"Everything negative - pressure, challenges - is all an opportunity for me to rise."
- Kobe Bryant
 

Early Years (2000–2009): Football, Martial Arts & Basketball Foundations

My sporting journey began at South Melbourne Districts Junior Football Club, where I faced plenty of early challenges but grew to love the community and physicality of the game. Around the same time, I trained in Karate at Ceberano Martial Arts, where I learned discipline, focus, and the foundation of competitive spirit.
 

Tennis, on the other hand, didn’t come naturally. I was once labelled “uncoachable” due to my resistance to traditional technique. It was basketball where I truly found my place. Starting in local domestic comps at MSAC, I leaned into my athleticism and carved out my own style. My jump shot was unorthodox and often raised eyebrows, but it caught attention. I prided myself on effort above all else, something I later came to understand (via DMAC and the AUBD program) was one of the few things that truly can't be taught.

 

2009 Onwards: AUBD, Mentorship & Elite Coaching

Initially placed in the bottom tiers of the VJBL, I was seen as one of the least skilled players in my age group. But I was relentless. With the support of my longtime training partner Felix von Hofe (Eastern Washington), I worked my way up, training under some of Australia’s best basketball minds.
 

At MSAC, I joined the AUBD program, learning from legends like Sedale Threatt Jr., Sedale Threatt (Lakers), Lanard Copeland, Mark Bradtke, Darryl McDonald, and Adonis Jordan. In 2010, I toured the U.S. with AUBD, visiting elite programs like Bishop Gorman High School (Nevada) and experiencing American basketball culture firsthand.
 

Later, under Andrew Gaze, I became both a Victorian State Champion and Australian National Champion with the Melbourne Tigers, alongside players like Felix von Hofe, Jack Purchase, and Dane Pineau. I also refined my individual skills under respected skills coach Nick Abdicevic at Oakleigh Recreation Centre.

 

State & National Champion (2011–2012) and Athletic Accolades

After years of grind, I earned a place in the top Under 18s squad coached by Andrew Gaze, having previously been coached by Lindsay Gaze in the Tigers’ third team. That year, we took home both the Victorian Championship and the National Classic title.

I also broke the High Jump record at St Michael’s Grammar, sparking a brief pursuit of Youth Olympic trials, training under a private coach at Lakeside Stadium.

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Victorian Schoolboys, College Basketball, & NCAA/CIS

Between 2011–2013, I represented Victoria Schoolboys Basketball alongside my cousin Marley Biyendolo (Pepperdine University). After catching the attention of recruiters, I sat the SATs for NCAA eligibility and was eventually offered a scholarship to the University of Regina in Canada, part of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) system, despite preparing an NCAA Transcript of a 3.66 GPA. 

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While in Regina, I trained under Dan Farthing at his facility Level 10, head strength coach for the CFL's Saskatchewan Roughriders, further expanding my understanding of athletic development and recovery.

 

Andrew Bogut Academy & Final Years of Basketball Competition

In 2013, I joined the Andrew Bogut Post-Graduate Academy, training five days a week under Coach Luke Sunderland. I woke at 4:20 am daily for three-hour intensives at Bogut’s Carrum Downs facility, honing my game and deepening my grit. That experience forged much of my identity as an athlete.
 

I later competed in Big V/NBL One/SEABL formats, playing with the Waverley Falcons alongside Sedale Threatt Jr. and Brad Kelleher (Brisbane Bullets). Just before Canada, I also won an impromptu dunk contest at Camberwell Dragons, despite only being 6’1”.

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Martial Arts: Muay Thai & MMA

Outside basketball, I spent two years immersed in Muay Thai training under Lumpinee Champion Somchai Chimlum at Dominance MMA (Richmond). The discipline, mental clarity, and tenacity developed during that time profoundly influenced the way I approach physical and mental challenges today.

 

Bodybuilding, Powerlifting, and the Gym Lifestyle

My focus eventually shifted toward strength and muscular development. I worked as a Strength Coach Intern at Praxis Athletic, and during the COVID-Era, I trained daily under Ben Shellim, owner of Iron Viking Gym, often for three hours a day, six days a week, pushing my limits in powerlifting, functional training, and hypertrophy. Ben’s background as an MMA fighter helped craft a program that combined old-school intensity with scientific precision. During this time, I also trained alongside well-known Melbourne athlete Johnny Starr, integrating approaches from The Vertical Diet and Dr Mike Israetel’s work on hypertrophy and recovery.
 

This period was brutal, some days were spent entirely in recovery after , but it transformed my understanding of programming, nutrition, and mental toughness.

 

Gym Community

Eventually, I immersed myself in the bodybuilding culture at Muscle City (Mount Waverley), where I found a like-minded community dedicated to pushing physical limits. I trained alongside Milos Komnenovic (a standout European basketballer) and Bosko Kostur (Bryant University), continuing to pursue physical excellence and performance insight.
 

From football fields and Muay Thai mats to national championships and lifting platforms, my athletic story has always been about resilience, reinvention, and pushing past perceived limits. Whether I’m working with others or continuing to train myself, I bring the same intensity, empathy, and love for the process to everything I do.