Getting to know OP is back and this time, we’re focusing on Oscar’s ultimate athlete, picking traits from fellow athletes that have inspired OP along the way…

Oscar’s ultimate athlete

Michael Jordan – mentality – I loved that he just did everything to win. People tried to figure out ways to stop him, so he just brought the whole team with him. I admire how he was hard on people in a respectful way, he was a real role model and he pushed everyone around him to be better. I watched the Last Dance documentary and “The Flu Game”, where he was ill but played and finished with 38 points said it all. He gives 100% towards everything that he does and the story of how he pressed ahead and went and played baseball against others’ advice because he wanted to give it a shot was inspirational. There was also the moment where he was fed up with the physical nature of the Detroit team and went away in the off-season and worked tirelessly to make sure he wasn’t pushed around. I love that attitude of constantly adapting and improving. I follow all the NBA scores and keep up to date with all the news.

Rafael Nadal – strength – He is an awesome athlete. The way he plays with such intensity and speed over such long periods of time on court is incredible. He has done it over such a long career and that consistency in results and performance is special. He brings out his best tennis when he needs it the most against the best players at the biggest tournaments. His record at Roland Garros has to be one of the most dominant modern-day sporting stories across the board. When I’m travelling with racing, I always try and follow the scores, especially at the Grand Slams and I hope one day that I can meet him.

Usain Bolt – legs – Growing up, he has been one of the leading sporting stars of my generation. He achieved it all on the biggest stage and his speed is frightening. He always looked like he had another gear which he could turn on when needed. His talent was exceptional, and he always appeared in another league to everyone else in the field. He will go down as one of the great sporting icons.

Lionel Messi – feet – I’m not the biggest football fan but watching his matches on TV is something magical. His low centre of gravity and ability to terrorise defenders with ease is amazing. It was fitting for a player of his ability that he won the World Cup. His speed of thought and instinctive, natural jinks with the ball are something you don’t see many players achieve.

Steve Smith - hands – He has quite a unique style that sticks out. He is based around phenomenal hand-eye coordination and incredible patience that allows him to go out and consistently get big runs. He is also super reliable and it’s rare when he doesn’t get several centuries in a series. He makes facing some of the world’s best bowlers easy and I admire how hard he works at his game in the nets. I tend to watch a lot of Test cricket and enjoy the T20s and one-day matches. When I’m back in Australia, it’s usually the summer so I can get to a few games whether it’s Australia or the Melbourne Stars.