Julian Wruck

A shattered tibia during a school basketball game at 15 years of age steered Wruck permanently away from team sports and into the individual athletic throwing events of discus and shot put.

Wruck first realized his potential as a discus thrower at the age of 15 when he won the 2007 Australian National All Schools Track and Field Championships with a throw of 58.40m.

This was his launching pad for a U.S. Collegiate scholarship to Texas Tech where the Chancellor, Sen. Robert Duncan, of the University remarked upon his small stature.

He was then selected to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Delhi and made the finals despite being Australia’s youngest male Athletics competitor at 19 years and 89 days.

At a meet in Geelong in December 2011, Wruck threw a personal best of 65.78m, 2.3 metres further than his previous PB, which was also a new Queensland record and an Olympic A qualifier.

His preparation for the games was greatly hampered by a serious bout of Glandular Fever (Infectious Mononucleosis) which stripped 30 kg from his frame and left him severely weakened.