The young athletes will be filling in the gaps on what it takes to compete at the elite level as the Department of Sport and Recreation (DSR) and Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) bring the Gifted Athlete Program (GAP) to the region.

Young athletes attending will be 13-year-old Ethan Florisson, from the Esperance Squash Club, who has been selected in Squash WA’s State Talent Squad and 16-year-old Equestrian Kate Oorschot who has been selected in the Pony Club Association of WA’s State Team for Eventing and has represented WA in the National Pony Club Championships.

Department of Sport and Recreational Talent Development Regional Coordinator Samantha Shields said the Gifted Athletes Program gave talented young athletes from regional Western Australia an even greater chance to succeed at the top level.

“The idea behind delivering the program in or near the athletes’ home town is to ensure they have an opportunity to stay and develop in the most supportive environment possible before they need to relocate to other elite programs elsewhere,” Ms Shields said.

As part of the Gifted Athletes Program, all participants will get to hear elite Western Australian Institute of Sport Rower Amber Bradley talk about her own experiences - which include competing in two Olympic Games - and learn practical tips on topics such as nutrition, injury prevention, identifying their sporting pathway, how to promote themselves in the media and practical guidelines on managing multiple commitments in life.