Hugh Courts '15 Recruiting Profile

I've grown up on a farm in rural Australia I am more interested in aspects which will offer more hands on work later on in life. Individually I have grown up and lived near a town called Bourke in the state of NSW and attend boarding school at St Joseph's College in Sydney. My Dad is a livestock truck driver and works hard to keep us at school down there whilst my mum stayed at home and looked after the farm which we sold last year after countless years of drought. 

Academically I do 10 units for year 12 and am currently in the middle of the HSC exam block. I have not yet done the SAT's but am looking to do them in November/December as in Australia they only offer set dates on which they can be sat. As a student I try hard and give everything a go Math is most probably my strongest subject along with Geography however a compulsory subject at Joeys, religion has started to become a strong point more recently. 

Sporting wise I have done rowing and rugby union depending on the season at Joeys. I was new to both sports upon going to boarding school and fell in love with rowing in my first year even though I was in the 5th quad. One of my older brothers was quite successful at rowing in the year above me and it was my goal to one day row in the SNR first VIII with him. Through work I moved up the ranks and in year 10 made the 1st Yr 10 VIII rowing in the bow and coming 3rd at the AAGPS HOTR. The following season 2012/2013 I was only 15 and made the SNR first VIII however wasn't able to row with my brother as he had major back issues. At the AAGPS head of the river we came a close 2nd and for the first time since id been at joeys the first VIII were on the podium. The following season and this year 2013/2014 I was going to give it a massive effort in my second year in the SNR VIII to push everyone else in the crew and myself to the limit to try and achieve first at HOTR. This however was let down and again we came a close second. Individually however through the season I was the AAGPS champion sculler something a Joeys boy had never done and was asked to try out for the coxed four by Sydney Uni for the Junior World Champs. I made the Uni four with two other joeys boys and two Scott's boys (one the cox) and I spent all of April holidays in Sydney with my aunt training for selection. At the trials we got done in the four by 2.4 seconds by a Victorian crew and we narrowly missed out on making the Australian Junior team one goal that I have a chance to do next season.

Currently I am rowing out of Sydney Uni Boat Club and Sydney Rowing club mainly in a pair with another Joeys boy Roman Hofferek who had the same ambitions throughout the season as me to win the AAGPS head of the river as well as many senior boys at Sydney Rowing Club. Together when the Australian summer rowing season starts towards the end of this year we hope to go well in the under 19 pair and our main goal is to win the national title next year for it!

To row in America would be a dream which i hope to fulfil and would give me the chance to academically achieve aswell as take rowing to the highest level possible! Coming from the land which i have grown up on i have learnt to be hard working and to take nothing for granted which is what i hope to do at your College!