Despite rare disease, Nangus student becomes national athletics record holder

His school has just 10 students, but Cody Wheeler has done the extraordinary. He has become the Australian schoolboy athletics champion for four events, and the feat, literally, has now made the NSW history books.

At Nangus Public School on Friday (14 March), Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke presented Cody with a Community Recognition Statement, praising his exceptional athletics achievements, which is recorded in the parliamentary Hansard.

It follows 11-year-old Cody’s performance representing The Riverina and NSW at the National Primary Schools Sports Association (PSSA) Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park in November.

Cody not only won gold in every event he entered, he also broke four individual national records, and is now the age champion for the 100-metre and 200-metre sprint, plus the shot put and discus. He then won the 4×100 metre relay.

“For any student this is a great achievement, however for Cody, this is a mighty achievement,” Member for Cootamundra Steph Cooke said.

Indeed, the health challenges Cody faces are many and varied:

• He has Dent’s disease, a rare kidney condition affecting only 250 people on the planet, so treatment is often experimental, and one last year almost killed him
• Cody currently has 18 kidney stones
• Cody has rickets, which weakens and softens bones
• Cody has osteoporosis in his hips
• Cody has a femoral and tibial maltraction in his legs causing painful knee issues which require major surgery, and sadly will force him to stop his beloved athletics, hopefully only temporarily
• Cody has to travel to Sydney every month to get an infusion of donated plasma products to try to offset his low immunity. This has been compounded by his learned terror of needles.

Despite these challenges, Cody has an incredible support network in his inspiring parents Peta and Ricky, and his best friend and twin sister Bree.

Mum Peta Zaric said they couldn’t do anything without incredible community support.

Local charity Country Hope has generously provided ongoing emotional, financial and practical support for the Wheeler family.

“Country Hope is number one, absolutely. We would be lost without Country Hope, they are amazing,” Peta said.

“Westmead Children’s Hospital has been incredible, especially our care coordinator, as sometimes Cody has a rapid health change that needs immediate specialist attention. You just can’t get hold of a specialist but the care coordinator sorts everything for us, and when we get into hospital, The Starlight Foundation staff are just magic at making Cody feel happier and more comfortable,” Peta said.

Local individuals have also gone above and beyond for Cody and his family, notably his teacher, Mrs Sue Pickersgil.

“She caught the 1 am train to travel to Sydney, and stayed overnight in a motel so she could watch Cody compete over two days at the nationals, and then she caught the train back home. She’s the best,” Peta said.

Cody, listening to his mum agreed.

“Miss Pickersgil is the best,” said Cody.

A former Nangus Public School teacher’s aid, Dave Signal, is also a hero for the Wheeler family.

“Dave Signal used to be a gymnast,” Peta said.

“He’s supported Cody a lot; he’s driven to Sydney to see him compete in the nationals, and in the Riverina, he came to Albury and Tumbarumba for events. It’s been so important to Cody to have these people support him,” Peta said.

For Cody, his mind is already thinking about the National Athletics Championships in December, however his mum says his burden has led to her being asked some very tough questions.

“Cody asked me a question the other day, he wanted to know why God made him broken,” Peta said.

“He said, ‘How come I have to get fixed and have medicine and operations but no-one else does?’

“I told him, ‘You’re not broken.'”