Zach Gallagher (14822)
28 Apr 2020
2019 Head Prefect Zach Gallagher’s first year out in the big wide world is not playing out quite as he expected. Just a couple of months into 2020 his tertiary studies at the University of Canterbury are now taking place online and his training regime with the Crusaders Academy is largely conducted from home.
But Zach is finding a silver lining. “It’s not too frustrating and you’ve got to put it all into perspective. It’s about not taking the basics for granted.”
Self-disciplined and self-driven, Zach likes structure, so although daily on-site training at the Crusaders Academy is on hold, he is finding the Zoom sessions with “cool coaches and players are an awesome opportunity.”
“My main focus is trying to pursue rugby, but with Academy sessions stopped and with the uncertainty of when club rugby will start, it’s all about adapting. It’s brought home the importance of having something else alongside sport.”
For Zach, that is his commerce studies at UC. He was just six weeks into the programme when the lockdown began and now the 18-year-old expects to be studying online for the remainder of the first semester.
“I'm grateful for the opportunities I've had. Going forward, you have to embrace the uncertainty and keep challenging yourself.”
