Smarter than Smoking - Western Australian scholarship winners
by senior correspondent Jennifer Martens
They may be juniors, but Western Australians Kadiejayne Tirkot, Candice Tirkot and Chris Gulvin are proving they can hang with the big boys of their sport. Each of these SSAA junior members have secured a spot on a national or international team and have accumulated an impressive list of accomplishments during their short sporting careers.
As a result of their achievements in 2009, they have each been selected to receive a scholarship through the Smarter than Smoking Country Sport Scholarship Program, which is a joint initiative between the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) and the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation program Healthway. The aim of the program is to support talented regional athletes in their pursuit of state and national representation and to break down the barriers that exist for those athletes living far from the city.
Healthway and the Heart Foundation are proud sponsors of the Department of Sport and Recreation’s Smarter than Smoking Country Sport Scholarship Program and together, encourage all Western Australians to support a smoke-free environment, so that athletes and sporting teams can produce maximal performance levels and maintain their fitness and health.
The scholarships, which range from $500 to $2000, assist regional athletes to access training, competitions, development camps, coaching, team fees, uniform costs and facilities that will help them improve their performances and ultimately, their chances of representing Western Australia or even Australia. The program also encourages recipients to act as role models through incentive schemes. Since 1995, Healthway has donated more than $3 million to assist regional athletes achieve their goals. In 2009, 96 applications were received and 68 scholarships were awarded.
In addition to funds, the athletes are also supported in their development of life skills that are essential to balancing sport and life. These skills include nutrition, time management, goal setting, planning and managing transitions, avoiding drugs in sport and developing self-awareness, leadership skills and their sporting pathway.
Kadiejayne Tirkot
Kadiejayne Tirkot, a Smarter than Smoking Country Sport Scholarship recipient in 2008, was selected again in 2009 as a $2000 scholarship recipient because of her position on the 2009 Australian National Team. The 19-year-old has won four National Titles and three State Titles. She is a current record-holder in the 25 and 50m Rimfire Standing Offhand position, a Master-Grade shooter and a member of the 2010 Australian Olympic team. As an air rifle shooter, she is currently ranked number one in Australia.
Candice Tirkot
Candice Tirkot, 15, who is following in her big sister’s footsteps, was awarded a $1000 scholarship for her selection on the Western Australian State Team. She too has a string of titles to her name. She was the 2009 National Junior 4-Gun Under 18 Champion, the Western Australian State 4-Gun Under 18 Champion and placed in the top four in the Open 4-Gun National Championships and in the top three at the Open 4-Gun State Titles. Both girls say they will use the money to assist them in purchasing new equipment and travelling to various interstate and overseas competitions.
Chris Gulvin
Twenty-year-old Chris Gulvin was selected for a $1000 scholarship for his achievements on the Australian B Team in the Open Division at the 2008 Pacific Regional Shooting Championships where he won four gold medals, a silver medal and a bronze medal. He has been a State and National Team member for the past five years and has represented Australia in a team competition in the USA. In 2009, Chris won seven national gold medals in Air Rifle and NRA 3.40 competitions. Chris hopes to one day represent Australian sports shooting at a Commonwealth or Olympic Games level. In his spare time, he is an accomplished drum and guitar player.
Summary
Healthway, the Heart Foundation and the Western Australian Department of Sport and Recreation are doing their part to make sure all junior Western Australian athletes have a shot at making their dreams come true. You too can help by encouraging junior shooters to be smart - smarter than smoking.
Did you know…
• Smoking kills your fitness? So, if you smoke, how do you think you will keep up the pace?
• Being active is much more difficult if you smoke? Smokers become exhausted more easily and have slower reaction times compared to non-smokers. Smoke and you miss out.
• That the majority of adult smokers wish they’d never started and say they’d like to stop smoking. Wouldn’t it be easier to quit smoking before you start?
Messages from Healthway
Home > Junior shooters > Adventures & stories > Smarter than Smoking - Western Australian scholarship winners