The latest at Westminster School
Angus Hincksman takes the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games
July 2024
Westminster Old Scholar, Angus Hincksman ('23), is realising his Paralympic dreams, making his official Paralympic debut at this year's 2024 Paris Paralympic Games.
Upon commencing para-athletics at just ten years of age, Angus had dreamt of representing Australia in the Paralympics. Now, following his recent selection for the Australian Paralympic team in April, Angus is well on his way to turning his dreams into reality.
Diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy following a brain injury at birth, Angus' early life was marked with uncertainty; his family unsure if he would ever be able to walk. Now, Angus is a beacon of inspiration and perseverance, gearing up for Gold in the Men's T38 1500m, and not letting his disability define him.
As an established name within the para-athletics community, Angus has been dubbed 'one to watch' having amassed a number of significant achievements to date. In 2022, Angus set an impressive 1500m time record, being the youngest para-athlete to break 4-minutes at just 17 years of age — a common obstacle faced by athletes in the T38 category. Angus was since catapulted to represent Australia at the Paris 2023 Athletics World Championships, where he brought home a bronze medal in the Men's T38 1500m.
Edging closer and closer to his golden vision, Angus is set to compete at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, taking place from Friday 30 August to Sunday 8 September.
Hear more from Angus below:
What sparked your passion for Track & Field? Is there a specific moment in time you remember falling in love with the sport and wanting to pursue it professionally?
I started running as a hobby, just through school sport. But as I got older, I realised there were avenues available to me to take and improve. I don't remember a specific time, it's just something I grew to enjoy more and more as I gradually improved.
Tell us about your journey to becoming a Para Athlete - what does a typical day in your life look like from your schedule, training, travel, competitions, and everything in-between?
There is nothing too special about my day-to-day life, but my training and competition schedule can definitely get pretty hectic at times. I’m currently training on average 6 days per week, and sometimes twice a day. My training all through the Summer season has required me to travel extensively, including training blocks at altitude in Perisher. I'm now on a bigger training block leading into the Paralympics.
What is your biggest career highlight so far?
Breaking the 4-minute barrier for the 1500m was really a really special moment for me. There are only a handful of athletes in my classification that have run sub four, and to be the youngest to ever do it on an already exclusive list was very special.
You were recently selected to compete at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. How did it feel to hear your name announced?
It was most definitely a special moment, and it was a dream come true in some respects. But it’s only a small step in a much bigger journey. I much prefer to focus on getting to the start line, because in a weird way, I don’t want my hard work to be for nothing.
As an Old Scholar of Westminster School, do you feel the School values and ethos have helped to shaped your attitude and approach to sport and life in general?
Yes, definitely. Being surrounded by fellow students and teachers that appreciate the values of resilience, grit, and tenacity causes them to grow in you, and allows you to put them into practice in your day-to-day life
Despite growing up with Cerebral Palsy, you have not let this define you or limit your success. If you could give any advice to your younger self, or younger generations with similar aspirations, what would it be?
Never assume you can’t do something — be willing to try everything and anything!
Agriculture Show Team
May 2024
With nearly 100 students having expressed interest in the Royal Show team this year, training has well and truly begun! We're thrilled to partner with current and past Westminster families and vested industry breeders in 2024 as we build towards the Royal Show in late August/early September.
This year, Gus Lewellyn from Jillangolo Red Angus and Heath and Amanda Nickolls from Bull Oak Well have both provided steers for the Led Steer program.
Stephen Kellock once again has provided ten Kelvale bloodline Merino Wethers in collaboration with Anthony Lowe for the Merino Wether competition.
We maintain our long-standing connection with Michael Leopardi as he has continued to provide us with Boer goats for our Led Goat team.
We are also delighted to begin a new partnership with Casey Treloar and Nick Brokenshire as we have acquired two Holstein and Jersey Heifers for our Dairy Heifer team.
Our final, thrilling new addition in showing this year has been our recent status as a Border Leicester stud. We will be showing some of our stud sheep in this year's Royal Show and we are truly grateful to Martin Harvey from Paxton Stud for the immeasurable amount of time, energy and effort he has put into this partnership. Our students are truly benefiting.
It has been pleasing to see a strong mix of both rural and metropolitan families have their children represented in the teams. This is a vital goal of our Show Team as well as our Agricultural Program as we look to normalise Agriculture and make it accessible for all. Jorja Watson, 2024 Show Team Captain, and her Showing Leadership team have worked very hard to ensure all students assigned to teams get the opportunity to not only work with animals and learn the ins and outs of showing livestock; but where possible, actually see how important structure, genetics and performance is to the various industries they represent.
Sturt Grove Farm Redevelopment
March 2024
As recently featured in The Advertiser, Westminster School and Thomas Foods International have announced a partnership that will see the main learning facility at Sturt Grove Farm being named the Thomas Foods Centre for Agriculture for students from Early Learning to Year 12. As we see every day, the Thomas Foods Centre for Agriculture build is well underway to include new multidisciplinary classrooms, outdoor learning spaces, produce processing and food tech areas, well equipped wet-labs, shearing facilities, a wash-down zone, and a community Farm Shop. The shop will sell produce grown at the farm, from our community as well as Thomas Foods products.
We are grateful to the work done by Westminster Chair Emeritus Phillip Styles and governing council member for Boarding Steve Sanders who, in tandem with the School Council, have worked closely with the Principal, School Leadership Team, Agriculture team and many rural families.
Andy Malcolm (’06), Head of Agriculture and the entire Ag team are excited for the new facility to come online to further build on the strengths of our Agriculture program. Our students will not only be learning from some of the best agricultural practitioners and experts in Australia, but will be doing so with access to one of the best school facilities of this type in the country.
Thomas Foods Internation Managing Director Darren Thomas is a Westminster Old Scholar (‘90) and TFI has been a proud supporter of the School for many years. This partnership builds on TFI’s existing involvement in the School’s rural pathways program, which includes offering a cadetship, work experience and hosted tours of key agricultural operations across SA including TFI’s new processing facility at Murray Bridge.
Director of Learning, Andrea Sherwood, is already evolving the curriculum to maximise the benefit of the new Thomas Foods Centre for Agriculture and we will certainly hear more from our academic team as the project progresses.
The Thomas Foods Centre for Agriculture is expected to open in Semester 2 with a community event planned for later August 2024 (details to be confirmed).
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