DEVELOPING a love of horse riding on a property outside of Wagga has been the inspiration for Edward Fernon to make the Australian team for the Olympic Games this year.
Fernon, who will be in Wagga on Monday to celebrate his 24th birthday, is Australia’s only male representative in the modern pentathlon at the Games in London in July.
Modern Pentathlon involves five disciplines – fencing, swimming, showjumping, cross-country running and pistol shooting – on the one day of competition and is regarded as one of the most gruelling events on the Olympic Games schedule.
Retaining strong ties to Wagga through uncles Vince and Paul and their families, Fernon yesterday told of his “nothing to lose” philosophy ahead of his Olympic Games fairytale.
“I guess I have a different mentality to all the other athletes who are all professional or semi-professional and are on good wages or are in the army,” Fernon said.
“I compete without any government funding and I suppose there are no great expectations.
“I can go (to London) with nothing to lose. I gain a lot of confidence from it.”
Speaking from Melbourne, where he was participating in a national fencing camp, Fernon revealed a childhood spent riding on a farm at Yerong Creek has launched his Olympic dream.
“I grew up in Sydney but was always down (in Wagga) every school holidays,” he recalled yesterday.
“I love it in that area – I have good friends there.
“Every holiday since I was three years old all the way through to past high school I was down there riding.
“When I was at primary school mum and dad drove us down, but I would catch the Countrylink train down when I was in high school.
“Later I drove myself down.”
Fernon said horse riding at the family’s former Yerong Creek property ultimately inspired him to chase a spot in the Olympic Games team.
“I learnt to ride down there,” he said.
“I did a lot of riding ... that’s why it’s my best event in the pentathlon.”
With a training regime involving three or four sessions and six hours daily, Fernon said
“mental concentration” is as critical in his sport as “physical pressure”.
He is adamant the desire to be in peak fitness played a part in his decision to take up modern pentathlon.
“When I started at university I wanted a personal challenge,” he said.
“I wanted to stay fit and to keep riding in Sydney.
“I thought a pentathlon was the path as I could already do all the sports.
“From the time I started, my objective was to qualify for the Olympics.”
Six months out from the London Games, Fernon faces a globe-trotting odyssey to further hone his skills for the Olympics.
“I’m off to the USA on February 19 and then to Brazil for the first World Cup events on the circuit,” he said.
“I’ll be in Europe in May for the World Championships and I’ll stay on for the Hungarian Championships.
“After that I’ll come home for six weeks for the final build-up (to the Games).”
Wagga doctor Vince Fernon yesterday described his nephew’s achievement as “fantastic”.
“It’s great what he’s done,” Dr Fernon said.
“It’s fantastic ... absolutely fabulous.”
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