Back Page Interview

Scott Ferrier (OTG 1992)

Four years after completing his studies at Trinity, Scott Ferrier donned the green and gold to represent Australia as an Olympic decathlete. The decathlon combines 10 events over two consecutive days: the 100 metres, long jump, shot put, high jump, 400 metres, 110 metre hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin and 1500 metres.

Scott’s athletic career took him to two Olympic and two Commonwealth Games, and also saw him cross paths with his now-wife Alison Inverarity who represented Australia in the high jump event.

Scott and Alison are current TGS parents to Tom (Year 11).

You are one of Trinity’s Olympians! Tell us about your experience as a decathlete.

I started my Olympic journey after I finished Year 12 in 1992, training with the VIS Head Coach of Multi Events, Efim Shuravetsky. It involved training in events I hadn’t done before, like javelin and pole vault, as well as lots of weight training, gymnastics and running. I made an Under 23 development team that toured South East Asia and from there qualified for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. My career as a decathlete took me to two Olympic Games, two Commonwealth Games and various World Championships, and ended in 2004 when I retired just a few months out from the Athens Olympics due to injury.

The sportsmanship between Australian decathletes Cedric Dubler and Ashley Moloney brought some extra attention to the event this year – is this camaraderie between athletes a feature of the sport?

Very much so. It’s really common amongst the guys to help each other out because it’s all about your performance overall rather than beating each other head-to-head in each event. I remember Mike Smith from Canada screaming at me in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in the 1500m, he was sitting second and I third and he turned around and told me to ‘pick up the pace’!

Tell us about your career path after the Olympic Games and your role now. What do you love most about your current job?

Once I retired from the sport, I was a bit rudderless for a period. I was still working on my Commerce degree through Deakin University and had a two-year-old daughter and a son on the way. I needed to get into the workforce so I began labouring for my brother-in-law’s construction business. Although I enjoyed the work, I enlisted the help of Mr Rohan Brown to help find something that would align with my field of study, which he did by introducing me to some people at CUB. I now run a small business in the office technology space which I enjoy as it affords me time to spend with my family. I also enjoy the many and varied challenges small business throws at you.

Tell us about your time at Trinity. What kind of student were you?

I loved my time at Trinity and the friends I spent so much time with over the years, but as my teachers would attest, I wasn’t much of an academic student. Sport took up a lot of my attention and it wasn’t until I went back to study at university that I learnt to knuckle down. I wish I had applied myself more to my studies at Trinity.

What does it mean to you to be a part of the TGS community, both as a past student and current parent?

I love the Trinity community and being a past student and a current parent. I think the school has come a long way from when I attended and I think the opportunities for the boys now are outstanding.

Scott at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta.

TRINITY GRAMMAR SCHOOL, KEW

40 Charles Street, Kew VIC 3101 +61 3 9854 3600 | trinity.vic.edu.au

This magazine has been printed on FSC (Forestry Strewardship Council) Certified paper utilising vegetable based inks. It has been produced using a Clean Green Print process which means all the processes involved with the manufacturer of this item are guaranteed to have minimum impact on the environment.