Sport and study a winning combination for Lum and Luu

At just 15 years old, TTA National Squad Members Finn Luu and Nicholas Lum have been touted as future stars of the international table tennis scene.

But as their talent grows so does their training demands, making it difficult to balance out their school studies.

To help foster their growth as both athletes and students, TTA is working with the Victorian Institute of Sport (VIS) to ensure both players are supported in their endeavours.

“Both Finn and Nic have demonstrated exceptional international and Australian results as in singles and as doubles partners, and already we can see a real future for both of them in international table tennis,” said TTA National Pathways Manager Simon Gerada.

“Table tennis is a sport that requires athletes to have a strong base in their younger years. It’s always exciting to find this potential in athletes their age because it means we can get crucial training hours into them and mould them to become world class athletes, but equally, we want to put their studies and their wellbeing above all else.”

Both Luu and Lum are working with VIS Athlete Wellbeing and Engagement Manager Sara Heasly to ensure they are looking ahead past their future sporting career, while being able to increase their training to 30 hours a week.

“Being an elite athlete is a remarkable thing at any age, but it becomes slightly more complicated when the athlete is still in school,” Heasly said.

“The VIS motto is success in sport and life, and the key to having success in both areas is finding a balance. Remote learning, whether it’s online classes or being part of Virtual Schools Victoria are two great options and we’ve seen a lot of success with the programs.” 

Heasly first started working with Luu in 2019, as part of his VIS scholarship, when his school schedule was getting difficult to maintain.

“Things were getting really crowded for Finn. He’d get to the VIS before school, then go to school and then go out to LOOPS where he trains. He was catching public transport a lot too because his parents are busy business owners. If that wasn’t enough, things got even busier for him when he was travelling overseas,” she said.

“He was getting disenchanted by school when he wasn’t able to keep up, so this year, with his parents support, we had him doing one subject with Virtual Schools Victoria, and some of his subjects online at his high school, and then others at school as any other student would.

“Since Covid, and without much of a choice, he’s switched over fully to remote learning and he’s become really accountable for his work. He’s a bright kid with a great future ahead, both in table tennis and post table tennis.”

Luu said the new arrangement is only helping him towards his goals.

“My ultimate goal is to be in the Top 20 in the world, and I’ve improved so much in comparison to when I was training a maximum of 16 hours,” he said.

“I do my school work from an office at LOOPS and if for whatever reason I’m falling behind, I tell John (Murphy, TTA Head Coach) and Simon (Gerada) make sure I’m putting extra time into my schoolwork.

Following the results produced by Luu since moving forward with remote learning, Heasly has been seconded by TTA to work with Lum.

“Nic and Finn are both as ambitious at school as they are in table tennis. They’re both pushing for good marks, and I think after seeing Finn do so well with his school adjustment, Nic wanted to try it out too,” Heasly said.

“Nic has big dreams and his drive is huge, and his parents are also really supportive of all of it. He’s really well balanced and understands the importance of an education and wellbeing, which can be challenging at that age.

“While Nic hasn’t switched over to Virtual Schools Victoria yet, he’s doing online learning through his high school, I know he’s looking forward to making the switch full time so he can progress towards his goals.”

Lum too, has big goals to achieve, and he believes they are fully in sight thanks to remote learning.

“My goals are to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games, to be top 20 in the world, and my dream since I was a child is to go to the Olympics,” he said.

“I’m learning remotely now because of lockdown, but next year when I switch to Virtual Schools Victoria, I will be able to do my school work whenever I want, while travelling and I won’t have to worry about communication with teachers from normal schools.

“Everything is so much more achievable now, because I’ll be able to do all the things I need to do to succeed in table tennis and school.”