It has been a long journey for former Otago athlete Scott McLaren, who has beaten the odds and been added to the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team.
McLaren (32), the head of strength and conditioning at St Kentigern College in Auckland, will compete in the decathlon in Glasgow next month.
He has been added to the New Zealand team with fellow decathlete Brent Newdick. It increases the size of the athletics team to 22.
McLaren won the Oceania decathlon title in 2010, but this is his first major international event.
McLaren was coached by Raylene Bates when he won the New Zealand senior men's decathlon title in 2003. He has lived in Auckland for the last decade and is coached by Elena Brown, Matt Dallow and Jeremy McColl.
''I'm over the moon about Scott's selection,'' Bates told the Otago Daily Times.
''He has overcome every obstacle and adversity that has been put in front of him. He has persevered and been committed over a long time. I'm stoked for him.
''Scott has never been in any Athletics New Zealand performance squad, he's never been carded and he's never had any support from the Athletics New Zealand system.''
McLaren had a major injury six years ago when he cut his hand with a skillsaw. He also has ongoing foot and Achilles tendon injuries, and has had a bout of glandular fever.
McLaren was a New Zealand junior champion and record holder as a teenager. He had doubts about his future when he entered senior ranks.
''I'll never forget him telling me as an 18-year-old that he needed to sit down and work out if he wanted to continue,'' Bates said.
McLaren will have family support in Glasgow because Alister, his father, is making the trip. His mother, Karen, died of cancer 18 months ago.
McLaren's personal best decathlon score is 7750 points. Newdick's best is 8114. Newdick won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 and was 12th at the London Olympics in 2012.
