Jack Ho aims to bring glory to Curtin at Australian University Games

Miri – 28 July, 2009 – Jack Ho, a student of Curtin University of Technology, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak), is all geared up for the upcoming 2009 Australian University Games in the Gold Coast.

He aims to bring glory not only to the university, but also to Sarawak and Malaysia, being the sole participant from Curtin Sarawak at the Games from 27 September to 2 October. Jack will be a member of Curtin University’s cycling team at the Games, being an accomplished cyclist and one of Malaysia’s top triathletes.

He is confident he will put on a strong showing as he has been on a winning streak of late. In his most recent international event, the inaugural Xterra Malaysia Kuantan Off-Road Triathlon 2009 on 6 June 2009, he placed second in the 20 – 24 years male category. His success in the event secured him a spot in the 2009 Xterra World Championship, which will be held in Maui, Hawaii, in October.

He was also top-placed in a string of local and regional events prior to that, such as the Port Dickson International Triathlon, OSIM Singapore International Triathlon ITU Asian Championship, Xterra Japan Traithlon and Dextro Energy Triathlon ITU WC Series.

In addition, he has been maintaining a rigorous daily training regimen and will spend a month in intensive training with his teammates in Perth prior to the Games.

Indeed, Jack has his work cut out for him in the coming months. Immediately after the Australian University Games, he will participate in the Dextro Energy ITU Triathlon World Championship, also in the Gold Coast, before heading to Hawaii.

However, being a true athlete, he revels in challenges. He says it takes a lot of passion, perseverance and belief in oneself to get through the challenging times, but nothing is impossible once you set your mind on it.

And Jack is not exactly a greenhorn when it comes to sports. He developed a strong interest at a very young age, has been competing in sporting events since the age of 15, and professionally in the triathlon since 2006.

At 24, he thinks the time is ripe to compete at the highest levels such as international triathlons, world championships and perhaps even the Olympics. “I am fulfilling my dream of being a world-class triathlete. For me, it’s not a hobby, it’s a career,” says Jack proudly.

According to Curtin Sarawak’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Dr. John Evans, the university is most honoured that Jack has been selected for the Curtin team. “It means a lot to us for Jack to be selected for the team. I’m sure he will do us proud at the Games. We also hope his achievements will be an inspiration to other Curtin Sarawak students to excel both in sports and academically,” says Dr. Evans.

He added that being a relatively new university of just ten years, Curtin Sarawak has yet to fully develop its sports talent, but with its inclusion in Australia’s Elite Athlete Friendly University Program (EAFU) as part of Curtin University, it is only a matter of time before it has a thriving sports fraternity on its campus here in Miri.

The annual Australian University Games features teams from a large number of Australian universitiesand tertiary institutions. Since its inception in 1993, it has grown to be Australia’s largest multi-sport event and the flagship event on the university sporting calendar, attracting over 6,000 competitors each year.

The EAFU, meanwhile, is an initiative of the Australian Sports Commission. Curtin University became part of the EAFU in 2004, and through its Elite Athlete Programme, helps athletes balance their sports and study commitments. It also promotes Curtin to prospective student athletes, giving them the opportunity to achieve academic and sporting excellence.

Being a branch campus of Curtin University, Curtin Sarawak is eligible to enrol its student athletes in Curtin’s Elite Athlete Programme and the EAFU. Athletes must be enrolled students and competing nationally or internationally in their chosen sport.

Jack is now into his fourth semester of the Diploma of Business programme at Curtin Sarawak, and how does he balance his sports and study commitments?

“Self discipline and good time management is crucial as I have to train full-time yet have classes to attend. It’s certainly not easy but I’ve managed well so far. For instance, I would complete my assignments in advance to accommodate my training and I would schedule my training sessions in between lectures or at the end of each day,” he says.

“Being in Curtin’s Elite Athlete Programme will also help. For example, exams can be taken off campus or at an alternative time due to my sporting commitments. That will help me meet both my academic and sports commitments,” adds Jack.

Curtin through its Elite Athlete Program aims to assist students by facilitating flexibility in their course of study, and provides support to ensure athletes complete all components of their academic studies as well as their sporting commitments.

Jack’s long-term goal is to qualify as a financial analyst as he has a deep interest, in addition to sports, in finance. In the meantime, he will continue pursuing his dream of becoming a world-class triathlete, and at the same time complete his current course at Curtin Sarawak. He looks forward to progressing to a business degree programme at the university, and possibly enrolling for postgraduate studies later.

Jack all geared up for the Australian University Games.

Jack displaying his collection of trophies and medals.