Andreas Heger recently completed his Bachelor of Civil Laws at St John’s College and is hoping to compete for Australia in rowing (Leg Trunk Arms classification) at the London 2012 Paralympics, before returning to Oxford to continue his postgraduate studies. Andreas is legally blind.
I began rowing in 2007 after switching from athletics.
To be selected for the Paralympics I have to meet the national selection requirements. This usually involves time trials, indoor rowing machine and strength testing each month, and competing in various state and national championships and, if invited, a selection regatta.
I do around three hours of training per day. This usually includes a mixture of on-water training, off-water cardio training and weight training. Including travel time it’s a four to five hour a day commitment. In addition I need to undertake proper recovery to ensure good injury management.
Combining sport and study is difficult but rewarding. Training gives you a great energy boost and reduces stress, which helps studying I think. On the other hand it takes a lot out of you, and by the end of the day I’m usually pretty tired. This can make focusing the mind on intellectual matters a bit difficult. Thus, you need to be efficient with your time.
The Paralympics is a great event which provides an amazing opportunity for people with disabilities to train and compete for their country on the international stage.
You have to respect anyone who has represented Australia – but Cathy Freeman tops my list of Olympic heroes. Her 400m gold at the Sydney Olympics was an event of great national significance.
