FORMER Young High School student Zac Spoor is close to achieving his lifelong dream of representing Australia in soccer.
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Spoor, who has autism, has been selected to compete in Australia’s five-a-side football team at the 2015 Special Olympics in Los Angeles in July.
As a former member of the Young Lions Soccer Club, the 22-year-old has done his home club proud.
“He was very, very passionate... he used to fantasise about playing for a premier league team and he would constantly train on his own and practise his ball skills,” former club president Robert Everdell said.
“He’d get so excited if he even touched the ball in a game, or scored a goal, and it grew and grew and here he is today - he grabbed the opportunity with both hands and he’s going to run with it.”
After moving from Young to Canberra, the soccer enthusiast joined the Brindabella Blues Football Club, has played state league, held the Australian Futsal Championship title for athletes with a disability in 2014 and was selected to compete in the national competition in Melbourne in October last year.
It was here Spoor was selected for the Olympic five-a-side football team by Special Olympics Australia.
He was one of eight players from Australia selected for the team.
Spoor’s dad, Owen, said he was rapt with the selection.
“The greatest part for Zac is the boost for his self esteem and realising when he thinks about doing something he can actually achieve it,” Owen said.
“That’s the best thing that’s come out of it - just like the fact he’s learnt interaction with a whole group of different kids, normal population and with a disability.”
The team is among 76 Australian athletes who will join 7000 Special Olympic athletes from 170 nations to compete in the July 25 to August 2 games in the US.
They will leave Australia from Sydney on July 21and plan to spend the first week of the trip visiting Los Angeles community schools to conduct training dsays.
Then it’s competition time.
Young Lions Soccer Club’s current president Paul Cameron sent the club’s best wishes to Spoor.
“It’s a wonderful achievement and we wish him all the best with his future success,” Cameron said.
“The Young Lions Soccer Club welcomes all people, including those with disabilities, and are happy to cater for anybody. Inclusion, not exclusion is the answer... everybody should have the right to play sport.”
