Australian swimmer Thomas Neill has credited his University of Queensland Sporting Scholarship with helping him claim a bronze medal at last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games.
The Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours) student is one of seven Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic athletes awarded a 2022 UQ Sporting Scholarship.
A total of 47 Scholarships were bestowed to UQ student-athletes, with prominent Australian and Queensland representatives among this year’s cohort.
Neill – awarded a UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship both in 2021 and 2022 – was a member of Australia’s Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay team who took bronze in Tokyo.
He said his Scholarship helped him balance his university and sporting pursuits leading up to the Games.
“As I prepared for the Tokyo Olympics, I found it difficult to ensure good progress in my studies as I was always away racing or on training camps,” Mr Neill said.
“Staff from UQ Sport’s Elite Athlete Program helped me manage my studies, and make sure there was sound communication with lecturers to give me practical solutions in which I could swim for Australia, and also achieve good university results.
“Trying to be a successful athlete while balancing university comes with its challenges, however, the support shown by the entire UQ Sport team helps to alleviate these stresses and worries that come with being a student-athlete.
“I really could not have won an Olympic medal without the aid of my Sporting Scholarship, and the support from UQ Sport.”
Fellow Olympian Mara Stransky-Smith said her UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship also aided her achievements at the Tokyo Games.
The Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) finished 14th in the Women’s Laser Radial Sailing competition – a result which included a victory in the penultimate event of the 11-race program.
“Being part of the UQ Sport Elite Athlete Program (EAP), and a recipient of a Sports Achievement Scholarship, has enabled me to pursue both an Engineering degree and an Olympic campaign,” Ms Stransky-Smith said.
“This is something I previously thought was well out of my reach, however, with assistance from the incredibly helpful and patient EAP staff I was able to compete at the Olympics while studying.
“Additionally, my Scholarship has alleviated some of the financial stress, allowing me to focus more completely on achieving my best performances in both sporting and academic fields.”
More than $180,000 in funding has been allocated across three programs – UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship, Clem Jones Sporting Scholarship, and Wensley Sporting Scholarship – with 19 sports represented.
Beneficiaries include Tokyo Paralympic gold medallists Lakeisha Patterson and Rachael Watson (Swimming), Olympic bronze medallist Ria Thompson (Rowing), as well as Abby Andrews and Gabi Palm (Water Polo).
This year’s Scholarship group also features Brisbane Broncos forward Patrick Carrigan, Queensland Firebirds netballer Kim Jenner, Brisbane Lions AFLW premiership winner Natalie Grider, world champion water ski jumper Jacinta Carroll, and Australian diver Emily Meaney.
Recipients include 16 new and 31 continuing students, with Health and Behavioural Sciences the most represented faculty, with 19 scholarship winners.
Scholarship holders benefit from student-athlete workshops, academic liaison and tutoring delivered through the UQ Sport Elite Athlete Program, as well as access to UQ Sport’s fitness and training facilities.
2022 UQ Sports Achievement Scholarship recipients:
Abby Andrews
Sport: Water Polo
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours)
Faculty: Business, Economics and Law
Caitlin Bettenay
Sport: Volleyball
Course: Master of Physiotherapy Studies
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Patrick Carrigan
Sport: Rugby League
Course: Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Jacinta Carroll
Sport: Water Skiing (Jumping)
Course: Master of Physiotherapy
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Claire Colwill
Sport: Hockey
Course: Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Oscar Dart
Sport: Triathlon
Course: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Faculty: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Elizabeth Dekkers
Sport: Swimming
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours)
Faculty: Science
Jasmine Fleming
Sport: Volleyball
Course: Bachelors of Science / Laws (Honours)
Faculties: Business, Economics and Law / Science
Brenton Foster
Sport: Athletics
Course: Master of Teaching (Secondary)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Eve Gath
Sport: Water Polo
Course: Bachelors of Mathematics / Computer Science
Faculties: Science / Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Greta Gowen
Sport: Rugby Sevens
Course: Bachelor of Science
Faculty: Science
Natalie Grider
Sport: Australian Football
Course: Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Sciences (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Benjamin Hancock
Sport: Australian Football
Course: Doctor of Medicine
Faculty: Medicine
Shemaiah James
Sport: Athletics
Course: Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Kimberley Jenner
Sport: Netball
Course: Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Thomas Kelaart
Sport: Cricket
Course: Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Lillian Kolb
Sport: Rugby Sevens
Course: Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Computer Science
Faculty: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Mitchell Lehmann
Sport: Rugby Union
Course: Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Alexandra Martin-Wallace
Sport: Cycling
Course: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Faculty: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Liam McBrien
Sport: Australian Football
Course: Bachelor of Science
Faculty: Science
Howard McDonald
Sport: Athletics
Course: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Faculty: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Emily Meaney
Sport: Diving
Course: Master of Physiotherapy Studies
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Isabella Nasser
Sport: Rugby Sevens
Course: Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Thomas Needham
Sport: Sailing
Course: Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Commerce
Faculties: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology / Business, Economics and Law
Thomas Neill
Sport: Swimming
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours)
Faculty: Business, Economics and Law
Alana Pacholke
Sport: Canoe Polo
Course: Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Gabi Palm
Sport: Water Polo
Course: Bachelor of Psychological Science (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
James Panizza
Sport: Cycling
Course: Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Economics
Faculties: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology / Business, Economics and Law
Lakeisha Patterson
Sport: Swimming
Course: Bachelor of Communication
Faculty: Humanities and Social Sciences
Alice Ready
Sport: Rowing
Course: Bachelors of Engineering (Honours) / Science
Faculties: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology / Science
Noah Rosemann
Sport: Rowing
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Finance and Economics (Honours)
Faculty: Business, Economics and Law
Natalie Shaw
Sport: Swimming
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours)
Faculty: Science
Patrick Sowerby
Sport: Rugby Union
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours)
Faculty: Business, Economics and Law
Mara Stransky-Smith
Sport: Sailing
Course: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Faculty: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Ria Thompson
Sport: Rowing
Course: Doctor of Medicine
Faculty: Medicine
Natalie Wright
Sport: Rugby Union
Course: Bachelor of Clinical Exercise Physiology (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
2022 Clem Jones Sporting Scholarship recipients:
Mikayla Crouch
Sport: Athletics
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Science (Honours)
Faculty: Science
Maxwell Daldy
Sport: Cricket
Course: Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Cara Feain-Ryan
Sport: Athletics
Course: Bachelor of Speech Pathology (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Jonah Glover
Sport: Rugby League
Course: Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Tylah Hutton
Sport: Rowing
Course: Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Felix Jackson-King
Sport: Athletics
Course: Bachelor of Advanced Business (Honours)
Faculty: Business, Economics and Law
Alec McKay
Sport: Rugby Union
Course: Bachelor of Engineering (Honours)
Faculty: Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology
Jayden Morrow
Sport: Surf Life Saving
Course: Bachelors of Science / Education (Secondary)
Faculties: Humanities and Social Sciences / Science
Oliver Wright
Sport: Swimming
Course: Bachelor of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences
Faculty: Health and Behavioural Sciences
Corbin Zahn
Sport: Surf Life Saving
Course: Bachelors of Commerce / Economics
Faculty: Business, Economics and Law
2022 Wensley Sporting Scholarship recipient:
Rachael Watson
Sport: Swimming
Course: Diploma in Science
Faculty: Science
Media: UQ Sport Marketing, marketing@uqsport.com.au.
