months the focus has been the World Series Para Swimming and 2019 National Swimming Championships.
Oscar also took the opportunity this year to become internationally classified, allowing him to compete as a vision impaired swimmer representing his country.
“I love sport. I love the way it makes me feel and the challenges it brings. Looking and feeling fit is extremely important to me and I hope to be involved in sport in some aspect for the rest of my life. I also like the idea that I could maybe help a younger visually impaired athlete realise that if you just persist in chipping away at your goals, then anything is possible.”
In 2018 Oscar received a Variety Heart Scholarship in Sport.
The Scholarship was awarded to cover training, entry/competition, equipment, uniforms, travel, and accommodation all to allow Oscar to focus on his sporting goals.
“My Variety Heart Scholarship has given me the ability to fearlessly commit to my goals.
They have supported so much of my travel and given me the independence to make decisions in regards to my training that I otherwise would not have. The financial commitment of one elite sport can place a huge burden on families, but when you are also working with the additional costs of a disability and two more national level sports, limitations can squash dreams. Thanks to my Variety Heart Scholarship I have been able to commit to swimming at both a national and international level and also be able to map out my pathway towards the 2020 Paralympic trials.”