By
Ruth Duffy
Volume
48, No. 6, April 20, 2006
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OFFCDT
Jason O’Toole, centre, at 85 kilos after his officer
training graduation at Point Cook.
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More
than 50 kilos heavier before joining the Air Force.
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Main
photo by Peter Meehan
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SOME
people work hard, some people study hard, but for one young
man it took an extreme makeover to get him one step closer to
fulfilling his lifelong goal.
With a childhood dream to fly, OFFCDT Jason O’Toole lost
a staggering 50kg and had his eyes laser-corrected in order
to join the Air Force.
From a young age, OFFCDT O’Toole wanted to be a fighter
pilot.
Prior to enrolling in the Air Force, he was studying at university
and working fulltime as a night manager at Coles, but as his
eye sight worsened, entry into the Air Force looked increasingly
unlikely.
He became interested in Fighter Control as, although it wasn’t
flying, it was still “interesting and cutting edge”
and would allow him to work in the fast world of fighter pilots
as an Air Defence Officer.
Initially applying in 2001, OFFCDT O’Toole was not selected
into the Air Force until March 2005 due to his medical conditions.
He lost 50kg through healthy diet and exercise and had corrective
laser surgery on both his eyes in 2003, in order to get one
step closer to achieving his dream.
Recognising the immense amount of work he had put into achieving
his goal, he said the “accumulation of all that work, finally
achieving it … it was great.”
When he heard he had been selected into the Air Force, OFFCDT
O’Toole said “it felt unreal, I rang all my friends
and they were all very excited as they knew how much it meant
to me.”
His brother has also lost an impressive 43kg and is one step
closer to joining the Navy as a Seaman Officer. As with OFFCDT
O’Toole, his brother’s eyesight had also worsened
and required him to undergo corrective laser surgery last year.
OFFCDT O’Toole graduated with fellow Officer Cadets at
Officer Training School, RAAF Williams, and started his Air
Defence course at RAAF Base Williamtown last week.
He said he was most looking forward to “working with the
fighters and going for the Hornet familiarisation flight at
the end of it”.
OFFCDT O’Toole hopes his story can show people that no
matter how far they think they are from a goal, hard work and
persistence will get them there in the end.
“Losing the weight not only allowed me to join the Air
Force but also gave me a new outlook on life.
“I now know nothing is impossible as long as you are willing
to work hard for it,” he said.
Laser
surgery and the ADF
