Jonty Murdoch, a standout athlete from St Luke’s Anglican School, recently clinched the U18 discus title at the prestigious Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane.
In this Q&A, Jonty shares insights into his remarkable journey, the challenges he’s overcome, and his aspirations for the future, including representing Australia on the world stage:
Can you share the details of your recent sporting achievement and what it means to you?
I won the U18 Discus event at the Australian All Schools Championships in Brisbane.
The Australian All Schools Championships brings together the top two athletes from each state in each event and is the highest level you can reach while at school.
Winning the title meant a lot to me as it was my last All Schools Championships as I graduated Year 12 in 2024.
What inspired you to pursue this particular sport, and how long have you been involved?
I have been a member of the West Bundaberg Little Athletics Club & Bundaberg Athletics Club for 15 years and I have always enjoyed the throwing events.
What were some of the key moments leading up to your achievement that stood out to you?
I was honoured to be selected in the Australian U18 Athletics Team this year and I won both the U18 discus and U18 shot put double at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Fiji in June 2024.
Did you face any challenges or obstacles during your journey? If so, how did you overcome them?
I have had a tough year this year with injury.
In January 2024 I had a training injury where I slipped in the wet circle and had to adapt my training program due to this.
In June I was diagnosed with stress fractures in my lower back, which meant no sport for several months. I really wanted to throw at my last All Schools, so we developed a program in conjunction with my physio and worked towards the goal of competing at National All Schools.
Unfortunately, I could only choose one event, so I chose discus.
Who or what has been your biggest support system throughout your sporting career?
Probably my Dad as he is my coach.
He has coached me since my first Nationals when I was 10.
My family have always been very supportive of my athletics as we have had to travel a lot, especially interstate which all adds up.
The club has always supported me as well.
How has this achievement impacted your life, both personally and athletically?
I’m honoured that I have had the privilege of representing my region and my state at National All Schools.
Training for something like this is quite time consuming, but when it all comes together on the day, it is a tremendous feeling to know that you have achieved your goals through hard work.
It’s also amazing to think that I am the best 17 year old discus thrower in all of Australia and I started out here on the Bundy track.
What advice would you give to young athletes in the Bundaberg Region looking to achieve their own goals?
Anyone can work hard to achieve their goals.
You firstly need to establish your goals, break it down into pieces, then work hard towards what you want to achieve.
With throwing, my goals usually are more to do with distances, like how far I want to be able to throw by a certain point in the season.
What are your future goals or aspirations in your sport following this achievement?
I have recently been invited to attend an Australian Throwing Camp in Brisbane next January.
The camp will bring together the best throwers and throws coaches in the country and is aimed as a stepping stone for throwers to medal on the world stage.
The next major event I can qualify for is the World U20 Championships in 2026 which will be held in Eugene, USA.
That will be my number one goal for now.
Following that possibly the LA Olympics in 2028 and then on to Brisbane in 2032.
I have also considered going to the USA for university and possibly having a go in the NCAA.
How do you plan to celebrate this milestone with your teammates, family, or the community?
No celebrations really.
The day after I got back, we sat down and started planning the next few months.
I will move up to the U20 division in January, which means heavier throwing implements, so I’ll be throwing the 1.75kg discus and 6 kg shot put.
It takes a bit of time to get used to the new weights, so the plan will be to throw at States in Brisbane in March and then hopefully National U20’s in Perth in April.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
School sport has been pretty special for me as I have been selected in the Queensland Team for athletics every year from Year 5 right through to Year 12.
I currently hold nine Queensland All Schools records across discus, shot put and javelin.
I have medalled at every National School Championship held during this time (missed two due to Covid).
The highlight of my high school career was throwing 63.09m with the 1.5kg discus in Perth last year which increased my World Athletics ranking to #1 in the world in the U17 age group.
I was also ranked #2 in the world for the U18 age group at the end of 2023.
It was a pretty special feeling knowing that I was ranked #1 in the world in discus.
My ultimate goal is to get back to 100% fitness and hopefully back to #1 discus thrower again.
