Singleton athlete Ethan Williams has been selected to compete at the Oceanic Athletics Championships in Suva, Fiji in June but he needs some financial support to make the trip.
A Go Fund Me page has been set up for Ethan to attend and any support would be much appreciated.
The link is https://gofund.me/0921d701
It has always been Ethan Williams’ dream to represent his country in athletics and at 17 years of age, he is about to fulfil his wish.
After a stunning performance at the National Junior Athletics Championships in Adelaide last month, Ethan received an invitation to compete at the Oceanic Athletics Championships in Suva, Fiji, from June 4 to 8.
Competing in the 400m hurdle event, Ethan will take on the best athletes from the Oceanic region and is looking forward to stepping out on his first international track.
“I am excited to represent Australia for the first time and am working hard to perform at my best,” Ethan said.
That involves training six days a week, rotating gym workouts with track training between Glendale, Wallsend and Maitland.
Ethan admits his recent performance at Nationals wasn’t his best but given he was recovering from an illness, his 6th place finish in a time of 55.25 seconds in the 400m event is still impressive.
He hopes to crack the 54 second mark at the Oceanic Games.
At six foot four inches, the Singleton High School Year 12 student has always loved the hurdles event and says his height certainly helps.
Combining Year 12 and his commitment to athletics is a balancing act for Ethan.
“I just have to be efficient with how I use my time,” he said.
He has his sights set on becoming a world record holder and now he is about to represent Australia, Ethan is certainly on the right track.
The Oceanic Athletics Championships will be conducted in the Senior and Under 18 age categories. The Senior Championships will form a critical part of the qualification towards the Paris Olympic games while the Under 18 Championships will be the highest level of competition for Under 18 athletes to compete in.
Any donation, large or small, will be very much appreciated.
-DI SNEDDON
