The Schoolboy who achieved a dream
I want to talk about Zane, one of our junior athletes, he began training at 360 in 2019 at the age of 15 with the hopes and dream of making it into College football in the USA. What set this kid apart was that he got permission from his parents to work at Coles supermarket stocking shelves so that he could afford to pay his own way at my gym knowing this would help his journey to get there. What blew me away was that after school he would catch a bus and walk to the gym which at the time in our old facility was about a 1km walk, all the other kids his age were getting ubered around by their parents.
What 15 year old kid does this? To me it's called drive!
When Zane first came to 360 his movement patterns were quite poor. He squatted a partial 50kg, benched a very rocky 35kg and moved like you would expect any kid. So starting out on a foundations program we instilled some new habits that allowed him to move more efficiently.
His newfounded technique created an opportunity for Zane to build his strength, power and skill upon and improve his chances at achieving his dream of making college football.
Then covid hit and the gym was shut for 3 months as a result of lockdown, Zane however found a way to keep going. He bought equipment, set up a little gym at home, trained and when the gym finally reopened he returned looking buff AF! The determination of this kid is unspoken!
During a football game in November of 2020 bad news hit, Zane ruptured his ACL and strained his MCL. Booked in for surgery in Feb of 2021 with 6 months of recovery ahead it never stopped him. He continued to train his upper body whilst on crutches and when the physio gave him the go ahead, he added rehab to training.
11 months later and 18kg heavier from when he began, Zane now squats 125kg, benches 85kg and holds the gym record for the vertical jump at 77cm (30”) and broad jump at 273cm (8’95”). So you have an understanding on how incredible this is, an elite athlete would achieve a score of at least 70cm (28in) in the vertical and 250cm (8’2.5”) in the broad. He can execute his landing and jumping mechanics well and can change direction efficiently which has all made him an improved athlete on the field.
As a strength and conditioning coach of 12 years I am proud to say that Zane, now 18yrs can move better than most elite players you see in state and national level athletes. His determination landed him a spot in college football at Central Methodist University, Missouri playing for the Eagles.
Zane you are an inspiration to the youth athletes chasing a dream and turning into a reality.
The 360 community are rooting for you. Good luck!
