OK, start walking! Because you'll need to walk a long, long way to come across a more successful, highly-motivated yet self-effacing young man than Tweed Heads West's Josh Harmer.

There's an old saying which goes along the line, “Lady Luck always seems to smile on those who work hard”.

Lady Luck has certainly smiled on the 16-year-old St Joseph's College year 10 student.

But it has been the hard yakka Harmer puts into life which has ensured he is succeeding in all his endeavours.

A model student at St Joeys, where he is gaining high marks across all his subjects, Harmer serves the community as a surf lifesaver with Currumbin and Greenmount surf life saving clubs – he earned his bronze medallion last year – and is a former classy rugby league player.

Former rugby league player at the ripe old age of 16?

Yes, Harmer turned his major sporting ambitions in another direction and he has succeeded at the highest levels as a touch football referee.

Harmer recently returned from officiating at the NSW Combined Catholic Colleges Touch Championships in Sydney where he was among 58 elite touch referees of all ages who blew their whistles throughout the series.

The best-of-the-best whistleblowers was assigned to be the man in the middle in the elite Open Boys' final and it was Harmer who gained the appointment.

Following yet another flawless display in the centre, Harmer and another CCC titles referee were invited to officiate at the upcoming NSW All Schools State Championships to be held in Sydney at the end of next month.

But the icing on the cake for Harmer was his being officially designated with the title of the number one Junior Touch Football Referee in Queensland and Australia plus an invitation to become a member of the Junior Elite Talent Squad.

“It really was an honour to get the Open Boys' final – I could see a few noses were out of joint because I was the only Queenslander reffing down there,” Harmer said.

“Talk about state rivalry.”

There's little chance of moss growing under Harmer's runners.

He will be taking his trusty whistle to the Queensland State Open Touch titles in Townsville in early September and then to the National Youth Championships at Caloundra later that month.

Then he's off to fulfil an invitation to officiate at the New Zealand Open Touch Championship the following month.

We mentioned earlier that Harmer was a modest young man.

When asked the reasons for his success on touch fields, he didn't put it down to superb fitness, communication skills and the ability to be in the right place at the right time – all of which are correct.

Instead, he rattled off a number of reasons for his success in his chosen sport.

“My mum and dad (Jenny and Tony) and my Pop (Jenny's father, Lenny Kleem) have been wonderful supporters in all my sporting and non-sporting endeavours,” he said.

“Dad works in the building industry and spends extended periods of time away from home on big jobs. He jokes, well, I think he jokes, that he has to put in the work to keep me participating in touch.

“Luckily I've got mum to do all the running around for me and Pop is a terrific surrogate father. He's still very fit and loves getting out training with me ... I'm very fortunate.”

Harmer also said many of his friends have been supportive in all his ventures but reserved his special praise for his two touch mentors at South Queenslander Border District Sharks touch body, Mark Jensen and Peter Cominos.

Cominos, one of only a small handful of Level 6 referees, is Australia's leading whistle-blower, while Jensen, a 20-year veteran, is like his young protege, an elite Level 4 referee.

“Peter and Mark have been truly inspirational in helping me achieve my goals in touch refereeing,” Harmer said.

“Sure, they've given me a kick up the behind on occasions but they are very positive in their coaching and support in regards to touch but also in guiding me in the right direction in life in general.”

Harmer was a hotshot league and touch player as a junior, taking up the whistle in touch after gaining his Level 1 certificate at the ripe old age of 10.

He combined all three sports until he turned 13 when he had to make a decision as to which of them would become his main priority – touch refereeing won out.

Touch players around the country are glad he did.