When it comes to sports, there’s only one that stacks up for Wyndham Vale’s Phillip Ager.
The 13-year-old is one of Australia’s fastest sport stackers. They compete in assembling and reconfiguring up to 12 cups in various formations against the clock.
Phillip discovered the sport on YouTube and has been working on it ever since, including lining up with the Australian team, The Stackaroos, at last year’s World Sport Stacking Championships in South Korea.
“I practise every day, but it took a while to get the hang of it. You need to have concentration, focus, good hand and eye co-ordination, steady hands and speed.”
The Manor Lakes P-12 College student can slam down a three-six-three combination (three cups on the bottom, six in the middle and three on top) in just 2.4 seconds.
And he can complete a ‘cycle’ sequence of stacks combining three-six-three, six-six and one-10-one stacks in 7.5 seconds – the current world record stands at 5.2 seconds.
“I’ve performed at school assemblies to show what I can do and when the teachers say, ‘Who wants to see it again’, all these hands go up.”
After strong individual results last year and with his relay team now ranked fourth in the world, Phillip’s next challenge will be this year’s world championships in Canada.
Last month, he received a $500 mayoral youth award from Wyndham council to help him on his way.
