Ten of Queensland’s most talented athletes training at the Queensland Academy of Sport (QAS) have been awarded education scholarships at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).
Created to help Australia’s high performance athletes pursuit study and educational experience while training for their sport, the AIS’s Athlete Education Scholarship is in its second year and in that time has awarded more than $320,000 in scholarships to 118 athletes across 30 sports and 31 tertiary institutions.
The local scholarship recipients are Benjamin Manning (Paddle), Claire Colwill, Renee Taylor and Stephanie Kershaw (Hockey), Jessica Ewart-McTigue (Triathlon), Matilda Moore (Water Polo), Ria Thompson (Rowing), Susan Seipel (Paddle), Tahli Gill (Olympic Winter Institute of Australia) and Tara Sosinski ( Triathlon).
Former Chair of the Australian Sports Commission, John Wylie, whose John and Myriam Wylie Foundation makes the education program possible, said just because athletes work to chase their sporting dreams doesn’t need to be at the sacrifice of their other ambitions in life.
“Sport and education are a winning mix,” Mr Wylie said.
“It’s fantastic to see more sports and more educational institutions take the opportunity to join this program,” he said.
“This time we’re adding athletes from rugby, netball and boccia.
“We have seasoned Olympians and Paralympians who have competed at the highest level, through to emerging athletes starting out on their sporting and education journeys.”
“That’s the wonderful opportunity Australian sport provides.”
The QAS recipients supported in the AIS Education Scholarship are:
Benjamin Manning: Griffith Uni, Bachelor of Psychology (Honours),
Claire Colwill: Uni of Queensland, Clinical Exercise Physiology (Honours),
Jessica Ewart-McTigue: Griffith Uni, Bachelor of Environment and Science,
Matilda Moore: Queensland Uni of Technology, Bachelor of Vision Science,
Renee Taylor: Curtin Uni, Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Commerce,
Stephanie Kershaw: Curtin Uni, Bachelor of Primary Education,
Ria Thompson: Uni of Queensland, Doctor of Medicine,
Susan Seipel: Griffith Uni, Psychology (Hon)
Tahli Gill: Queensland Uni of Technology, Degree of Education (Primary),
Tara Sosinski: Griffith Uni, Bachelor of Biomedical Science.
