SPORT seems to come naturally to Jake Hodgkin, probably because he loves being active.

The 13–year–old enjoys practising basketball outside his family's house, on a side street overlooking the valley of the Buffalo River, and when he's not doing that, he goes fishing.

"It's funner than sitting around," he said.

Jake climbed the athletics ladder last year, first qualifying for district cross country and 800m competitions at school, then qualifying for the regional competitions, then finally competing in the School Sport Victoria state championships, where he came 39th in cross country and 13th in the 800m race.

According to his mother, Karlie Grant, he has also competed at a regional level in swimming.

His achievements were recently recognised by the school with a sports award, acknowledging not only his sporting prowess, but also his willingness to encourage others.

Ms Grant said he will often run extra races just to boost the spirits of other runners, even when he has completed his own.

"He will partake and encourage all of the other kids to do the best they can," she said.

According to Ms Grant, he also has the record for the 200m sprint and high jump at Myrtleford P–12.

But despite his athletic success, Jake said he isn't aiming for professional sport.

"I want to be a farmer and do stuff outdoors," he said.

He is equally keen about fishing, often angling for cod in the local rivers and lakes after school or when he's camping with his family.

As part of an enterprise project this year he created and sold surface lures with a group of students.

The lures were so successful he caught two fish with one in early December, during a weekend where he caught 23 cod.

When he spoke to the Myrtleford Times/Alpine Observer he had just finished his last day of year six, and was wearing a school shirt scrawled with signatures from his friends and classmates.

He is continuing at Myrtleford P–12 this year and said he was a little sad that some of his friends will be attending other schools, but otherwise he is feeling good about moving to year seven.

"I'm pretty excited 'cause there's woodwork and metalwork and all other different electives," he said.