Both his parents have launched into sand pits at Olympic Games and Canberra's Alex Lorraway hopes before long he'll be following in their footsteps...
Both his parents have launched into sand pits at Olympic Games and Canberra's Alex Lorraway hopes before long he'll be following in their footsteps.
The son of former Australian Olympic triple jump and long jumpers Ken and Robyn Lorraway was yesterday announced by the ACT Olympic Council as an ambassador for the upcoming International Olympic Committee Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum in Austria.
The 16-year-old was Canberra's sole representative chosen among eight Australians to attend the event, which will involve students from around the world discussing issues affecting world sport.
The St Francis Xavier College Year 11 student hoped the forum wouldn't be his only Olympic experience. He is already committed to emulating his parents Ken, a triple jumper at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, and Robyn, a long jumper at the Los Angeles games in 1984. ''At the moment I just want to compete and do as well as I can, but definitely going to the Olympics is the major goal I have,'' Alex said.
''I think it's a pretty selfish decision because you have to say, 'this is what I want to do' and you have to go out and do it. You can't worry too much about other people, being in an individual sport. ''But that's what I want to do, it's the road I want to travel down.
Mum and Dad have warned me about some of the problems you can come across like injuries, but I'm fully prepared for that.'' Alex is coached by his dad and has already enjoyed success at national under-age championships. He said the coach-athlete relationship was difficult when it was between family members, but said overall the experience had been positive.
''At first it was trying because I used to argue with him about everything,'' Alex said. ''I used to find it hard to differentiate between him being my dad telling me off or my coach trying to help me. Now I realise it's him telling me as a coach and not as dad.'
Presenting Paul with an award to mark his achievement was Dr Paul Narracott, the only Australian to compete at both a winter and summer Olympics.
The son of former Australian Olympic triple jump and long jumpers Ken and Robyn Lorraway was yesterday announced by the ACT Olympic Council as an ambassador for the upcoming International Olympic Committee Pierre de Coubertin Youth Forum in Austria.
The 16-year-old was Canberra's sole representative chosen among eight Australians to attend the event, which will involve students from around the world discussing issues affecting world sport.
The St Francis Xavier College Year 11 student hoped the forum wouldn't be his only Olympic experience. He is already committed to emulating his parents Ken, a triple jumper at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics, and Robyn, a long jumper at the Los Angeles games in 1984. ''At the moment I just want to compete and do as well as I can, but definitely going to the Olympics is the major goal I have,'' Alex said.
''I think it's a pretty selfish decision because you have to say, 'this is what I want to do' and you have to go out and do it. You can't worry too much about other people, being in an individual sport. ''But that's what I want to do, it's the road I want to travel down.
Mum and Dad have warned me about some of the problems you can come across like injuries, but I'm fully prepared for that.'' Alex is coached by his dad and has already enjoyed success at national under-age championships. He said the coach-athlete relationship was difficult when it was between family members, but said overall the experience had been positive.
''At first it was trying because I used to argue with him about everything,'' Alex said. ''I used to find it hard to differentiate between him being my dad telling me off or my coach trying to help me. Now I realise it's him telling me as a coach and not as dad.'
Presenting Paul with an award to mark his achievement was Dr Paul Narracott, the only Australian to compete at both a winter and summer Olympics.
