Corey Nixon is proving that elite skateboarding and a career can engineer success

For National Careers Week, we caught up with Corey Nixon, elite skateboarder and full time engineer.

Brisbane based skateboarder Corey Nixon is enjoying the grind. 

Fresh from winning Moomba and Lismore Rumble events, Nixon juggles elite skateboarding with a full-time engineer job with GLT, a trailer manufacturing company in Carole Park.

He has also recently become a dad, welcoming a newborn baby girl.

"It's not too difficult to juggle skateboarding and engineering,” Nixon said. 

“Studying engineering has allowed me to chase skateboarding at a high level without sacrificing long‑term security. 

“It gives me the flexibility and income to support my family now, and confidence knowing I have a solid career to rely on after skateboarding.”

Nixon has learnt the art of efficiency, ensuring he isn't missing out on key moments in each aspect of his life.

“Where I work, they're quite flexible with my working hours. I can start earlier and finish earlier and then go skate in the afternoon,” he said.

"Being on the skateboard, I need to be efficient with how I train and use my time well so I can come back to my family.

“The same with engineering, I need to make sure everything I'm doing is efficient so I can come home and not stress about work.”

Nixon is a skateboarder with goals on and off the deck. 

Engineering is a true passion. 

Nixon is in the midst of obtaining his Registered Professional Engineer Queensland certification in addition to his degree, with the ultimate goal of starting his own engineering business.

It’s a five year journey that Nixon is working diligently to achieve. 

As for skating, the goal is obvious. 

"I just want to keep competing well and proving to myself that I'm good enough,” he said.

“The Olympics, that's the end goal.”

While Corey plans to compete for years to come, his advice to young riders wanting to do it all, it give it a go, it is always useful having a plan to fall back on, once your skating career is over.

“If you want go to University and you want to do something specific, do it, it means you've got that behind you, and you can build on it."