Local athlete Kirri-Lee Cutmore will be receiving a helping hand to achieve her goals after receiving a $6,000 scholarship from community organisation Youth Off The Streets.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The grant will provide the Kempsey Girls Academy student with funds to pay for training, course fees, equipment, uniforms, textbooks or stationary over the next two years.
"The scholarship is life-changing, it will help me pay for all my own sports fees, equipment and educational resources," Kirri-Lee said.
"When sporting events and other opportunities come up, I won't have to miss out."
Every year the national program selects 20 young Australians who show incredible potential but lack high levels of support and resources.
Under normal circumstances, recipients are invited to attend the National Scholarship Awards Ceremony in Sydney as a formal acknowledgement of their achievement; unfortunately, due to COVID-19, the ceremony was done via zoom this year.
"This is a massive achievement for someone from our little country town, and for an indigenous girl to win a scholarship that only 20 people in the country receive each year," Kempsey Girls Academy program manager Misty Kelly said.
"We are all very proud of her; Kirri-Lee is a natural born athlete, but also shows great sportsmanship in everything she does, whether that be soccer, cross country or AFL".
Kirri-Lee is currently a year 11 student at Kempsey Girls Academy, but with her time at school very close to an end, the star athlete is weighing up her options for her future career.
"I've thought about pursuing a professional career in AFL, working as a P.T. or getting a job in child care," Kirri-Lee said.
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox from the Macleay Argus. To make sure you're up to date with all the news, SIGN UP HERE.
