Senior track & field athlete Ben Drew, who specializes in the steeplechase, is probably Portland State's first athlete from the Australian city of Toowoomba, the country's second largest inland city (pop. 140,000 plus), 78 miles west of Brisbane.
 
It's an agricultural city with a university and health care mix whose first mayor in 1861 was a convict exiled from Great Britain.
 
Drew arrived in Portland this fall to earn a master's degree in finance after three years at Houston Baptist University (HBU) in Houston, Texas, where he won a Southland Conference title and ranked 33rd in the NCAA west region in the steeplechase.
 
Among his goals has been to experience other cultures and experiences, and living in Houston and now Portland has provided that in spades.
 
"America has a stereotype of everything is bigger. After being in Texas for a few years, that is certainly true, so it didn't come as a shock, but more of a surprise at how much bigger things like Utes (trucks) are. The culture surrounding coffee is certainly different. In Australia, we are spoiled with great cafes everywhere, so Starbucks coffee wouldn't fit back home (gasp!—a heretic in our midst)."
 
Toowoomba is at the 2,300-foot level of Australia's Great Dividing Ridge, straddling the peak. Its average high temperatures in winter are 66 degrees in June and July (that's winter in the southern hemisphere), and it records just under 21 inches of rain annually. Average humidity: comfortable.
 
Houston is Texas' largest city and the fourth largest U.S. city with a population of 2.3 million. It sits at 80 feet along the Texan southern coast and topography is flat, flat, flat. Average high temperatures are lowest in December (65 degrees) and January (64). Average annual rainfall is 53.34 inches. Average humidity: off the charts ("I couldn't figure out how people in Houston were able to stand the humidity,").
 
At the turn of the 20th century until World War II, Portland had a reputation as one of the most dangerous port cities in the world. According to legend, not a few drunken sailors woke up to find themselves back at sea after a trip that began in the Shanghai tunnels beneath some of the city's waterfront bars. Portland was a hub for organized crime and racketeering.
 
Portland sits at 33 feet above sea level with a population of 650,000+. Topography is a combination of river plain and volcanic hills up to around 1,000 feet. Temperatures: average high of 47 in December and 48 in January. Annual rainfall is 43 inches. Average humidity: comfortable to dry. ("So far, I've been really enjoying the weather here. It has been pleasant. However, I have been warned about the rain that's meant to hang around over the next few months.")
 
So, if diversity was high on his list, he has nailed it. But the desire for experiences outside of Toowoomba was just one reason for his travels.
 
Like other Australians who've landed in the U.S. to pursue simultaneous athletic and academic university careers, Drew came here because such dual opportunities aren't available at the university level in Australia.
 
Drew's family is active. He has two older brothers who are good swimmers and "we would spend most afternoons at training and weekends outdoors." He followed his brothers into sports, so he tried swimming, soccer and triathlon.
 
He chose competitive running in high school probably because it was his best sport. But, there are many appealing aspects, he said.
 
"I began to really enjoy the challenges that running brings through mental toughness and simplicity of the sport. It is simply seeing who is fastest and it doesn't require much to get into the sport. Whereas in triathlon (for instance), so much depends upon the resources available," said Drew.
 
He sees running from internal and external perspectives.
 
"In races, the goal is to win, which can be difficult with the level of competition in the NCAA and this is where the mental side of things kicks in. You have to find an ability to push yourself and stay in the race which becomes about competing with yourself," Drew said.
 
He particularly likes the steeplechase because "comparatively, it is my most competitive event. It can be exciting both competitively and to watch as you can be completely drawn into the race through someone falling. Hence, why people often watch at the water barrier (which he describes as the most challenging part of the race for him)."
 
Although running is mostly a solitary sport, Drew also is drawn to being part of a team.
 
"Whilst running is an individual sport, the comradery found within a group who train, live and compete together amplifies its meaning. Being able to do something with others creates a sense of belonging and desire to see each other achieve. I do enjoy running and have my own goals set with this, but to be able to seek these goals with people beside you makes it more fulfilling," he said.
 
And, he describes his highlights so far as coming "from team moments. Breaking the school record at HBU in the DMR (distance medley relay)…others come when someone won an event at conference and the entire team was there to celebrate with them."
 
He connected with Houston Baptist through an Australian organization called Athletes Dream and, the humidity notwithstanding, it was a good fit. He was athletically successful and earned bachelors and master's degrees there. Those exhausted the academic areas he found of interest in pursuit of his ultimate goal, which is a career in the investment field. So, he entered the transfer portal…time for another place and culture.
 
"We found him in the transfer portal and he was interested in the Portland State Business School and running steeplechase for us. His steeplechase times were solid, and after speaking with him, he was excited about the idea of training with Jordan Macintosh (who holds the PSU 3000-meter steeplechase record)," said PSU Head Track Coach David Hepburn.
 
Drew heard from some other schools, but decided to head to the Pacific Northwest. "After having a few chats with the coaches, it was apparent that they were people who cared both about athletics and academics. They were easy and awesome to talk with." He also liked the Viking program's concentration on distance running.
 
Hepburn sees the steeplechase as Drew's main event with the Vikings. He'll add a great deal of depth in that area. "I expect him to continue to be the great teammate he has proven to be and to continue to progress toward his goal of making it to the NCAAs in the steeplechase."
 
Drew's expectation is to make regionals again. "The goal this year is to make nationals with Jordan in the steeplechase. If we were able to achieve this, it would be pretty special."
 
Hepburn said that Drew "adds a level of maturity and level-headedness that helps the team stay focused as well as being a great team leader. He has the ability to be very focused on the race at hand while still being able to joke around and have fun while putting in very difficult work."
 
Drew has enjoyed his U.S. collegiate journey and is giving some thought to trying to work here, depending on visa issues and job opportunities.
 
Meanwhile, his travel to different climates and cultures is paying off in helping him accomplish multiple life goals.
 
"Traveling contributes to learning and experiencing other cultures through being immersed in them. Earning a bachelors being another, which has now turned into also obtaining Master's degrees. Personal growth in an ability to build a community and a life of independence. Being able to find purpose in what I am doing has been one of the biggest challenges that I faced whilst being in the States. That is something I feel we all struggle with at times. What I have been able to progress in and understand with this is that it is important to find enjoyment in each day, no matter how small, and to take the opportunities when they come."