Pathway funding assistance for our elite junior athletes

9 December 2025

Pathway funding assistance for our elite junior athletes

The biennial World U20 Championships have been a key pathway competition for Australian teenagers. It was thrilling this year to see, in the blink of an eye, a number of very recent world juniors already on the Australian senior teams. Long jumper Delta Amidzovski, 400m athlete Jemma Pollard, relay runner Connor Bond and half-miler Luke Boyes make the team for the Tokyo World Championships, while race walker Isaac Beacroft, hurdler Bella Guthrie and sprinter Olivia Inkster made the World University Games team.

However, it may surprise you that our emerging junior stars in track and field are required to cover most of the costs to compete at junior international championships and specifically the biennial World U20 Championships. The reality is this is similar for most Australian teams in Olympic and Paralympic sports. Currently athletes are paying about $4000 to be a part of the World U20 Championships team.

Olivia Inkster, who competed at the both the 2022 and 2024 World U20 Championships, reflected on the importance of these championships on her athletics journey.

“Competing at back-to-back World Juniors has been a massive part of my development. Being exposed to that level of competition so early in my career has pushed me, motivated me, and shown me what’s required to progress in the sport. Those opportunities have shaped my journey and helped fuel the season I had in 2025 making two open national finals in my first year as a senior athlete,” said Inkster.

Inkster was one of the many athletes, 16 in 2022 and 20 in 2024, that NSW placed on the teams. Despite an enormous number of NSW athletes on each team NSW Athletics was able to assist these athletes by contributing to their tour costs.

“With the assistance from Athletics NSW, I was able to represent my country on the world stage, an experience that has motivated me even more. It’s fuelled my hunger to keep improving and to earn the opportunity to wear the green and gold again,” said Inkster.

“With limited funding available in athletics in Australia, both campaigns were largely self-funded, so the support from Athletics NSW was truly instrumental. Without it, attending these championships would have been extremely difficult.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the support from Athletics NSW, as it helped turn what felt like distant dreams into real, career-shaping experiences.”

The funds for the junior athletes were draw from the Athletics NSW Centenary Trust, setup in 1987. However, assisting 36 athletes in the last few years has been a drain on the account. This summer we are seeking the support from the NSW athletics community, ahead of the next World U20 Championships in Eugene in July 2026.

How can you help?
From January onwards, members entering any NSW Athletics event will be able to make an optional, tax-deductible donation via the Australian Sports Foundation (ASF) to the Centenary Trust directly at the point of checkout through our new RevSport functionality.

Members, and the broader community, can also choose to donate at any time via our dedicated Australian Sports Foundation project page (link https://asf.org.au/campaigns/athletics-nsw-ltd). All contributions made through the ASF are fully tax-deductible and go directly to supporting NSW junior athletes; funds do not flow into NSW Athletics operational accounts.

Your support will help maintain the Centenary Trust and ensure we can continue reducing the significant financial burden faced by NSW athletes representing our country on the international stage.

David Tarbotton for Athletics NSW

Image: Olivia Inkster at the 2025 World University Games