Congratulations to Waggaroos president John Oliver who recently became the first NSW orienteer to notch up 50 years in the sport.

 

John started in 1969 at a promotional event in Melbourne, attended his first Australian champs in 1971, and represented Australia at the world champs in 1974, 1976 and 1978 when they were staged every second year.

 

Today he's as busy as ever: mapping local schools and conducting programs, setting club courses, organising the annual regional schools champs, and steering one of our smallest clubs that nevertheless punches well above its weight.

 

(Waggaroos were the inaugural winners of the ONSW Club of the Year trophy in 1994, and were awarded it again last year for their work in co-hosting the 2019 Oceania championships with ACT. John is pictured, left, with Alex Davey.) 

 

John has done just about everything in orienteering - except win an individual national championship. There's still plenty of time!

 

In his younger days he was a steeplechaser who used cross country running and then orienteering to maintain fitness between track seasons. Soon he was hooked on the navigation and the calendar was turned on its head.

 

And the early days of O were arguably much tougher than today: black and white ordnance maps at 1:25,000, buckets instead of the now distinctive orange-white flags, and control descriptions that were often at the whim of the course setter.

 

Compare that with today's standardised map specifications, symbols and use of electronic timing!

 

John has kindly compiled a biog of his life in the sport. You can read it here. Another legend of our sport still going strong.