THEY say success is difficult to find without plenty of hard work.
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Jett Hanson can back that theory up after he smashed the Port Macquarie Little Athletics Club's 1500-metre record twice in less than a month.
During this Little Athletics season, the 13-year-old has already sliced almost 10 seconds off the club's previous best 1500-metre time.
"The track was a bit heavy at the time so it will be good to try and give it another crack when the grass is a bit shorter," he said.
He has also raised the bar for the 3000-metre event and set a new record in the process. The previous record had stood since 2002.
Even more impressive is that the teenager doesn't have a coach - mum Kristy drives him to Stuart Park regularly where he puts into practice what he has learned online.
"I don't get coached by anyone, I coach myself by watching YouTube and Instagram videos," he said.
"It's all training; everything depends on your training and how much dedication you have to it. You've got to have the heart to not stop and keep going faster."
The COVID-19 pandemic shut down most sports worldwide, but Hanson was both determined and motivated to keep pushing through it.
Now he has started to reap the rewards.
"I had the mindset that I had to keep training no matter what happened with COVID so I stuck to it and got the results I wanted," he said.
"I love saying quotes in my head as I run ... that definitely helps me and when people congratulate me, that makes me more determined because I like impressing people.
"It makes me feel good."
Hanson is not only satisfied with holding the record; he wants to keep it.
"My time for the 1500 is 4.47 so I want to try and get it under 4.40 and with the 3000 I'd like to go around the 10.40 mark," he said.
"I want to keep getting faster; I want to set a record that no-one can match."
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