When Fred Zziwa stepped into his local gym in the quiet coastal town of Victor Harbor becoming a boxer had never crossed his mind.
He was in high school at the time and just wanted to bulk up, but the gym introduced him to a craft that over the years would change his life.
Just last month, Uganda-born Zziwa won the gold medal in the Elite Australian Championships 60 kilogram division and was named the best male boxer of the tournament.
"It means a lot to me because winning an Australian championship is not easy," Zziwa said.
"The training was pretty tough, but at the end of the day I've got the passion for it."
Zziwa is a chef by day and a boxer by night, using the evenings to train.
He made his debut in 2017, and has had 39 wins and seven losses since.
Eyes on Paris Olympics
Zziwa's next goal is the 2024 Paris Olympics, which he said would be a dream come true.
"To be honest, that would mean the world to me," Zziwa said.
"That'll be the most amazing thing that'll happen to me.
"There's a lot of things that have happened, but I think that'll be the best thing to happen in my career in boxing."
Last year, Zziwa applied for a Distinguished Talent visa after being nominated by Boxing Australia, which believes he has what it takes to compete at the Olympics.
"I'm really grateful to Boxing Australia for allowing me to represent them," Zziwa said.
"If they can make it happen, I'm not going to disappoint them."
The Distinguished Talent visa — which has since been renamed the Global Talent visa — is reserved for individuals who have an internationally recognised record and have made an outstanding achievement in a sport, profession, the arts, academia or research.
Zziwa is yet to receive a response from the Department of Home Affairs, which processes applications not deemed as a priority by the minister by the date which they are received.
In a statement, a spokesperson said the department did not comment on individual cases.
From a tin shed to the world stage
Extended visa-processing times are no comfort for Zziwa or his coach Mark Nethercott.
Nethercott said he would love to see Zziwa make it to the Olympics.
"Fred has put in a lot of hard work over the years, his record is amazing [and] he has shown that he is a world-class athlete," he said.
"It would be an amazing achievement — from a little tin shed at Victor Harbor to the big world stage — it would be fantastic. He would thoroughly deserve it as well."
He said Zziwa stood out right from the start as someone who could make it to the top.
"What I think makes Fred a champion is not only does he have natural athletic ability, he's also got an incredible work ethic, and his desire to win is unreal — he hates losing," Nethercott said.
"He's an outstanding role model for the community as well; he's a true gentleman inside and outside the ring.
"You put all that together and that's what makes him so special."
