Heywire winner, Tully – Dixie, Victoria

I was putting my swimming bag in the car for another early morning training session when I saw the stars.

I never really took notice of them before I moved to the city, but now that I was home in the country, they shone extra bright.

I’d wonder why people spent their whole lives in Terang it seemed like there was nothing important to do.

As it turned out, I did move to the city for my final three years of school, so I could train for sport.

I compete in the modern pentathlon. It’s made up of five sports.

Four out of five of these I can do in the bush, no worries — running, riding, swimming and shooting.

But the only kind of fencing you’ll find on the farm doesn’t involve a sword!

It was a six-hour round trip to train, so I moved to be closer to my coach.

While in Melbourne, I lived in a busy city apartment building. There were more people living in that building than live in my whole home town!

But after two and half years I didn’t know a single one of them.

I don’t think there’s anywhere in the city you can go to get away from the sounds other people are making.

I was lonely.

Back at home, when I go into town I’ll drive past at least four utes and the people in them will all wave at me.

We do that famous “one-finger salute” you see in the bush, even if you don’t know the person!

I’m back on the farm now, on a gap year before I start studying for a career.

The next Olympics is in 2024.

It’s in the back of mind.

But in the front of my mind is knowing that whatever I do, I want to be able to do it from a place I can see the stars and all you can hear is the wind and the birds.