Tom Rawstron leaping for the stars

It was a defining moment for Tom Rawstron when he met long jump world record holder Mike Powell on Mount Maunganui beach last year.

"He was by himself so I went up and talked to him. We had a chat for about five to 10 minutes and I just loved it. He gave me such good advice and it was just awesome," Rawstron said.

"The one that stood out for me is he said 'when you are on the runway pretend you are listening to your favourite song and dance down the runway'. That has stayed with me."

Rawstron, 18, has been dancing to the right tune ever since, culminating in his breakthrough victory at the NZ Secondary Schools Championships in Auckland this month.

He won the senior boys' long jump with a leap of 7.26m that not only blew away the opposition but his previous best of 6.90m.

"I was only expecting to jump just over 7 at nationals so to jump 7.26 opens a lot of doors. I guess I need to keep at the training at the same pace I am going and maybe change the diet up a bit."

Originally from Te Puke, Rawstron moved to Tauranga Boys' College for his last two years and puts the rapid improvement down to a strict training regime under Tauranga-based NZ Athletics coach, Kerry Hill.

"This year my training really went up a scale. I was training six days a week and over winter I would be training twice a day, with an extra gym session in the morning. That is why I was able to move up my jump half a metre.

"Kerry has played a big part. He spends a lot of time on my jumping. At training he will be standing, watching where I am on the take-off board, how my landing is. He will be watching every aspect of the long jump and he has put a lot of time into it which is really cool."

Hill said the potential was always there with Rawstron.

"I just got him to train more often and harder, which meant he could do more intensity and more volume along the way. He started to learn the event.

"Those sort of distances he jumped used to get you American scholarships straight up. He has to be looked on as a fairly good prospect for the future based on improving half a metre after only one winter of training."

Rawstron has always loved athletics, and the long jump in particular.

"I always went to social athletics in Te Puke on Wednesday nights and just got more into it. I played volleyball as well but then focused on this," he said.

"I did 100m as well but then started to get better at long jump so started training more for that. I love long jumping more."

Future goals for Rawstron include the 2018 Commonwealth Games, although the qualifying mark is a little daunting at this stage.

"World University Games is definitely achievable by, maybe, next year or the year after and is definitely in my sights next," he said.

Rawstron has every chance of reaching his goals in the future - just as long as keeps dancing down the runway to his favourite song.