NSWIS Winter Induction ceremony celebrates successful year

The annual NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Winter Induction ceremony was recently held at the Jindabyne Sport and Recreation Centre during which winter athletes, coaches, support staff and high-performance sport administrators celebrated the past 12 months of success and welcomed the Institute’s newest scholarship holders.

40 athletes, including Olympians, Paralympians and Crystal Globe champions, from moguls, snowboard cross, park and pipe attended the prestigious event which welcomes returning scholarship holders as well as new scholarship athletes to high performance.

Among the NSWIS scholarship holders were 2022 Olympic Champion Jakara Anthony and 2023 Para World Champion Ben Tudhope and world championship medallists Valentino Guseli, Josie Baff and Matt Graham as well as sixnew athletes to the program.

Present to recognise and welcome the athletes were NSWIS Chief Executive Professor Kevin Thompson, Snow Australia Chief Executive Michael Kennedy and strategic partners from Perisher, Thredbo, and Jindabyne Sport & Recreation Centre.

Prof Thompson noted “The NSWIS Winter Sports Induction ceremony is a unique and rare opportunity where all our winter athletes are together under the one roof.

“It’s a time to celebrate the success of our programs, the athletes and staff. It’s a time to foster rich cultural traditions and a time to recognise our stakeholders and strategic partners.”

Kennedy enthused “It's fantastic to see so many new Snow Australia athletes across moguls, snowboard cross, park & pipe and para-alpine and snowboard joining the established cohort, as NSWIS scholarship recipients for the upcoming season.

“There has been a great deal of work by our team over the past few years to prepare athletes for this moment via the Emerging Talent Program (ETP) and we wish them well as they begin their journey as NSWIS athletes.

"With the likes of Olympic and Paralympic medallists Jakara Anthony, Matt Graham, Tess Coady and Ben Tudhope excelling in the program, it shows the snow sports pathway is producing results, and allowing us to develop present and future talents across all disciplines.

Image. Credit: NSWIS