Funds boost overseas travel

SPEARHEAD: Some of the local athletes taking Whanganui to the world received their Future Champions Trust grants at Mitre 10 Mega yesterday. Parents of other recipients and the trustees also attended.PHOTO/STUART MUNRO

Kayakers heading to Belarus, rowers off to the Netherlands, and other young athletes who have travelled to Hawaii and Australia were among the latest recipients from the May funding round of the Mitre 10 Mega Wanganui Future Champions trust.

Since November 2013, the trust has given grants of various sizes to young Whanganui athletes.

There were 10 recipients at this round, each receiving part of a $5500 grants total.

The trust has now given out over $25,000 in 30 grants.

"It's exciting to once again be able to support some new athletes in sports that the 2-year-old trust has generally not supported previously and this highlights the wide and varied sporting talent we are breeding in Whanganui," said chairwoman Phillipa Baker-Hogan.

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

Rowers Jackie Gowler and Georgia Nugent-O'Leary have been selected in the under 23 NZ women's eight for the U23 world championships in Rotterdam in August.

Kayakers Sapere Simon and Erica Tanner will be off to the under 18 and under 23 world championships in Belarus in July.

Waka ama's Daniel Kauika has been chosen for the under 19 men's team attending the world championships in Australia this month, while Jazmin Phillips has been chosen for the 2016 Age Group World Championships (aquathon) in Mexico.

Other athletes getting a helping hand after having been on the world stage are gymnast Millie Manning, who went with the NZ Development team to Hawaii in January, and judo exponent Finn Brown, a medallist at the Oceania championships in Canberra in April.

Opetini Dryden was selected for track and field at the 2016 Oceania Regional (Polynesian) Championships in Tahiti in April.

And hockey standout Emma Rainey will play for Central Districts in both the women's under 18 and under 21 national tournaments.