South West MLC Jackie Jarvis uses Margaret River’s Zalewski to highlight improved regional athlete support

The success of Margaret River’s Aran Zalewski as part of Australia’s Olympic hockey team has been hailed as testament to the State Government’s regional sports programs. Zalewski, pictured, became Margaret River’s first Olympic medallist and the South West’s first since 2004 when his Kookaburras side brought home silver. South West MLC Jackie Jarvis said in Parliament last month while Zalewski’s path had taken him away from home and up to boarding school at a young age, support for regional sports programs in recent years had made it easier for athletes to progress to an elite level while based at home. “I would like to stand today to acknowledge the fantastic performance by Australia’s men’s and women’s hockey team at the Tokyo Olympics and especially the captain of the men’s hockey team Aran Zalewski, who is of course from Margaret River,” she said. “Aran was raised in Margaret River, his parents still live in Margaret River. “Aran began playing hockey while he was a student at Margaret River Primary School.” Ms Jarvis said there were benefits to growing up and playing sport in the country, such as early exposure to senior competitions, but talented athletes outgroe their local leagues. “Country kids in team sports who are talented do really well because they then get to play against adults,” she said. “Unfortunately it also means they outgrow the competition ... and by the time Aran was 12 or 13 he was already playing in the South West league. “There was nowhere else for him to go in the South West so he relocated to Perth.” An additional $3 million worth of Royalties for Regions funding was allocated to the Regional Athlete Support Program over the next three years in July, with the South West Academy of Sport receiving $235,000, more than any other regional program. “This happened in the early 2000’s, but since then there has been a lot of support offered to regional athletes,” Ms Jarvis said. “Including the Regional Athlete Support Program, $3 million of funding which supports the Talent Development Network and also the Regional Athlete Travel Subsidy Scheme. “These grants go to programs across regional WA, the one that is closest to my heart is the South West Academy of Sport, which has a mix of Government funding and corporate support. Ms Jarvis, who has a daughter in the hockey program at the South West Academy of Sport., said the academy was a huge asset to regional areas and their production of quality athletes, and revealed Zalewski had taken the time to speak to athletes the night before flying to a national training camp in Darwin.