Benn Harradine is certainly not your ordinary Olympian. The 33 year old has been cultivating followers and fans alike with his stylish #harrasuits, father-son antics #popflipsthebird and video series #willitthrow.
In order to combat a lack of motivation after a disappointing finish at the Beijing Olympic Games, Benn decided that a wardrobe change was in order.
"I started the suits as a way to enjoy myself, to give back to the fans and to let them enjoy the sport I love with me," Harradine told the .
It definitely paid off with Harradine returning two years later to break the Australian record with a 66.45m throw at the Continental Cup in Croatia. Since then he has improved on this effort three times with his current personal best sitting at 68.20m.
He backed it up with his best achievement to date, beating home favourite Vikas Shive Gowda in Delhi to win a Commonwealth Games gold.
Born in Newcastle, Benn didn’t discover his Indigenous heritage until he was 22. His father and coach Ken lost his own father at a young age and it wasn’t until they reconnected with family in 2005 that all was revealed.
He told , "we went to a family reunion and they're all blackfellas. We were like; 'are we in the right place?'”
“It was an amazing experience, especially for my dad to find out who his family was."
Benn’s father Ken holds a special place in his heart.
He has been Benn’s coach since the beginning of his throwing career, which means the father-son team are able to spend a lot of quality time together both on and off the field.
Travelling all over the world competing in athletic championships, the cheeky duo gave birth to another one of Benn's well-known hashtags: #popflipsthebird.
They will both be heading to Rio this week as Benn prepares to compete on 12 August. While not willing to predict how well he will perform at the Games, his improving form could signal a place in the final.
"I just focus on the 'everyday': doing my best at every session so by the time I get to Rio I can ask myself the question, 'Have I given it everything that I can?' he told the .
To get into the spirit Benn added another installment to his long-running series #willitthrow, sending a pair of sunnies spinning through the air.
The videos see Benn launching various objects from the discus throwing cage to answer the important question will it throw?
Numerous Aussie icons and even a tartan umbrella for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games have gone flying across the field in a series that has seen him gain numerous followers, especially among his fellow athletes.
Source: NITV
Benn recently teamed up with Paralympian Scott Reardon in a bid to send Scott's and to raise awareness and financial support for the Paralympics team.
A true character, hopefully Benn's creative object throwing will see him do well in Rio and maybe the Games will even provide the inspiration for many more , and . Definitely one to follow!
