LEVI Kelly has what it takes to get to the highest level, according to coach Cole Kalkbrenner.
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“I’ve told him before and I want him to believe it now that there’s no reason why he can’t be a world champion,” he said.
A quick look through the 13-year-old water-skiers resume backs up his coaches belief that he is a teenager with a load of potential.
If that’s not enough, all it takes is half an hour in the boat to witness what he the teenager can do on the water.
Slalom, tricks, jumps – it all looks effortless.
It’s little wonder why he is the current Australian junior masters champion and why he has his sights set on the world championships in Spain in August 2018.
Even more impressively, he has only been water-skiing for a little over two years after his family moved to the area from Newcastle.
The quietly-spoken youngster said the main challenge was consistently training hard and making the odd sacrifice.
“It’s a lot of eating right, training every day and early mornings,” he said.
Coach Kalkbrenner believes the under-17 world team is a step in the right direction.
“The end goal is to stand up on the podium with the best in the world, whether that’s in five years from now, or 10 years from now,” he said.
“He’s got the want to.”
Unsurprisingly, Kelly spends most of his time on the water – he trains for two hours a day, six days a week.
I’ve told him before and I want him to believe it now that there’s no reason why he can’t be a world champion.
- Levi Kelly's coach, Cole Kalkbrenner
“I tell the kids that we coach all the time that you can’t just do something one hour a day and expect to get better at it,” Kalkrenner said.
“He puts in the work … that’s the difference. It’s a full-time gig for him and he enjoys it.”
And then there’s what happens between the ears.
“The mental preparation on and off the water is what Levi does better than any 13-year-old kid in the world,” the coach said.
It comes as little surprise that Kelly’s competitive nature is what separates him from the rest.
“It doesn’t matter if he’s skiing against me, or playing against me in ping pong, he hates to lose and that’s the driving force behind him,” Kalkbrenner said.
Should Kelly make the Australian under-17 team for the world championships, he would be the youngest member.
While a podium finish appeared possible, but unlikely in 2018, Kalkbrenner felt it was a matter of time before Kelly was mixing it with the best in the sport.
“The world championships happen every two years and there’s no doubt in my mind by 2020 he’ll be vying for a podium spot,” the coach said.
Kelly will be in action at Stoney Park on October 28 and 29 as part of the Malibu Boats series which sees the best local water-skiiers in action.
“That series is more about honing his skills to make sure he’s on track (for state and nationals),” Kalkbrenner said.
“It’s a smaller version of our tournament series.”
