Perth sailor and Curtin Business School student Tristan Brown has returned home victorious from the recent 2012 Laser Radial National Championships in Brisbane.
Tristan took out the top gong as Australian Radial Champion and will now compete for Australia at the World Radial Championships in July.
The win caps off an eventful summer for Tristan, who also competed at the ISAF World Championships, held off Fremantle, as well as Sail Sydney and Sail Melbourne.
The Commerce student is part of Curtin University’s Elite Athletes Friendly University Program, an initiative that helps high-performing sportspeople balance their studies and training.
“Curtin staff have really helped me plan my studies around my competition schedule,” Tristan said.
“I actually think that studying at Curtin has helped improve my performance on the water as I have learnt valuable time management skills.
“I plan my semester schedule in advance so I can liaise with my course coordinators to find out when the assessments and exams will be, which really helps a lot.”
Tristan said those time management skills had come in handy for his training because he currently averages five on-water training sessions a week, with each session lasting between two to three hours.
“In addition to my on-water training, I also utilise the gym at Curtin Stadium and take part in cycling sessions,” Tristan said.
Tristan said he hoped he could combine his experience as a competitive athlete with the skills learnt through his studies to pursue a career in sports administration.
“It would be great to leave university and start a career working as part of the administration for a large sporting organisation,” he said.
