Congratulations to Comm Games NSW Athlete Grant Recipients

24 May 2021
Hugh Gillham CGNSW Grant

Commonwealth Games NSW is proud to announce the 2021 recipients of the CGNSW Athlete Grant Program. Eligible recipients will be awarded $1,000 each.

The athletes were nominated by Swimming NSW on their program at either the 2022 Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham (England) or the 2022 Commonwealth Championships scheduled to be held in Chandigarh (India).

CGNSW CEO Peter Tate said “These young athletes have demonstrated tremendous ability in their respective sport pathways. I have no doubt many will be chosen to represent Australia in future Commonwealth Games”.

This is the fourth edition of the CGNSW Athlete Grants which first commenced in 2016. There are now 89 recipients over that period of time. Nominating criteria requires each athlete to be a resident of NSW and under 20 years of age. The grants are awarded every second year.

Congratulations to the following swimming Grant Recipients

Sydney Brown (Wests Illawarra Aquatic SC)

Sydney Brown Australian Age Medalist

Sydney Brown is well placed to be the next sprint queen of Swimming in NSW. Sydney (16 years) has been attending the National Championships since she was twelve and at this year’s Australian Age Swimming Championships held on the Gold Coast, Sydney took home one Silver medal and one Bronze medal (100m Freestyle, 50m Freestyle). Her performances earned her a place on the National Flippers Squad.

Sydney also won two Gold Medals at the National Age Championships in the relay events; the 15-16 Years 4x50m Freestyle Relay and the 13-16 Years 4x100m Freestyle Relay.

Sydney trains with the Wests Illawarra Aquatic Swim Club out of Wollongong, which placed in the top 10 at the event on the back of Sydney and her teammates fantastic performances.

At the NSW State Age Championships held in December 2020, Sydney won a medal in every event she entered, including three Gold medals (50m, 100m and 200m Freestyle) and a Silver Medal (100m Butterfly). At the NSW Country Championships in February, Sydney broke the NSW Country Records in the 50m, 100m and 200m Freestyle events.

Sydney was invited to Swimming Australia’s National event camp held in January 2021, as one of the up and coming female sprint freestylers in Australia. She also participated in the NSW Flippers Camp held at Ballina and Alstonville in November 2020.

Sydney is hoping to follow in the wake of superstar swimming sisters Cate and Bronte Campbell all the way to the Olympic arena, with her first target to earn selection onto the 2021 Australian World Junior Championships Team and from there make her first National Senior team.

Hugh Gillham (Kinross Wolaroi SC)

Hugh Gillham

Hugh Gillham is one of the rising stars of Para Swimming in NSW.  At this year’s Australia Age Swimming Championships held on the Gold Coast, Hugh took home two Gold and three Silver medals in an outstanding performance across the three days of competition. Hugh’s medals included Gold in 50m Freestyle and 200 Individual Medley. Hugh won Silver in the 50m and 100m Butterfly and the 400m Freestyle.

In his favourite event, the 100m Butterfly, Hugh swam under the Paralympic qualifying time three times over the course of the event. This means that Hugh will be eligible to compete at the Trials for the 2020 Australian Paralympic team next month in Adelaide.

As result of his fantastic swimming at the National Championships, Hugh was selected onto the 2021-2022 Swimming Australia Para Swimming National Development Squad. Selection onto this squad is an integral part of the Para Swimming Performance Pathway. The Para Swimming Performance Pathway is designed to prepare swimmers for transition to the Senior National Team and to achieve high performance success in and out of the pool.

Hugh trains out of the Kinross Wolaroi School in Orange with his coach Kim Taylor and given his location has to regularly travel to Sydney to compete in Competitions and attend Development days and Camps. Selection onto the Australian Paralympic Team remains the ultimate goal for Hugh and he will be a very strong contender for the 2022 Commonwealth Games Team.

Lachlan Walker (Alstonville SC)

Lachlan Walker

Lachlan Walker has only been swimming competitively since the age of 14 but he already has made significant improvements in his results and is now a rising star of distance swimming in NSW, particularly in his pet events, the 200m and 400m Individual Medley.

Lachlan trains out of the Alstonville Swimming Centre on the far north coast of NSW and the small group of swimmers at the Club continue to push each other to reach their potential. 

At the recent National Age Championships on the Gold Coast Lachlan (17 years) took home one Silver (400m IM) and three Bronze Medals (200m IM, 200m Butterfly and 1500m Freestyle).

At the NSW State Age Championships held in December 2020, Lachlan had a fantastic meet, winning five Gold medals, one Silver and a Bronze medal. He also made the Final in 8 out of the 10 events he entered.

His main goal for the next 6 months will be continuing to improve his performances, so he can earn selection onto the 2021 Australian World Junior Championships Team, with the ultimate target of earning selection on to the 2022 Australian Commonwealth Games Team.

 

Parts of this article have been replicated from the CGA NSW media release.

Was this page helpful?yesno

Thanks for your feedback.

Go back to top