Sport Australia Hall of Fame awards scholarships to future stars of Australian athletics

The world number ones and trailblazers will work individually with two Tier 1 Scholarship holders in 2024 World Under 20 Championships stars Sebastian Sultana and Mason McGroder in the program, which is backed by the Australian Sports Commission, incorporating the Australian Institute of Sport.

2024 National 100m sprint champion and Paris Olympic relay squad member Sultana will be mentored by Rafter, while McGroder, who won global Under 20 silver at just the age of 15 will work one-on-one with Pittman.

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program provides invaluable financial and broader support, guidance and advice to outstanding young athletes aged 15-21 on their path to fulfilling their potential and achieving excellence on the global stage.

A total of 32 athletes from 30 different sports will share $150,000 in funding, spread across three levels.

In addition to the one-on-one mentoring from a past Australian champion, who is typically from a different sport but a current Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, Tier 1 Scholarship holders receive a $10,000 grant to contribute to training and competition costs.

“It is a great honour and opportunity to be a successful SAHOF scholarship recipient. It means a lot to be put in the same category as a lot of other high achieving athletes, especially those who are older and already finished their careers,” McGroder said.

“I am excited to learn from Jana Pittman, whose success in sport and life I really admire. I can’t wait to begin learning from Jana’s experience and apply this insight to my own pursuits.”

Sultana says his mentorship from Rafter will help him reach his full potential in the sport.

“Through the support offered, I am able to effectively use this Scholarship to allow me to excel in athletics. To have Pat Rafter as a mentor makes me feel confident and supported,” Sultana said.

“He has been so successful in his sport, and to have him guide and uplift me gives me the confidence and ability to be successful.”

The 2025 Tier 2 scholarship holders include fourth-place getter at the World Under 20 Championships and Australian U20 record holder in the 10,000m race walks, Isaac Beacroft, while Tier 3 includes Daniel Frey, a rural athlete who travels thousands of kilometres to Sydney to compete for New South Wales.

Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chair and legend of Australian Sport, John Bertrand AO, said:

“The Scholarship and Mentoring Program is a unique and powerful program giving our young emerging champions the once in a lifetime opportunity to have direct access to Australia’s sporting greats. We welcome all 32 scholarship recipients representing 30 sports into the 2025 program.”

“This program wouldn’t exist without our Members and we thank them very much for sharing their personal experiences and wealth of knowledge to encourage these young athletes to excel in their athletic performances, face their fears and have the strength and resilience to chase their dreams while facing the highs and lows of elite sport”

Australian Sports Commission Chair Kate Jenkins AO congratulated the 2025 scholarship recipients.

“The ASC is proud to support this program that helps athletes to reach their full potential and to bring out the best in everyone involved in sport.”

“To receive a record number of applications is testament to the program’s success and it has been wonderful to see former scholarship recipients like Torrie Lewis, Caitlin Parker, Alex Saffy and Jesse Moore shine in Paris and inspire the next generation of athletes in the process.”

“I wish the latest scholarship recipients every success and hope this extra financial support helps bring them a step closer to reaching their sporting goals.”

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame’s Scholarship and Mentoring Program has benefited 236 athletes in 56 sports. The program has been supported by 103 Mentors and has distributed more than $1 million in funding. Many mentor-mentee relationships remain strong today, including Dawn Fraser AC MBE and Torrie Lewis.

By Sport Australia Hall of Fame
Posted: 17/9/2024