Often it is just too hard for the Berrima District Sports Awards committee to split two incredible athletes and that was the case in May.
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One of the junior co-recipients, Jack Bowie, is a very active teenage. Hockey, Brazilian ju jitsu, kick boxing and boxing feature heavily on his weekly timetable in participant, umpiring and coaching roles.
At the end of May, Jack competed in the Australian Federation Brazilian Jiu Jitsu NSW Autumn Cup held at Sydney University. He made the final against a tough competitor from Melbourne, who is currently the Australian champion for their age and weight division.
It was a tough and entertaining fight with neither of them being able to score a point against each other. Jack defended well giving away only one advantage with the final score being nil-all. Losing by just one advantage, he took home the silver medal.
Jack is now training for the ACT state titles and hopes to compete at the Junior World Championships in Abu Dhabi mid-November. While not training with Pure Brazilian Ju Jitsu in Bowral, he is coaching and proving to be a wonderful mentor to the younger participants.
Jack also plays hockey for Mittagong in both the Southern Highland Hockey Association's (SHHA) U13 and U15 competitions and captains the U13 team. He is currently training with the U13 SHHA representative team preparing for NSW State Championships.
Jack has also taken on umpiring and currently officiates U7, U9 and U11 matches. His very supportive parents, who probably need a fuel sponsorship, also facilitate his new love of boxing and kick boxing. Jack is in Year 7 at Moss Vale High School.
Co-junior recipient Ollie Linde is excelling in the swimming pool. Incredibly, he only began participating in competitive swimming in December 2021.
His coach Cameron Reynolds encouraged him to throw his hat in the ring and he was a natural.
In May, at the NSWCIS (Combined Independent Schools) Swimming Championships, Ollie placed first in the 15 years 50-metre freestyle, second in the 15 years 50-metre backstroke, third in the 15 years 100-metre freestyle and 12th in the 15/16 years 200-metre freestyle.
All athletes competing at this level are dedicated but, when you consider that Ollie trains four mornings and an afternoon in an outdoor pool in the Southern Highlands in winter, dedication takes on additional meaning.
The Oxley College Year 9 student now turns his attention to training for the Country Short Course Championships later in June and the Australia School Sport National Championships in August.
Alister Hill's desire to defeat the Year 12 fencers as a Year 7 student at Oxley College six years ago gives some sense of the drive that has led to him rising through the ranks of Australian Fencing.
He is the Berrima District Sports Awards senior recipient for May. Alister competed at the National Junior Men's Epee Championships in late May and placed 13th in the individual event and fifth in teams.
He also competed in the NSW Schools Fencing League Under 19 Individual Epee Premiership and placed second which boosted his Australian Junior (U23) Men's ranking to 11th.
Alister trains five times a week at the NSW Fencing Centre with the state squad, at the University of Technology Sydney, Sydney University for speed and agility and with the school team at Oxley College.
He and coach Jeff Gray are now preparing the college team for the next round of the NSW Schools' Fencing League.
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