Growing up as a typical Aussie kid, David Beard enjoyed nothing better than to kick a football with his dad or enjoy a game of backyard cricket.
Being part of a sporting family and with plenty of natural ability himself, it is not surprising that during early high school the idea of playing sport professionally seemed like a real option.
But in a country where top cricketers are household names, David’s eyes – like many of his mates – were firmly fixed on playing cricket for his state and maybe even Australia.
He loved team sports which is why he also had a go at volleyball, so excelling at this sport that by the age of 18 he had been offered a scholarship to join the elite Australian Institute of Sport Volleyball program which aims to produce world class volleyballers.
And so came a big choice for a young man – throw his talents behind a career in one of Australia’s glamour sports or become a virtual pioneer in volleyball. He chose the road less travelled and worked his way through to be the captain of the Australian team which was the first to contest an Olympic volleyball competition.
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