Buninyong wheelchair track racer Sam Rizzo is one of 12 young athletes selected to represent Australia at the World Para-Athletics Junior Championships in August.
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He will compete in the 800-metre event under the T54 classification – which covers athletes with muscle weakness and limb deficiency of joint restrictions, but still have arm strength – and is eligible to race in four other events, which are still to be determined.
The 16-year-old learned of his selection via a link shared online and said he had the sensation of tingles as he searched for his name.
“Just to make the team is something that my coach and I have been working towards for a while now so it is a pretty good accomplishment,” Rizzo said.
Rizzo was selected after an impressive 2016/17 athletics season, which included winning the Great Ocean Road marathon wheelchair section, picking up five medals in state competition and setting an Australian record.
Rizzo said he was yet to discuss worlds with his coach, paralympic gold medalist Richard Colman, with the focus firmly set on his planned training schedule and keeping the lead up as normal as possible.
But Rizzo said Colman, who has experience on the world stage, would be useful when it came to advice.
“Just having him there through the preparation, the warm up and the cool down will be really helpful – he will be there knowing what to do when I don’t,” Rizzo said.
The inaugural four-day competition will be held at Sport Arena in Nottwill, Switzerland, which is known for its wheelchair racing and has one of the fastest tracks in the world according to Rizzo.
“I’m excited just to see what times I can get and where I place with all the other juniors, it will definitely be beneficial,” he said.
Rizzo is supported by WestVic Academy of Sport, and is also thankful for sponsor Fila and the Variety Club of Victoria – which is funding a new racing chair – for helping him get to where he is.
While the championship will be his first overseas experience, Rizzo hopes it will be the first of many with his dream to win gold for Australia at a Paralympics.
The world para-athletics junior championships will be held from August 3 to 6.