HE’S raced around the world and on some of the most precarious terrain the planet has to offer, but on Friday night Ben Zwar was able to relax – and celebrate.
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The 18-year-old downhill mountain rider won the 2018 Norske Skog Young Achiever of the Year award, judged best among a stacked field of nominees.
An action-packed 2017, in which Zwar booked continuous top 10 finishes at home and abroad, was enough for the teenager to be picked to represent Australia in his final season as a junior.
It’s been a lengthy journey for Zwar, who was inspired to take up the sport by his similarly talented older brother Oliver.
He hasn’t always had it his way – a huge crash at his first world championships two years ago stands out – but he’s never let that slow him down.
With his highly successful junior career now behind him, Zwar is planning to use the upcoming season as something of a learning experience.
This rising star is hopeful his success will inspire more aspiring riders to follow in his footsteps and take up the challenge.
“I think this will be really good locally, especially for some of the younger kids,” he said.
“There’s a lot more people coming through with quite a bit of talent.”
With a massive 12 months to come Zwar is preparing himself for an intense learning experience.
The teenager is soon to embark on the European World Cup tour, his first as a professional rider after completing the junior pathway.
While it’ll be a steep increase in competition, the young gun is taking a mature approach to the next year.
“This year coming up will be really big for me, it’ll be my first year in the league doing all the world cup rounds,” he said.
“I’ll try to do the best I can, and just learn as much as possible.
“It’ll be pretty good, but scary at the same time.”
There were also some big announcements outside of the major award, with Graeme Hicks and Greg Aplin awarded life memberships to Sport Albury-Wodonga.
Norske Skog also announced their support for the award for the next two years.
I’ll try to do the best I can, and just learn as much as possible. It’ll be pretty good, but pretty scary at the same time.
- Ben Zwar