When you live in the country you often have to make the best of what you've got.
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In Blaine Cooney's case that has meant fashioning objects around home into a practice circle.
Initially it was the cement top of the septic tank.
After showing an interest in getting into discus and shot put following his Walcha Central school carnival in 2022, his dad Chris used it to help him learn how to spin.
"Because it was a circle I said that will do; just have a go at that, because I didn't know how serious he was," he said.
He has since graduated to the pavers on the back verandah.
"We sort of have it marked out so he knows his distances and that, how big the circle has got to be," Chris said.
There have been the odd miss-hap.
Blaine recalled one time when he "nearly went head first into the barbecue".
"I came out too fast and just went forward," he said.
He does get the occasional practice in a proper ring, coming down to Tamworth for the Little Athletics club nights and then maybe once every two or three weeks to have a throw.
His novel practice facilities don't seem to have hampered him, with Blaine currently in Tasmania preparing to represent NSW at the School Sport Australia Track and Field Championships.
He headed down on Wednesday ahead of the opening ceremony on Thursday night and his 11 years discus event on Saturday night.
It will be his second time competing at the nationals after qualifying for the 2022 championships in Brisbane by finishing second at the state PSSA carnival.
This time he goes in as the NSW no.1 after winning gold at the state championships in October.
Chris coaches him and was himself a thrower of note back in his younger days, finishing on the podium at the nationals "a few times" and even breaking a couple of state records.
He marvelled at how far Blaine has come in the last year-and-half.
From only being able to do a standing throw when he started, he is up there as one of the best in the country for his age.
"You can't mistake it, he's done unbelievable," he said.
Having experienced what the nationals is all about last year, speaking before he headed off, Blaine said, he wasn't really feeling that nervous, and was "pretty confident".
Asked about his goals down there, he said he'd like to improve on his eighth place last year and throw 38 metres. It would be another 2m on what he threw to win gold at state, but certainly not unattainable given the improvement he has already shown.
Between just the North West and state carnival he improved over 7m.
Scheduled to start throwing at 7.15pm, he has been acclimatising by practising at home after dinner.
One of a number of athletes from the region competing in Tasmania, Cooney is also a bit of a gun swimmer.
In 2020, in the space of a week be broke three long-standing freestyle records, and in 2021 he reached the final of the 9yrs boys 50m freestyle at the State PSSA Swimming Championships.
With his nationals preparations occupying a lot of his time recently, he hasn't jumped in the pool yet but will get into the swimming season after Tasmania.
He is also a pretty handy footballer, representing North West in both rugby league and union.
