Given Adam Stack’s variety of track and field achievements over the past season, it is little wonder he has plans to become a decathlete.

The 15-year-old Waimea College year-11 student initially showed his burgeoning skill set at the Tasman secondary schools athletics champs in mid-March.

In the competitive under-15 grade he entered four events and won them all, claiming the 200m, shot put, high jump and long jump titles to underline his versatility.

At the South Island schools champs, staged in Timaru a week and a half later, he stepped up to another level and again demonstrated his prowess, winning the U15 high jump and shot put titles and finishing third in the long jump.

“[The decathlon] is definitely one of the things I plan to do in the future,” explained Adam. “It is one of my dreams to become a decathlete.”

As he attempts to hone his skills across a range of disciplines, he receives guidance from four different coaches. Dennis Kale, also coach of national champion sprinter Lucy Sheat, works with Adam in the “Speed Freaks” sprint squad; his mother, Karryn Stack, helps with long jump and shot put; his sister, Megan Stack, offers high jump advice while Nelson’s Bailey Cotton also provides shot put guidance.  

He admits juggling the physical requirements of four different training regimes can be difficult. “It does get a bit tough sometimes balancing between the sprinting, jumping and throwing … obviously you have different types of body builds for each one. It definitely is a lot of hard work but it is good coming down to [competition] in the end.”     

Adam, who has been involved in track and field since he was five, competes under the Athletics Richmond banner. He also plays football whenever he can, enjoying the opportunity to participate in a team game, but athletics are his primary sport and a place where he thrives on the camaraderie and interaction.

“I like the competition, but also meeting new people … just having good banter with my mates and having lots of fun at the events. I have made lots of friends through athletics, from up north and down south, anywhere really.”

“The social side is obviously one of the key factors.”

His immediate sights are set on the national secondary schools champs, scheduled for December 2018, where he will compete in the junior boys grade across all four disciplines.

In March 2019 he plans to attend the national track and field champs for the first time while, further down the track, he would relish the chance to compete overseas.

The Olympic decathlon consists of four track and six field events. Competitions, held across two days, include the 100m sprint, 110m hurdles, 400m, 1500m, long jump, high jump, shot put, discus, javelin and pole vault.