By Mike Verzosa
4 July 2024: Olympians, Paralympians and local talent from some of Canberra’s leading high-performance sports teams are among an elite athlete cohort of 12 students each awarded an Eldon and Anne Foote Elite Athlete Scholarship at the University of Canberra.
The scholarships, ranging in value from $5,000 to $10,000, have been presented annually at the University since 2015. This year’s recipients include athletes competing in high-level sports such as swimming, basketball, triathlon, rugby and soccer.
The University’s Director of Sport Carrie Graf said the annual scholarships supported by the Eldon and Anne Foote Trust provide elite athletes the opportunity to pursue study while continuing to train and focus on their respective sporting interests.
“Participating in high-performance sport and studying to obtain a university degree requires a huge amount of dedication and effort. These scholarships help to ease some of their financial pressures and go a long way to helping them achieve their goals in the classroom and in their respective sporting fields,” Ms Graf said.
The scholarships align with the University’s Sport Strategy and allow athletes from a diverse range of sporting disciplines access to higher education through sport.
“The range of sports among this year’s scholarship recipients exemplify the kind of support that we provide here at UC – any elite athlete can come here and perfect their craft and compete at the highest levels, while receiving quality education and institutional support in the process,” Ms Graf said.
Triathlete Penny Slater, who is currently pursuing her PhD at the University, said that the scholarships acknowledge the hard work put in by elite athletes, which often goes unseen, and show the University’s ongoing commitment to support its student athletes in pursuing academic and sporting excellence.
“The scholarship is a huge benefit to me moving forward, as it allows me to focus more on training and performing, and relieves the stress about making ends meet,” Ms Slater said.
“Scholarships like this are tangible evidence of how much UC backs its athletes. In addition to flexibility with content and learning, UC is willing to support the dreams of its athletes and understands that we can achieve our academic and sporting goals simultaneously.”
For Paralympian Jasmine Greenwood, the scholarship means being able to balance study and sport, and focus on excelling in both fields.
“I’m so grateful to receive this scholarship because having financial stress as a young person is a very real problem that a lot of us face,” Ms Greenwood said.
“Being a student athlete isn’t easy. It’s challenging having to juggle the demands of school and training and competition, and we still want to work on our future careers outside of sport. I’ve been working hard towards that and towards getting good grades and this scholarship helps to allow me to focus on those pursuits more.”
The Eldon and Anne Foote Elite Athlete Scholarship is awarded in addition to the University’s long-standing Elite Athlete Program, further affirming its standing as a leading sporting university in Australia.
2024 Eldon and Anne Foote Elite Athlete Scholarship recipients
Penny Slater, Triathlon
Mitchell Baker, Race Walking
Henry Palmer, Rugby Sevens
Alex Saffy, Para Swimming
Jasmine Greenwood, Para Swimming
Kayla Hardy, Swimming
Jayda Clark, Basketball (UC Capitals)
Gabrielle Sutcliffe, Cricket (ACT Meteors)
Jesse Moore, Gymnastics
Ari Gesini, Para Athletics
Ashley Fernandez, Rugby (Brumbies Women)
Sofia Christopherson, Soccer (Canberra United)
Images by Liam Budge.
