Beijing Olympics water polo star James Stanton, pictured with SWAS basketball players James Goodlad and Simon Green, was on hand to share his knowledge at a personal development program held in Bunbury.

25th January 2010

Making it to the highest representative levels in sport is a tough journey that requires dedication, sacrifice and a lot of hard work.  That’s why the South West Academy of Sport continues to find ways to make the road ahead easier for its athletes.

The latest initiative saw SWAS team up with the Department of Sport and Recreation and Western Australian Institute of Sport to bring the Gifted Athlete Program (GAP), a life skills education and training course, to Bunbury.

Held at Edith Cowan University on Thursday January 21, GAP gave SWAS basketball and individual scholarship athletes the opportunity to develop the life skills necessary to reach more advanced levels of competition.

SWAS chief executive officer Bernice Butlion said topics covered on the day aimed to smooth the transition between junior and elite sport levels and included leadership, injury prevention, sports nutrition and sports development pathways.

“Participants also met WAIS and Beijing Olympics athlete James Stanton, who was on hand to share his experiences with the athletes,” she said.

“The program was a fantastic opportunity for our athletes to develop futures in sport and we are aiming to bring it back so even more of our athletes have the chance to take part.”