The 18-year-old dairy farm worker and St John cadet was so determined to achieve his goal that he decided to return to study at Waimate High School this year so he could work towards gaining the credits he needed.
Tony, who had left school at the end of 2008, got "straight back into" everything he had missed out on the previous year, his mother, Sarah McCabe, said yesterday.
He won the 100m race at the school's athletics sports day and the Veitch Cup was presented to his mother at his funeral which was held at the school on April 17.
Tony was killed on April 9 when a car and a horse truck collided just north of the Waitaki River bridge, near Glenavy.
He was a passenger in the car, driven by his friend Kyle Bree (19), who braked to avoid another car turning into a rest area, veered across the road and collided with the truck.
Mr Bree was seriously injured.
Ms McCabe thought it was appropriate to hold his funeral service at the school.
"I thought he'd want to go back to school for the last time," she said.
She was also presented with Tony's year 13 school pin.
At the beginning of the second term, the school has a tradition of presenting year 13 pupils with a pin acknowledging their seniority and the special place they held in the school as leaders and role models.
Ms McCabe immediately put the pin on and wore it for two days.
In a recent school newsletter, principal Janette Packman said she was delighted when Tony came to see her at the beginning of the year.
"I really admired his decision. He had set himself a goal and was intent on working towards it, even though he knew it would not be easy," she said.
Mrs Packman's memories of Tony were of a young man who was always highly respectful, polite and caring.
He was honest and worked hard at the subjects he found interesting and his real strength was his ability to relate to anybody, regardless of their age, gender or background.
"He was an approachable and very likeable young man," she said.
Ms McCabe said her son initially found it hard sitting in class when he first went back to study full-time, as he was a more "hands-on" person.
It was decided he would then study part-time and that was working out well.
The rodeo-themed service sheet at his funeral reflected another of his passions - bull-riding.
He was second-equal in the second division bull ride at last year's Waimate rodeo.
Ms McCabe was proud of her son, describing him as happy-go-lucky, honest and reliable and with an ability to make people laugh.
"He was a good man," she said.
