The year 13 Logan Park High School pupil has just returned from representing New Zealand at the Under-19 Men’s Handball World Championships in Croatia.
John said although the team lost all but one of their six matches — they beat Burundi by default — it was still a good experience.
"I learned a lot by being over there," he said.
John said he would train up to two hours a day, three times a week.
"I’m getting better all the time," he said.
"I got started about three years ago. There was a high school handball league which I participated in.
The sport could get quite intense, particularly as he could throw — and react to — handballs at speeds of over 85kmh, he said.
"When you block a shot at that speed, it can really hurt your hands," John said.
After spending a week in Hungary, John and the rest of the U19 squad spent about a fortnight in Croatia this month for the tournament.
"I enjoyed all the culture and history of Croatia. We were very focused on the tournament but we still had a lot of fun.
"I made some good assists and I managed to score a nice goal against the Chilean national team."
As handball was still a "pretty small sport" in New Zealand, people had to actively seek it out, John said.
"You have to make an effort.
"You have to focus, because there is a lot happening at a very fast pace.
"You don’t have to be any particular size or shape because it’s very focused on skills," he said.
As well as handball, John plays netball, football and basketball at a social level.
