Triple Olympian Alex Ferlazzo visits schools

Queensland (FIL) Australia's three-time Winter Olympian Alex Ferlazzo visited schools in the Isa region of north-west Queensland last week to talk about endurance and stress resilience and inspire students to pursue their dreams.

The visit was part of the Olympics Unleashed program, where Olympians go into schools across Australia to share their stories. Ferlazzo was born in Townsville and was the first Australian to make the Olympic team three times in luge. In Beijing 2022, he finished 16th in the men's singles.

Alex Ferlazzo attended Camooweal State School, Barkly Highway State School, Urandangi State School and St Joseph's School Cloncurry, where he told of his journey from Townsville to the Olympics.
"I told my story in detail of what I have experienced from the early days of luge to where I am now," he said. "I wanted to let them know that anything is possible. I had no idea what luge was before, had never heard of it. My mother had heard about it from a lady who was promoting the sport as part of a talent search. We went to Sydney and tried it out for the first time... and that got me interested because I was always a bit excited as a kid."

Ferlazzo gave the students tips on how to deal with stress and overcome challenges. "Stress and anxiety in children and others is a big issue these days, so I gave them tips on how to focus on their breathing and how they can learn to focus and concentrate better with a few exercises," he said.
Photos: Urandangi State School