Westfields Sports High School, Australia's First Sports High School

Westfields Sports
__________________________________________________ First In Australia

Meet Our Coach------------------------------------------Fred O'Connor

High Jump / Long Jump / Triple Jump

During 1997 this amazing man went to South Africa to contest the World Decathlon Championships. He was up against the top 16 veterans in the world. On the second day after 9 events, and a 1 hour wait in the pouring rain marshalling for the final event the 1500m, Fred O'Connor, wet , cold and frustrated, but doggedly determined, showed he is the number 1 alround athlete in the world by bringing home the gold medal, despite the fact that the athlete from Finland was the favourite to win. You may indeed wonder how a gentalman in his seventies can tolerably communicate with the teenages in his squad at Westfields. The answer is simple; they all love him dearly and respect his wealth of experience and knowledge.

Fred has been on board at Westfields for the past five years. Coaching our athletes in long, triple and high jump Fred has produced numerous champions. His successes this season have included numerous state medalists; Joven Clarke, Ahmed Abou-Mahmoud, Taegan Coddington, Amanda Hewe, Scott Diver, Fabrice Lapierre, but his greatest success ever at Westfields came in 1998 with a newcommer to Westfields; Kristen Trusscot. Kristen became the first ever Westfields female jumper to medal in a major competition in an open championships. At the NSW open titles, Kristen almost knocked off Atlanta Champion Jane Jamieson in the high jump with an amazing performance of 1.75m, and all time open club record and centimetres short of a World Junior qualifying mark..... a clear tribute to Freds' ability to bring the best out in his charges.

Fred once brought his World Championship gold medals to training to inspire our young athletes. Their eyes aglaze with envy at the beauty and the weight of the medals, they were told; "just imagine..... in sixty years time, you to could win one of these!"

Back To