By JARROD POTTER
FIGHTING for his dreams, Berwick boxer Jason Whateley endured every obstacle thrown at him to qualify for his maiden Olympic Games.
The 25-year-old had to overcome one last set of qualification bouts at the Asian/Oceanian Olympic Qualification event this week in China.
With only three men advancing to Rio from the 91kg category, the competition was fierce as Whateley fought his way through to the semi-finals.
He lost his heavyweight semi-final clash against Uzbekistan’s Rustam Tulaganov on a 3-0 decision, leaving the 196cm powerhouse to fight for his Olympic berth in a showdown against Tajikistan’s Jakhon Qurbonov.
Whateley went the distance against Qurbonov in the third-place show down and had to wait for the judges’ results, but the good news echoed around the world soon after as a 2-1 decision granted the hard-punching Aussie his ticket to his maiden Olympic Games.
In a Facebook post on Sunday morning, Whateley was beyond elated and made sure everyone – from his biggest fans to his greatest sceptics – knew just what this moment means to him.
“I DID IT!!!,” he said in the post. “Never give up! No matter who tells you can’t do it (coz a lot of people like to say you can’t achieve your dreams). If you have a goal chase it! No matter what! Because nothing beats belief and hard work!
“Words can not describe the feeling of earning my spot to the 2016 Rio Olympic Games!
“All them lonely training sessions and all the sacrifices have just paid off!
“Thanks everyone so much for the support!”
Whateley has booked his spot alongside fellow Australians Daniel Lewis and Shelley Watts.
