Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly

WIMMERA SPORTS FOUNDATION

Support for talented Wimmera athletes

To help local aspiring athletes, the Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly (WRSA) has established the Wimmera Sports Foundation with vital support from the Horsham Sports and Community Club.

In these tough climatic and economic conditions combined with rising fuel prices, the Assembly recognises that additional assistance may be the difference between a sports person continuing their pathway to the elite level or opting to stay and compete more locally.

Sports Foundation Funding presented

At the recent Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly Annual General Meeting five Wimmera Athletes were announced as recipients of funding from the Wimmera Sports Foundation to assist with the costs involved in training and competing in their chosen sports.

Hugh Delahunty, Member for Lowan, presented Jannik Blair, Jarrod Berry, Sophie Hutchinson, Hannah and Mardi Isbel with Wimmera Sports Foundation funding. There were a significant number of applicants for the Sports Foundation this round reflecting the number of individuals achieving and going onto success in the Wimmera. This made the selection process a very difficult one however it has meant that the final recipients are all very worthy of the Foundations Support.

Jannik Blair – Wheelchair Basketball
Jannik continues to shine on the National League stage with the Dandenong Rangers, his team currently sitting just outside the top four. Jannik is working hard towards making the Australian U23 team to compete at World Championships in England next year.
Jarrod Berry – Cross Country
Jarrod was selected in the VPSSA cross country state team, which competed in Nowra. Jarrod won the Wimmera Zone cross country in record time. Jarrod has also tasted success at National level last year where he won a silver medal.
Sophie Hutchinson – Athletics
Sophie’s goal is to compete at the Australian All Schools championships in December in her pet events 100m hurdles, 100m and long jump. Training up to six times per week, Sophie is dedicated to her athletics and is on track to receive a national ranking.
Hannah Isbel – Netball
Hannah has had a distinguished career so far in netball having represented the state at Primary Schools exchange and now having been selected in the Catholic Secondary School team to compete in the Australasian Catholic Schoolgirls championships in Penrith later this month.
Mardi Isbel – Netball
Mardi represented the Victorian Primary School Sports Association (VPSSA) state team in netball. Mardi progressed through selection trials at zone, regional and state level to gain her spot in the team, following in big sister Hannah’s footsteps.

The Wimmera Sports Foundation is unique in that the sponsorship dollars associated with the Horsham Sports and Community Club’s Sports Star of the Year Award are placed into the Foundation and invested to produce an income from which these grants are made. The Wimmera Regional Sports Assembly and Wimmera Sports Foundation congratulates all the recipients of this rounds funding and hope the support provided goes someway to assisting in future successes in their chosen sports.