Rory Thornhill will travel to Kingscliff for an under-23s development camp

Whether it's his comprehensive background in running and swimming - or his burning desire to compete and improve - Thornhill falls smack bang into that category... and he's got no issue admitting it.

The Orange Triathlon Club product is gearing up for his second stint as part of the New South Wales under-23s development squad, a program for the elite-level competitors to sharpen their skills ahead of not only the racing calendar, but a career as an athlete.

Led by coach Mick Ferris, Thornhill and a group of triathletes are set to head to Kingscliff in February for a 14-day camp before tackling an array of different challenges throughout the season... if COVID-19 permits.

"It's a really great squad because all the top athletes in the state come together," he said.

"We work on our weaknesses and strengths together in a competitive environment. Last year we did the 14 days at Armidale, but this year it'll be at Kingscliff."

When you think about a camp for triathletes, you'd probably expect training, training, and more training. But, Thornhill says the two-week experience is about much more than busting your guts.

"The camp puts you in an unfamiliar environment to help simulate what competing overseas would be like," he said.

"You've got to be able to cook your own food, get your recovery right, and be able to go to the doctors if you're feeling unwell."

Thornhill is currently braving the statewide lockdown in Orange, but was previously in the nation's capital where he was chipping away at the first year of an economics and data analytics degree at The Australian National University (ANU).

So even though Thornhill has aspirations to compete at the highest level as a triathlete, he wants to set himself up for life afterwards as well.

"The top goal is Olympics and Commonwealth games," he said. "But after that, I'd like to be able to transfer my skills into the sporting sphere. I could possibly work on a sports governing board as a data analyst."

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