More than 45 active kids from Cockburn have received a share in more than $19,000 from the City of Cockburn as part of its annual Junior Sports Travel Assistance Program (JSTA).
The 48 recipients of the December 2017 and March 2018 rounds were present to accept certificates from Danielle Kettlewell, 2016 Rio Olympics Australian Synchronised Swimming competitor and SupaNova Synchronised Swimming coach at Cockburn ARC and Mayor Logan Howlett, at a ceremony on 30 April.
Danielle was part of the Australian Synchronised Swimming Team that finished in a respectable eighth position on the worldwide stage.
In the lead-up to the 2016 Olympics, Danielle and her fellow team members trained eight to 10 hours a day, six days a week.
“If you have a passion for what you do and work hard and go after your goal, that is the true measure of success in the end. It’s not all about winning,” Danielle told JSTA recipients.
Funding recipient and local figure skater Kayla Harburn said the wisdom Danielle imparted at the ceremony was “amazing”.
“You get these speeches a lot in training camp, but it was really enrapturing to hear Danielle’s story,” Kayla said.
“Yes, because she (Danielle) wasn’t just made to be in the sport, she had to work hard to get there,” said fellow Cockburn Ice Arena figure skater Amberley Willis.
The City began funding the travel program nine years ago, with this being the fifth annual JSTA awards night.
Grants of up to $400 per child help local juniors who achieve representation at either a State or National Level in their chosen sport, to fulfil their sporting dreams.
Among the sports represented in the latest grants were Ice Skating, Golf, Futsal and Volleyball.
Recipients who attended the awards ceremony had a chance to win door prizes of $100 Ticketmaster gift cards, which were won by Coolbellup athlete Sasha Zhoya & WA State team Perth Heat player Todd Hatcher.
“The City is proud of its continued support of local juniors in pursuing their sporting goals, and we allocate $50,000 each year from our Budget towards the JSTA program,” Mayor Logan Howlett said.