CQUni Cairns Taipans Forward Alex Loughton will grace the courts at the CQUniversity Community Sports Centre in Rockhampton this weekend when the Taipans face-off against the Brisbane Bullets in a pre- NBL season game. Not only is he one of the Taipans most valuable players, he’s also joined the ranks of CQUniversity, pursuing his interests in video production by studying a Diploma of Digital Media. Check out Alex and teammate Stephen Weigh’s video promo for the game!
What is your first memory?
One of my first memories is following my brothers down the driveway on our small farm and making it all the way to the brick entrance (about 150m from the house). It was a whole new world for a kid aged about two-and-a-half to three-years-old.
Are you a CQUni alumni? If so, what did you graduate in?
I have a Business Administration Degree with Marketing Minor from Old Dominion University in the US and I am currently studying a Diploma of Digital Media at CQUni.
What is your favourite film or book of all time?
Favourite film Back to the Future II, and the whole trilogy really. It would be so cool to time travel.
What was a recent highlight of your life?
My signature move on the basketball court for the Taipans is a fist pump, and recently I picked up my son from school who was looking into the car as he approached to see who was picking him up today. On realising it was Dad, he gave a subtle fist pump and that made my day!
What is the best thing about being at CQUni?
I travel a lot with work, and I feel I have a connection through all the campuses when I’m in Perth, or in Rockhampton. I have been fortunate enough to know many of the staff and they have all been very welcoming.
Has there been any awkward moments while you’ve been studying at CQUni?
I am studying Javascript in Coding and all my IT mates who I have gone to for help and asked questions about it go “Javascript?? that’s the worst one, no one does Javascript!!”. I reassure myself its just the fundamentals.
Who has made an impact on your life? Why?
I had a coach named Daryl who was also my mate’s dad, he said “Never take a backwards step” (always keep moving forward) and it has been with me through my professional basketball career and will carry on after into the real world as well.
What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
I love video editing and videography. I also love to draw cartoon pictures of my teammates each year for a fun poster.
Describe the greatest moment in your life so far?
My greatest achievement in life is my family - I have a wife and 3 kids and I’m very proud of each them. My greatest achievement in business/professional world is winning our conference championship at ODU in 2005 and receiving MVP honours for that year also.
Jamie Oliver is coming for dinner, what do you make for him?
I’m going for some razzle dazzle - crispy skin salmon on a bed of thinly sliced potato bake, asparagus on the side with a drizzle of hollandaise, topped with fried capers for that zing and croutons for crunch. Had it at the famous Cafe de la Paix in Paris and it was a lot better than how I made it!
