Profile: Oscar Phillips

Age: 16

School: Launceston Church Grammar School

Years with Schools team: 2 (2005 and 2006)

Best result: Won gold in junior schools national titles 2006, won bronze in junior schools national titles in 2005 (first orienteering nationals). Made honour team in 2005 and 2006.

Coach(es): My parents are qualified athletics coaches and look after my running programme. Paul Pacque, Esk Valley Orienteering Club and other TAS coaches all help me with navigation.

Preferred Terrain: Spur gully with complex granite.

Hobbies: Athletics, Mountain biking, playing basketball with friends.

What do you enjoy most about orienteering?  I have competed in cross country running for a lot of years and enjoy that and orienteering is like that but with the added challenge of navigation.

How did you start orienteering? When I was about 10 my mum saw some information in a school newsletter or local newspaper and thought it would be something I would like to try. EVOC club gave me a junior membership scholarship to encourage me. I only went occasionally to local events and twilight series until I was about 13 and found out about more competitions.  I tried out for the schools team that year but only got non-travelling reserve.

What are your goals in orienteering? JWOC one day, and finish consistently highly placed at national events.

What do you eat before you go orienteering? Just the usual pasta the night before and a normal breakfast of toast, cereal and juice.

What is your best navigation tip? I have had problems when I have been running fast on an easy leg and have forgotten to slow down and look more carefully when it has got more complex so I would say be prepared to slow down a lot when you need to.

Training

A typical training week would include a long run, a couple of medium runs, a fartlek session and a reps session, plus a cross country race and/or orienteering event and a club technical training session if I can fit it in.