Former Lord Mayor lightens load for student athletes

Financial concerns for some of Brisbane’s brightest young athletes have been allayed following the announcement of the Clem Jones Sporting Scholarships at The University of Queensland.

Former Brisbane Lord Mayor Dr Clem Jones, AO, will personally help another seven student athletes in 2006 achieve their dreams through a $5000 annual grant each year for three years.

UQ SPORT Director Kim Guerin said student athletes often struggled financially when committing to full time study and training schedules.

“Some of our best young athletes struggle to balance the financial demands of tertiary study with elite level competition. The Clem Jones scholarships are vital to help our athletes alleviate those problems,” Ms Guerin said.

“Clem is a magnificent contributor to sport at UQ and his continuing support of student athletes is testament to his generous nature.”

The Clem Jones Sporting Scholarship was established in 2000 and initially intended to award one scholarship annually.

The number of Clem Jones scholarships has now extended to support for 13 student athletes over six years across sports as varied as weightlifting, triathlon and orienteering, as well as more traditional sports in athletics, cricket and soccer.

Recipients of the 2006 Clem Jones Sporting Scholarships include champion junior triathlete Adam Carlton (Bachelor of Sport Studies/Journalism), triple jumper Scott McLeod-Robertson (Bachelor of Applied Science) and promising high jumper Catherine Drummond (Bachelor of Laws). A 2006 cricket scholarship is still to be announced.

Triathlete Adam Carlton lives in a single parent family and is eyeing a top three finish at the ITU World Triathlon Championships in Lausanne, Switzerland in September.

“With the support of the Clem Jones scholarship I’ll be able to afford equipment upgrades, travel and insurance with greater ease,” Mr Carlton said.

Scholarship Conditions
The Clem Jones Sporting Scholarship is donated by Dr Clem Jones, AO, and is open to students enrolling in full time study at The University of Queensland. Athletes must demonstrate academic ability, the potential to perform at a high level in their chosen sport and intend to join and represent a sporting club of the University. The scholarship consists of a $5000 grant every year for 3 years, provided the student remains enrolled full time.

Media: for more information, contact Kelly Chapman at UQ SPORT Communications (telephone 07 3365 6041 or mobile 0412 066 466).