Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was delighted to recently host an awards ceremony for Local Sporting Champions grants in Newcastle. These grants go a long way to help families ensure their child can continue to play the sport they love. I would like to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts of these young athletes: Josie and Ella Pinkerton and Isabel Palmer, who all played basketball for the state team at the Australian Junior Championships; cyclist Nicola Macdonald, who competed at the junior world track championships; netballer Emma Hopkins, who represented the Hunter region at the NSWPSSA State Netball Championships; Marley Flint who is a talented swimmer and competed in backstroke at the Pacific School Games; water polo player Matthew Humby, who represented Australia at an international competition in Croatia—playing and training against some of Europe's best young water polo players; Max King, who competed at the under 18s Australian Rugby League schoolboys championships; hockey player Kendall Steel, who competed at the all schools national championships and was subsequently chosen as a shadow player for the Hockeyroos; and Davis Harara, who competed at the NSW CHS Rugby Championships and was picked to play in the next level competition. These young athletes have all excelled at the sport they love and I wish them all the very best for the future.