Ballarat wheelchair track racer Sam Rizzo has warmed up for a tilt at national titles by attending his second Australian Institute of Sport training camp for the year.
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Rizzo spent four days working with the AIS under-16 para development squad in preparation for the Australian All-Schools Athletics Championships in Canberra.
The emerging athlete will contest the 100m, 200m, 800m T54 class events at the championships, which begin on Friday.
Rizzo from Damascus College and member of the FedUni WestVic Academy of Sport is hoping to finish his year on a high.
He has had a busy year in wheelchair racing, including a second in the 100m at the Melbourne IAAF World Challenge.
He also performed strongly in the Victorian all-schools championships to qualify for this week’s nationals.
WestVic Academy of Sport executive officer Rob Ward said the AIS camp had provided Rizzo with a variety of development programs featuring on-track coaching sessions under the guidance of AIS coaches and his personal coach, three-time paralympian Richard Colman.
He said there had also been biomechanical analysis, nutrition and sport psychology consultation, physical screening and injury prevention planning, and recovery techniques such as ice baths and massage.
Ward said it had great for Rizzo to receive an invitation to a second training camp for the year.
Rizzo will be joined by the likes of fellow Ballarat athletes Alanna Peart, Katherine Dowie and Sam Williams at the all-schools championships.
Dowie (Ballarat Clarendon College) is tackling two events – the girls’ under-18 2000m steeplechase and 3000m.
Peart (Ballarat High School) will contest the girls’ under-14 3000m walk and Sam Williams (St Patrick’s College) the boys’ under-18 1500m.
BALLARAT Regional Athletic Centre enjoyed success at state relay championships.
FIRST: women’s 40+ 4x1500m (Angela Williams, Rachel Gibney, Alison Fidler, Michelle Hawkes)
SECOND: women’s open distance medley section 1 (Grace O'Dwyer, Holly Dobbyn, Tara Domaschenz, Courtney Scott), women’s open 4x800m (Katherine Dowie, Amy Canavan, Kellie McLeod, Courtney Scott)
THIRD: men’s 40-plus 4x100m (Stephen McCulloch, Scott Shillito, Daniel Martin, Peter O'Dwyer), men’s under-18 distance medley section 2 (Mason Keast, Hayden Thompson, Rodney Davis, Sam Williams)
