GROWING up in Nowra, Jonathan Goerlach was like every other kid, playing numerous sports, including his favourite; tennis.
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But his life changed forever when he was aged 15, when he was diagnosed Usher Syndrome Type II – a genetic condition characterised by gradual hearing loss from birth and progressive vision loss that begins in adolescence or adulthood.
After giving sport away completely for eight years and then moving overseas, the former Bomaderry High School student eventually returned to Nowra, when he started training for and competing in triathlons in 2012.
Since then, Goerlach has experienced many high and lows in the sport but he is now less than 18 months from finally achieving his long-term goal of qualifying for the Paralympic Games in Tokyo 2020.
Watch his inspirational story in full below, as sports editor Courtney Ward chats with him one-on-one about his sporting journey.
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