RUBEN Coombs has been a trailblazer at the Glasshouse Little A’s club, competing at nationals last year, and now has been selected to participate in a development tour in New Zealand in 2024.
He will be one of 30 athletes attending the international Little Athletics program in the under 14s age division.
For Ruben to attend the development tour, taking place from January 6-15, 2024, it will cost him $3,300, which will be subsidised from the local club’s contributions to his trip.
The Glasshouse Little Athletics Club is raising money towards Ruben’s trip to New Zealand, in which they have a number board set up every Friday at the club’s canteen for club families to donate $5 per number.
The Little A’s club is also brainstorming other ways to fundraise towards the trip.
Club publicity officer, Lewis Kwarciarnyi, said the club was extremely proud of Ruben’s selection.
“It was exciting for the club to know that one of our athletes had been selected for the development tour because I don’t think we’ve had a local athlete be selected for a while now,” he said.
Ruben and the Queensland team selected to travel to New Zealand will also compete in the South Island Colgate Games in Dunedin, which is the largest children’s athletics event in the Athletics New Zealand calendar.
The 14-year-old local athlete won bronze in discus, gold in the 200m hurdles heat and fourth in the 200m hurdles final at the National Little Athletics titles in April last year.