Youthful athletes receive cash boost

Five new faces are the latest recipients of grants from the Mitre 10 Mega Wanganui Future Champions Trust.

The five students were announced as receiving $1000 grants each at Wanganui Girls' College during the Dub.Dee.See. Youth Committee Secondary School Sports Awards on Wednesday.

Previously, the seven recipients for the June 2015 intake, who were given $1500 each, included three who got back-to-back grants after being part of the 2014 inaugural group - coming from inline skating and kayaking.

This October's group features all-new faces to get money from the trust, which relies entirely on sponsors and contributions for the $1000-1500 grants, giving every cent it receives back to the athletes.

"It's exciting to once again be able to support some new athletes in sports that the two-year-old trust has not supported previously and this highlights the wide and varied sporting talent we are breeding in Wanganui," Trust chairwoman Philippa Baker-Hogan said.

"Trustees are so grateful to Mitre 10 Mega Wanganui and all our wonderful supporters, who make our regular twice-yearly grants possible."

Wanganui Collegiate runners Christian Conder and Jane Lennox received grants to assist in their journey with the New Zealand team to the 2016 IFS World Schools Cross Country Championships in Hungary this coming April.

Conder, who will captain the NZ Secondary Schools team, said the grants helped ease pressure for active athletes preparing for upcoming assignments.

"The generous financial contribution towards Jane and my World Cross Country campaign really takes some pressure off our families and our need to find the money, meaning we can concentrate more on our training."

Of the other recipients, Blair Osborne was recently selected and competed for the New Zealand Under-17 Mixed Touch team in a development tour in Australia.

The allrounder has seen success in basketball, touch and rugby union while at Wanganui High School.

Cullinane College's multisporter Briley Zimmerman got a grant heading into her summer after she competed for the Under-19 New Zealand Age Group team for the World Duathlon Championships in Australia, where she finished sixth in her grade.

Golfer Tara Raj, ranked in the top three for Under 13 girls in the country, has had an excellent 2015 - becoming the youngest Wanganui Women's Open champion and playing No2, for the Manawatu-Wanganui Women's representative team.

"As a local Wanganui business we are committed to giving back to our community," said Hayden Gibson, owner of naming sponsor Mitre 10 Mega Wanganui.

"Along with Wanganui's Mitre 10 Mega Tough Kid event, we see the Future Champions Trust as a great vehicle to support up-and-coming champions."