SWIM STUDENTS RECEIVE $10,000 GRANTS FROM AUSTRALIAN UNITY
MELBOURNE, September 20: Beijing Olympic silver medallist Christian Sprenger and World champion Jade Edmistone are the 2008 recipients of the Australian Unity Educational Assistance Grants, announced in Melbourne today.
Each swimmer will receive a $10,000 grant to further their educational pursuits for the next 12 months.
The champion breaststrokers were on hand to receive the grants as the five-day Telstra Australian Short Course Championships kicked off at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre on Saturday.
The Annual Education Assistance Grants are part of Australian Unity's on-going sponsorship of Swimming Australia.
The scholarships have been heralded by Swimming Australia CEO Kevin Neil as a major step towards encouraging swimmers to continue their tertiary studies and provide a pathway for a career after swimming.
"Swimming recognises the importance of furthering an athlete's career path and the Board is delighted with the partnership and ingenuity shown by Australian Unity to introduce this scheme," said Neil.
"I am sure it will open the door for swimmers in our elite group to mix their careers in the pool with their academic pursuits.
"This assistance will play a big part in helping them afford what can be quite an expense for themselves and their families
"And if it can help keep our athletes in the sport longer then that's a major plus for us."
Sprenger, a silver medallist as part of Australia's 4x100m medley relay team in Beijing, is currently studying Industrial Design at the Queensland University of Technology.
"I was over the moon when I heard the news - you've got no idea how much assistance this will be for me," said Sprenger, one of several 2008 Olympians who are mixing University with their elite swimming careers.
"I would like to thank Australian Unity and Swimming Australia for this initiative and look forward to completing my degree and also continue my goals towards a second Olympics in London in 2012.
"I also look forward to helping promote this program so that other swimmers can also successfully combine their studies and their careers in the pool."
Edmistone, who won the 2005 World Championship in the 50m breaststroke and has contested the last four FINA World long course and short course championships looks forward to completing her Bachelor of Physiotherapy and associate degree in Mathematics, also heralded the partnership as a major breakthrough.
"It will be a huge boost to help finish my degree, which like my swimming has been a long journey," said Edmistone, who has set her sights on competing in her fourth World Short Course in Dubai, 2010.
"I'm sure any athlete who is studying either full time or part time will agree it is not easy to mix studying, training, travel and competition - so this kind of assistance from Australian Unity is a godsend.
"It will play a major part in keeping me in the pool and also lighten the financial burden associated with my degree."