Do you know a Local Sporting Champion?
Reading the papers and watching tabloid TV you don’t see many positive stories about the Gold Coast’s or Australia’s
young people. It’s a shame that more people don’t have the opportunity to hear the great stories about local young people that come across my desk every day.
One area where I’m privileged to hear these stories is through the Local Sporting Champions programme.
Each three months I receive a bunch of stories about committed and talented young people requesting
assistance to continue chasing their sporting dreams. I hear the stories of young people at the highest levels of
achievement in sport, some overcoming adversity and even health problems to strive for excellence in their chosen
field.
Stuart with Jessica Hansen - A recipient of Local Sporting Champion assistance from the most recent round of funding
These young people have applied for assistance through the Local Sporting Champions programme and it’s part of
my job to decide who will receive this assistance. Thankfully three extremely experienced sports identities including an
Olympic medallist and two leaders in High School and Elite sport have agreed to provide their advice and guidance
on a sports advisory board on whose recommendations I follow.
Junior sportsmen and women can find it difficult to meet the ongoing and significant costs associated with
participation at sporting competitions and thankfully this programme exists to offer assistance.
There’s a range of conditions on who is able to apply for the assistance, including age restrictions, the level of
competition applicants are involved in, and the distance the applicant has to travel to compete in their chosen sport.
But if you do know someone or are someone who is competing at a national or state level and is under 18 then
the rest of the details are available at www.ausport.gov.au and competitors may be eligible to receive funding towards
the cost of travel, accommodation, uniforms and equipment for the selected sporting competition.
The grants are designed to help young sports people achieve their sporting goals and are awarded quarterly.
Grants of $500 per individual and $3,000 per team are available.
It’s a pleasure hearing the stories of local young people who are putting their all into their sporting endeavours.
It’s just a shame that more of the applicants can’t receive assistance because there are always more worthy applicants
than there are grants available. | 
