On Thursday November 1st, the Greater building society announced the 2012 Olympic scholarship winners. Below are a list of the winners with a description of their achievements. 

1. Isobel Cootes                    Age 17                     Football                                 Warners Bay

Isobel was first selected to represent Australia at football as a 14 year old when she traveled to Vietnam as captain of the Australian Under 14 Team.  Last year she was selected to represent Australia in the Under 17 years team which firstly traveled to New Zealand to play a friendly game and then to China to compete in the Asian Cup Tournament.

2. Taylor Corry                    Age 17                     Swimming (Paralympian)    Nelson Bay

Taylor was selected to represent Australia at the 2012 Para-Olympics in London where she won Silver in both the 200 metres freestyle and the 100 metres backstroke.  She presently holds 3 world records in backstroke and butterfly events.

3. Kailani Craine                 Age 14                     Figure Skating                      Waratah

Kailani has this year been selected to represent Australia in the Cup of Nice Tournament in France and the Ice Challenge Tournament in Austria.  She is ranked as the top junior ladies ice skater in Australia and is the current Hunter (Junior and Senior) Figure Skating champion.

4. Brock Griffiths                Age 14                     BMX Cycling                        Cardiff South

Brock was this year selected to represent Australia in the National Development Team which competed in a Trans Tasman Test Series.  He was a bronze medallist at the National Championships this year at Mount Gambier and has won gold in various events at state level during the year.

5. Ella Hartcher                   Age 17                     Archery                                 Burrell Creek

Ella this year was selected in the NSW State Youth Archery Team to compete in the National Youth Championships held in Armidale and also in the Australian Junior Trans Tasman Team to represent Australia in Rotorua, New Zealand.  In Armidale she won 2 silver medals and 1 bronze medal and Rotorua a bronze medal.

6. Nathan Power                  Age 19                     Water Polo                            New Lambton

In 2011 Nathan was the Australian Junior (under 18) captain and Australian Schoolboys Captain.  He was also named the Most Valuable Player at the National Under 18 Championships in 2011, and in 2012 represented NSW at the National Under 20 Championships.   Nathan has played in the Hunter Hurricanes National League Men’s Team in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 and has been a NSW Senior Country Representative since 2009.

7. Aaron Royle                     Age 22                     Triathlon                               Maryland

During this year Aaron has been competing successfully on the tough European Circuit.  He won the 2012 Oceania Sprint Triathlon Championship in New Zealand and the Canary Wharf Cup in London.  He was also placed 3rd in the Australian Sprint Championship in Geelong and again 3^rd in the Oceania Olympic Distance Triathlon in Devonport, Tasmania.

8. Shaun Swadling               Age 19                     Trampoline                           Charlestown

During this year Shaun finished 2^nd in the Individual Trampoline Event at the Australian Titles.  He was selected to represent Australia in the World Cup in China and as the Olympic reserve for London.  He has been a member of the Australian Open Squad during this year and represented Australia in the Pacific Rim Event in Seattle.

9. Laura Whaler                  Age 25                     Athletics (Sprints)                 East Maitland

Laura was selected in the 2011 Australian 4 x 100 metres relay team to compete in the World Championships in Korea and in the 2012 Shadow Squad for the London Olympics.  She has been a dual silver medalist (in the 100 and 200 metres at national level) and has represented Australia on a number of occasions in the 4 x 100 metre relay event.

10. Mariah Williams              Age 17                     Hockey                                  Teralba

During this year Mariah has been selected in the National Under 21 World Cup Squad.  She is a NSW Institute of Sport Scholarship holder and has represented NSW at both under 21 and under 18 levels.  She was selected as the Player of the Carnival at the NSW Schools Championships.

2011-2012 Scholarship Winners

Meg Bailey - Swimming   

Meg was selected this year in the NSWIS Emerging Talent Squad and in the Australian Flipper Squad.  She won 1 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals at the 2011 Australian Age Championships.  At the 2011 NSW Country Short Course Championships Meg was named as the Female Swimmer of the Meet after winning 7 gold and 4 silver medals.

Liam Gander - Athletics (Sprints) 

Liam was selected this year in the Australian Mens 4x100 Relay Team for the World Track & Field Championships.  At the 2011 Australian Championships he placed 4^th in the 100 metres and 5^th in the 200 metres.  In 2010 Liam was the Oceania 100 metres champion.  His personal bests are 10.41 seconds for 100 metres and 21.12 seconds for 200 metres.

Benn Harradine - Athletics (Discus)

Benn has been the Australian Champion in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and is currently the Australian Record Holder with 66.45 metres.  He won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2010 and at the World Championships in 2011 placed fifth.

Simon Orchard - Hockey

Simon has been a member of the Australian Men’s Hockey Squad (Kookaburras) since 2008.  The team won the Commonwealth Games gold medal and World Cup gold medal in 2010.  Simon was named the 2010-2011 was the “Kookaburra of the Year”.

Nathan Outteridge - Sailing

This is Nathan’s ninth year as a Greater Building Society Scholarship Winner.  In 2011 he won all four major world 49ers (Olympic Class) events held and won the European and world moth class championships. He is one of five sailors nominated as a finalist in the 2011 “World Sailor of the Year’’.

Nathan Power -Water Polo

In 2011 Nathan was the Australian Junior (under 18) captain and Australian Schoolboys Captain.  He was also named the Most Valuable Player at the National Under 18 Championships in 2011.  Nathan has played in the Hunter Hurricanes National League Men’s Team in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and has been a NSW Senior Country Representative since 2009.

Aaron Royle -Triathlon

During this year Aaron has been competing successfully on the tough European Circuit.  He was selected to represent Australia at this year’s World Cup Championships in Edmonton.  Aaron finished 2^nd in this year’s Oceania Men’s Championships in Wellington, New Zealand and was selected to represent Australia at this year’s World Under 23 Championships in Beijing where he finished 14^th (highest placed Australian).

Liam Speers -Athletics (Discus)

This year Liam represented Australia at the World Junior Championships in Germany.  At the 2011 NSW Championships he won the open discus and also broke the NSW Open Discus Record.  At the NSW Country Championships he was the Junior Champion in discus, javelin and shot put. Liam was also the 2011 National Junior Discus Champion.

Ty Swadling - Trampoline

At the 2011 Australian Championships Ty won the gold medal in the open men’s individual trampoline and placed second in the open men’s synchronized trampoline.  For the Australian Championships Ty was named as the NSW State Team Captain. He has attended two World Cup Events during 2011 in China and Bulgaria. Ty has been selected to represent Australia at the 2011 World Championships in England and has been named as one of only two male trampolinists on the 2012 London Olympic Shadow Team.

Laura Whaler - Athletics (Sprints)

Laura was selected in the 2011 Australian 4 x 100 metres relay team to compete in the World Championships in Korea.  At the 2010 Australian Championships she was a silver medalist in both the 100 metres and 200 metres events. Her personal best times are 11.46 seconds for 100 metres and 23.45 seconds for 200 metres.  Laura is currently ranked 4^th Australian in both 100 metres and 200 metres.