Paddock to the Field: When life on the land and sport collide

The Riverina is home to some of the finest agricultural producers in Australia. It is also a region renowned for sporting success stories.

It is not unusual for an individual to juggle the commitments of working in a family farming business or the rural sector and then backing it up with several sessions of strenuous training a week to meet their sporting goals. 

Tim Corcoran, rural property manager, rugby union

Mateship, camaraderie and premierships all combine with equal importance for Waratahs leader Tim Corcoran. Corcoran has held the reins at the club as captain for two years and he combines training and games with a career in rural property management. His role at Delta Livestock and Property in Wagga provides insights into the agricultural sector and also allows him to draw on his country upbringing at a Boorowa property in the South West Slopes. Corcoran talks about the importance of a united front, sportsmanship and team work. He said this was part of the philosophy that helped him to perform in sport and also in his career. Continue reading

Anthony Metcalfe, cropping farmer, endurance athlete

The saying ‘a journey of one thousand miles begins with a single step’ is literal when describing the lifestyle of Anthony Metcalfe of “Madeira,” at French Park in southern NSW. Metcalfe is a generational farmer in the Lockhart Shire and runs a cropping operation growing wheat, barley and lentils. However, when he is not sowing or harvesting he can be found hitting the hills of Pomingalarna on the outskirts of Wagga or competing at an ultra event in Motatapu in New Zealand. From his first 100 mile race, the You Yangs Hard Core 100, Metcalfe hasn’t looked back. And if it means taking breaks from training and racing to get the crops sown or to complete harvest he simply takes advantage of the “work-imposed” rest. Continue reading

Krystle Yin, veterinary student, moguls snow skiier

Krystle Yin balances her time between studying at Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Wagga and training at an elite level as part of the Moguls Snow Skiing team. Her aim is to become a veterinary surgeon after completing her studies in Wagga. While her career ambitions fit firmly into the rural and regional sector her sporting success has provided an opportunity to travel the world. Continue reading

Stuart Lymbery, Wagga LMC operations manager, endurance rider

 Stuart Lymbery loves nothing more than a big challenge. For him that might mean completing the toughest endurance ride known as the Shahzada in St Albans. The Shahzada stretches some 400 kilometres and is considered one of the most gruelling and challenging events in the sport. It is an opportunity for horse and rider to be matched against tough terrain big distances and it is the ultimate test of fitness and soundness – and he has successfully completed this event 11 times. Continue reading

Tom Yates, fourth generation farmer, Australia rules footballer

Tom Yates of Yerong Creek is a fourth generation farmer. He helps to run the “Barwon” property in southern NSW. The family grows 1230-hectares of winter crop and runs 1000 cross bred ewes as well as an accompanying prime lamb enterprise. The Yates name is attached to the successful ram-breeding business which produces top genetics for Poll Dorset and White Suffolk producers under the prefix of Barwon. Yates is also the captain coach of The Rock-Yerong Creek. This means he has to be at the top of his game both in the paddock, and on the field. Continue reading

James Luff, grazier, rugby league

James Luff has the perfect training ground. The characteristic Adjungbilly hills are what he calls home and it is also the location where his family farm “Cotway”, a grazing property which runs Bond sheep and Angus cattle. Adjungbilly is also in the drawing area for the popular Group Nine club Gundagai Tigers. It is this club that allowed Luff to start his career in playing rugby league as a junior. Playing for Wests Tigers as an 18-year-old was certainly a highlight and one to be proud of. But that said, getting a win for Gundagai in 2015 after the club experienced a 40-year-long drought is what he identifies as the pinnacle. Continue reading

Iain Hume, research hydrologist, cyclist

Sharing life skills as a sporting coach is something that is invaluable to Iain Hume and the young athletes he works with. Hume is a cyclist a coach and also works as a research hydrologist with the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) in Wagga. Cycling tours and an interest to see the world initially triggered his enthusiasm for the sport but his fondness for bikes dates back to childhood. To wind back the story back chronologically, he purchased his first bike as a 13-year-old after earning money from completing a paper round. This independence was something that he remembers vividly. Continue reading

The paddock to the field first appeared in The Rural