Elite ACPE Student Athlete Joshua Azzopardi is in his first year studying a Diploma in Applied Fitness.
He is fresh to open competition in Athletics, but that did not stop him from pulling out 3rd in the 100 meters and 2nd in the 200 meters.
“On both of the days I was really relaxed and chilled,” Joshua said.
“I knew the training that I had done was going to pay off and I was confident that I could run well and place in the medals.”
He had a lot to say about his coach who helps with everything from his strength training to diet.
“My coach was also part of the reason I selected ACPE as he explained how good of a uni it is and how it would suit me.”
His coach, Rob Marks, is, in fact, ACPE Alumni who suffered an unfortunate Achilles injury that ended his athletic career.
Joshua had also made the NSW open relay team who won at the National Championship.
He is not ashamed to say that he is not immune to nerves at the start of any race, “At the start line waiting for ‘on your marks’ is when I’m most nervous. I try not to show it but I look down the track and take a couple deep breathes and just believe in myself and that my training has paid off and hopefully I can run my best.”
He is now competing against elite competition citing their PBs of 10.1 and 10.2 seconds in the 100 meters, having said that his PB of 10.4 seconds would place him in the semifinals at the most recent Commonwealth Games.
As with many young elite track athletes, he does aspire to make it to the Olympics some, but for now, he wants to build on what he has done so far, continue to place, run faster times and smash his PBs.
Off the track, Joshua would love to stick with physical activity, so sports science personal training would be amazing. He would love the opportunity to “teach the younger athletes coming through to run fast and do what they love.
And ACPE is the right place to be to take on all of his goals.
