Becoming the best in any sport takes determination and dedication – plus countless hours of training, week in and week out. For young people aspiring to wear the green and gold at the Olympics or World Championship events, intense training and travelling to competitions nationally and across the globe, often don’t fit neatly within the traditional high school timetable.
However, some elite athletes in-the-making are finding a way to combine the worlds of sport and school by joining their classes from anywhere and from any time zone. All they need are a laptop, an internet connection and some good time management.
Many students at Haileybury Pangea are high-performing athletes who rely on a flexible timetable, personalised learning programs and small online classrooms to realise their academic potential and their potential on the tennis court or parallel bars or in a saddle or a kayak.
Haileybury Pangea is a private online school that opened in Victoria in 2022 and in the Northern Territory in 2024.
It builds on the expertise of Haileybury school in Melbourne and offers small classes, live instruction, prepared video content, assessment tasks and one-on-one or small group-based time with expert subject teachers. Self-paced learning is also a fundamental part of Haileybury Pangea.
Thomas (Year 10) is a talent with a tennis racquet and has his heart set on eventually joining the ATP tour and winning a Grand Slam. He has already qualified for state and national tennis tournaments and has won a national U-14 title. He trains 15 hours a week.
“I started my tennis journey at the age of nine and my next goal is to play the international tennis circuit and to get some good results. My weekly training consists of on-court hitting, fitness, movement, drills and gym sessions and it’s challenging to go out there and train every day – even after losses and a decrease in ranking,” he says.
Thomas enrolled with Haileybury Pangea because previous schools could not accommodate his busy training and competition schedule.
“This school allows me the time I need for tennis and I’m able to travel during the school term so I can keep boosting my ranking and time on court,” he says.
Cooper is a promising kayaker who began his sport when he was 12-years-old. Now in Year 10, he’s been part of the Paddle Australia National Development Squad and has competed overseas.
“During race preparation, I train around 35 hours a week which includes gym sessions for strength, swimming for endurance and kayaking. So, it’s challenging to train and balance school,” he says.
“If I wasn’t at Haileybury Pangea, I don’t think I would be able to pursue my kayaking dreams. I can train at different times without affecting my academic studies.”
Cooper hopes to be in the Australian Junior Sprint team in 2026, to represent Australia at the Junior World Championships in Florida and to be part of the kayak sprint team in the 2032 Olympics.
Year 7 student, Grace, is already a seasoned gymnast who has competed in international events, been on the podium at the Australian National Championships and has trained at the Australian Institute of Sport. Grace began gymnastics when she was two-years-old.
Her day begins at 6.00 am and she trains until 11.00 am. Grace then joins her online classes and completes assignments or self-paced work before fitting in another four-hour training session.
“You have to go the extra step every day, even if you’re tired. You need to be willing to learn, fail and persevere. I enjoy the mindset that gymnastics brings and the constant push to improve. I also enjoy the community that is always there for me,” says Grace.
After gymnastics, Grace would like to become a forensic or environmental lawyer.
Annabelle is another athlete aiming for a place at the 2032 Brisbane Olympics. While she only began competing two years ago, she is a rising equestrian star and has already been part of the Victorian team. The flexibility offered by Haileybury Pangea allows her to look after her two horses and prepare them for competition.
“My horses need to be ridden five days a week and I feed them at morning, midday and in the evening. Haileybury Pangea has helped me progress by allowing me time to ride during the day around classes,” says Annabelle.
“I’ll definitely stay until I graduate and after that I’d like to qualify for the 2032 Olympics and compete in Europe.”
