STAR local athlete Charley Barrett has been hand-picked to represent Australia at the international tetrathlon in Ireland this July.
A tetrathlon comprises of four disciplines – horse riding, swimming, pistol shooting and running.
The 19-year-old Barrett, who took up tetrathlons after participating in a number of triathlons, has been competing in events for eight years.
She took up the sport after a farm-based upbringing gave her a love of horse riding.
“Growing up on a farm I really enjoyed riding, so this was a good way to do it and compete in a sport,” she said.
“I really love having a go at all sports and the challenge of it is really satisfying once you complete it all.”
This will be the second time Barrett has taken to the world stage, after competing in the international tetrathlon in Australia in 2014.
The budding star said she was thrilled to be donning Australia’s colours again.
“I’ve never been overseas, so I’m really excited and I’ve been training really hard to prepare,” she said.
In her last international appearance, Barrett finished 12th in a field of 25 competitors.
This year she is out to better her previous result.
“It (12th place) was quite good last time, but I’m aiming to go a few steps further and push for a better finish this time around,” she said.
“Hopefully our team can do a little better this year.”
Barrett will fly out headed for Ireland on Wednesday, July 20, and return on Friday, August 5.
Each discipline in the tetrathlon will be run over a day, with the competition spanning four days in total.