ATHLETIC champion Ashley Moloney has waited for years to represent Australia overseas, and in 2018 his dream will come true.
Aged just 17, Moloney achieved the world under 20 qualifying standard for decathlon last week at the NSW State Combined Event championship after winning the event.
This means Moloney will make his first competitive overseas trip to Finland next year to represent Australia in the World Junior Championship.
The prospect of competing in Finland fills Moloney with excitement, and puts him one step closer to his ultimate goal to qualify for the 2022 Olympics in Tokyo.
“When Mum put me in little athletics my dream was to represent Australia but I didn’t know how I would get there,” he said.
“I’m really excited, I have been waiting for this for years and have been training for that long as well.”
Moloney’s training involves a lot more than just a five hour stint a week and includes after school training, regular gym routines, physiotherapy, massages, a raft of educational programs and solid coaching.
He said the Jimboomba Athletics club offered everything he needed to succeed.
“They set up a base and somewhere I could go to do little athletics when I was younger. Mum put me in when I was young and motivated me to do it,” he said.
“Jimboomba is a really stable good club.”
Looking ahead, Moloney knows that his best athletic days are ahead of him and hopes to continue to improve to put himself in the best possible position in the future.
“I’m still getting better and I still strive to be better,” he said.
“Since there are 10 events (in the decathlon) there is always something you can improve on.”
With the Finnish trip expected to set the Moloney family back $4000, potential sponsors are encouraged to get in touch with Ali Moloney on 0403 870 080 to help support Ashley’s athletic career.