Pittwater Life September 2023 Issue

Pathway medal for Sports High
Narrabeen Sports High School
student and aspiring Olympian
Ruby Trew and local Olympians Matilda
Kearns and Jo Brigden-Jones
joined Australian Olympic Committee
CEO Matt Carroll last month
to formally recognise Narrabeen
Sports High School as an Australian
Olympic Pathway School.
The news is a significant boost
for the school, which had recently
been the focus of negative attention concerning the state of dilapidated
facilities while awaiting an upgrade.
The NSW Government promised urgent action to repair the
school – now it has been named as one of only seven NSW schools
to achieve Olympic Pathway School status.
Ruby, the number one ranked female skateboarder in Australia
who is training to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics,
praised the school for helping to accommodate her training
requirements, allowing her to remain enrolled while most other
competitors had to switch to home schooling to maintain a
training schedule.
Selection as an Australian Olympic Pathway School requires
the school to meet a strict set of criteria under a sport program,
including nutrition and well-being education and support for
students; education on sport integrity matters, including antidoping
and competition manipulation; coaching and facilities of the
highest standard; and educational opportunities to students in
a supportive environment that promoted a culture of academic
excellence, collaboration, and commitment.
Mr Carroll said the new designation represented opportunity for
INSPIRATIONAL: Jo Brigden-Jones, Matilda Kearns and Ruby Trew.
students, but also secured the future
of Australian Olympic sports.
“Having pathway schools is
important because it’s a virtuous
circle – you don’t get high-performance
athletes unless you have
these pathways,” he said.
“The high-performance athletes
then inspire the next generation
to have a crack through the pathway.
So they are a very important
link that no sport can do without.”
Narrabeen Sports High School Principal Heidi Currie said the
status as an Olympic Pathway School would inspire students to
achieve their goals.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for our students to be able to have
the support that they need in the classroom and all of the expert
coaching that they need to realise their own dreams and their
own potential,” said Ms Currie.
Her comments were echoed by Narrabeen Sports High School
Parents and Citizens (P&C) President James Wiggins who said the
recognition of sports was important as part of a holistic education
program.
“As a parent, I know that the cultural pursuits, the academic
pursuits in the sporting sense, are all really important to build a
balanced human being,” he said.
“This is a good affirmation in terms of all of the good things
that come with sports, and the school is now being backed up in
that. It’s an amazing achievement,” said Mr Wiggins.
Australia will host the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.
– northernbeachesadvocate.com.au
PHOTO: Northern Beaches Advocate
News
The Local Voice Since 1991
SEPTEMBER 2023 21