SUPPORTING & ASSISTING WA ATHLETES & COACHES
Athlete & Coach Scholarship Fund is a registered project of the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). Donations of $2 and over made to the ASF in support of the Wally Foreman Foundation are tax deductible. Donations may be made at any time during the year.
The Wally Foreman Foundation has announced two aspiring Tokyo 2020 athletes at opposite ends of their careers as joint recipients of its annual scholarship.
The Foundation opted to jointly award the 2019 WFF Scholarship to Nia Jerwood (sailing) and Leah Parry (softball), who will both receive financial grants to support their qualification efforts for next year's Olympic Games.
The pair's scholarships were last night announced at the WA Institute of Sport's 2019 Awards of Excellence at the Pan Pacific Hotel in Perth.
Wally Foreman Foundation Chair Glen Foreman said: "We're thrilled to be able to provide Nia and Leah, who could potentially be vying for medals in Tokyo, with significant financial support heading into an Olympic year.
"These are two WA athletes that personify the Foundation's ambitions to continue dad's legacy and support those who are giving it their all to achieve their dreams, but could do with a little extra help.
"By all accounts, Nia has a bright future ahead of her, beginning in Tokyo but extending well beyond, while a Games berth and shot at an Olympic medal would be fitting exclamation mark on Leah's career of sacrifice, passion and pursuit.
"We're only able to provide these scholarships because of the support the Foundation receives throughout the year, and I want to thank everyone who participated in the Wally Foreman Corporate Canter and the West Coast Eagles for their continued support in hosting the event.
"That generosity, along with the support we receive from the Carbine Club of WA and the Western Australian Institute of Sport, makes the presentation of scholarships possible."
Jerwood, who competes the women's 470 Class under the guidance of highly respected Sydney gold medallist Belinda Stowell, has this year taken great strides towards Tokyo, having recently finished top 10 in the European and World Championships.
The 21-year-old earned her first medal at a major competition at the end of August, collecting silver at the World Cup in Enoshima, Japan – the 2020 Olympic sailing venue – alongside partner of the past few years, Monique de Vries.
The sailing tyro's schedule demands more than 180 days a year travelling and competing in pursuit of her Olympic dream, and the Foundation's support will assist in covering the costs of attending eight international regattas across four countries.
Parry, in a contrasting career position, has completed a remarkable comeback to softball and stands on the verge of an Olympic swansong that for many years appeared impossible.
The 39-year-old narrowly missed selection for the 2008 Games as the last player omitted from the extended squad, and her Olympic dream appeared quashed when the sport was axed from the London (2012) and Rio (2016) schedules.
Parry played on to the 2010 World Cup, before taking time away from the sport to have her first son, eight-year-old Austin, who has since been joined in the family by one-year-old brother Tom.
The mother-of-two returned to club softball in October last year and had lost little in her time away, earning her first national selection in six years when she was named for January's Asia Pacific Cup, before helping Australia defeat China to clinch the final Games spot at September's Olympic qualifier.
Parry and her family have made many sacrifices as they juggle the challenges of a pursuing a high performance dream with raising a young family and the Foundation's support will assist her and her husband with the costs of childcare.
The Wally Foreman Foundation aspires to continue the work of respected sports broadcaster and administrator Wally Foreman, who was a tireless advocate for WA athletes and coaches, before his death in 2006.
The Foundation, through its activities and the generosity of the community and bodies such as the West Coast Eagles, the Western Australian Institute of Sport and the Carbine Club of WA, raises funds to support WA athletes not covered by existing scholarships in their pursuit of sporting excellence.
The Wally Foreman Foundation has issued 47 scholarships (inclusive of the 2019 grants) since 2008, with its alumni comprised of national champions (such as sprinter Jody Henry and open water swimmer Rhys Mainstone), World Champions (such as cycling's Melissa Hoskins, Josie Tomic and Luke Durbridge), Olympic medallists (water polo's Emma Knox and equestrian's Sonja Johnson) and trailblazers (para-triathlete Brant Garvey).
Athlete & Coach Scholarship Fund is a registered project of the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF). Donations of $2 and over made to the ASF in support of the Wally Foreman Foundation are tax deductible. Donations may be made at any time during the year.