He became the first St Joseph’s Uralla student to win a medal at a PSSA carnival, coming home with bronze in the senior boys athletes with disabilities (AWD) 200m and silver in the 100m, 800m and long jump events.

The medals were a surprise to Cory, described by his teacher as ‘an extraordinary young man’, who said he wasn’t particularly confident heading into the event.

Completing the smorgasbord of events, he also competed in the discus and shot put, finishing fifth on both occasions.

Cory told The Express he was now in heavy training for the upcoming nationals.

“I’ve been running each morning,” he said.

“And I’m going to be doing something extra with a trainer in Armidale.”

When he’s not on the running track, the 12-year-old school captain also enjoys playing football, something he said also helps with his athletics training.

In addition to Nordstrom St Joseph’s also had two other athletes contesting the PSSA carnival.

The three representatives meant St Joseph’s were the best-performed school in the Armidale diocese.

Felicity Yarnold represented Polding in the senior girls AWD, finishing fifth in the shot put and 10th in the 200m.

Jarrod Robinson lined up against Cory in the 800m - completing the impressive trifecta of representing Polding in swimming, cross country and athletics in the same year.