Trust offers leg-up for talented teens - June 2015

Two kayakers, two swimmers, two inline speed skaters and a judo exponent are the latest teenagers to benefit with $1500 grants from the Mitre 10 Mega Wanganui Future Champions Trust.

The latest recipients were announced at Cooks Gardens on Thursday evening, with the seven names being more than the five at the inaugural funding round last year, including three from the original group getting another grant.

Chairwoman Philippa Baker-Hogan also announced the "key" signing of the local Mitre 10 business as the naming rights sponsor for the next two years - as the trust, which was founded in 2013, relies entirely on sponsors and contributions, giving every cent back to the athletes.

"I think it's a great, call it a cause," said Mitre 10 manager Hayden Gibson, whose store already provides the home training ground of the inline skaters and former WHS students Jessica van Bentum and Rebecca Smith, who have gone from that lit carpark to racing on the world stage.

The two young women have been competing in Europe for the past five months and will represent New Zealand at the World Roller Speed Skating Championships in Taiwan in November.

Previous trust recipient Van Bentum is in Germany training with the Arma Wheels team, under coach and former world champion Kalon Dobbin, while Smith is competing in the European Inline Speed Skating Cup, with consists of eight races over three months around the continent.

Also previous recipients and former WHS students, New Zealand representative kayakers Aiden Nossiter and Toby Brooke were recognised again as they continue their search to raise $8000 each to attend the 2015 Junior and Under-23 World Sprint Championships in Lisbon, Portugal.

Nossiter said the money definitely helped them last year to get to the 2014 world championships in Szeged, Hungary.

Competing in the K4, Nossiter said his crew including Wanganui teammate and former WHS student Max Brown had struggled stepping up to U23 level from the U18 juniors.

"We've all improved - got better times."

This year Brown's younger brother, Finn (Wanganui High School), also stepped forward as a first-time recipient for his judo career.

The Wanganui City College Judo Club member was one of four local practitioners selected for the recent Oceania Championships in Noumea.

He now hopes to raise enough funds to join the New Zealand team going to Japan for training in 2016, and, with elder brother Max also off to Portugal, the family finances are naturally strained.

"It makes a huge difference, especially for mum and dad," said Finn.

"It really helps me in my goal of going to compete in these international competitions."

Others bitten by the bug of competing overseas were swimmers Shannon Schimanski and Elena Forlong (Wanganui High School).

The first national representatives from the Wanganui Swimming Club, in April they competed in breaststroke and butterfly respectively at the Australian Age Group Championships in the 12-strong New Zealand squad.

Forlong thanked everyone involved in the trust for their support and said it had been an "awesome" experience in Sydney.

The trust has now given a hand to 11 athletes, covering seven different codes, the total so far $16,500.

They invite support from all levels, and businesses interested in contributing can reach the trust through its website www.futurechampionstrust.org, or by contacting Baker-Hogan by telephone on 027 272 7953, or email to enquiries@futurechampionstrust.org.

The next round of funding applications is open now and will close on September 30.

Athletes can visit the website to see if they meet the criteria and download an application form, or pick up the form from the Sport Whanganui offices.

Wanganui Chronicle 6/6/15