My name is Tirawa Storm Gristwood and I am 19 years old.
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When I first moved to Moss Vale I was almost 13 years old. Between the ages of 13 to 16 I competed in freestyle scooter events at skate parks across the country.
Within two years of competition I lifted my skill level to be good enough to gain various sponsors from Australia, the USA and UK and I was now competing in the professional division.
I was just 15 when I won entry in to the ISA World Scooter Championships in the professional division in England.
I then travelled to the UK with a person I had looked up to on the scooter scene and also travelled to Wales with him. My preparation for the competition was cut short and I was unable to train in the lead up month to my full potential due to ongoing heel problems.
I did manage to finish 40th out of the top 50 riders from around the world.
I injured my ankle at the world competition and it forced me to have another month off riding.
I didn’t really have a passion for the sport anymore and lost the will to progress and compete.
When I quit riding I was ranked second in the state.
It was then that I decided to come back to playing rugby league and started training myself in the local gym, parks and footy ovals.
I wanted to get the best out of myself and have a serious go at playing rugby league.
In 2016 Moss Vale forfeited the season so I had minimal rugby league game. I decided to play gridiron at the end of that season in the Colt Division for the West Sydney Pirates, as a running back and wide receiver.
I also played rugby league with five family members, including my dad at the Koori Knockout in the men's division for the Gundungurra Goannas.
I started off 2017 playing rugby league against NSW Samoa and the Ozzy Cook Islanders at the Cabramatta International Nines competition for Maltese Heritage Nines Team, thanks to my mother’s heritage.
I continued the rest of the season with the Oakdale Workers Club in Group 6 playing wing and hooker in the reserve competition.
I represented the Dunghutti Broncos at the Koori Knockout 2017, and have been selected to join the Indigenous Australian Invitational Rugby Union tour of the USA and Canada.
I will play six games over a two week period and visit places like Niagara Falls, the Twin Towers Memorial and Compton High School.
I will also volunteer in food pantries in Canada as part of the tour’s mentoring and leadership program.
I currently have an ongoing knee problem which has left me unable to run or train since November last year.
The main focus I have for this season is to fix the problem and play some rugby league with Moss Vale under coach Steve Folkes.
I will also be playing rugby union with the Bowral Blacks Union Team.
I highly recommend to everyone to believe in yourself and give full commitment to your dreams – anything is possible.