Sport
29 November, 2024
Going for gold at the Gold Coast
STUDENTS from Malanda State High School will soon be travelling to the Gold Coast to compete in Volleyball Australia’s “largest school-based sporting event in the Southern Hemisphere”.
The Australian Volleyball Schools Cup will run from 8-16 December and is expected to be a record-breaking year, with around 6,000 competitors over 526 teams from across more than 150 schools in Australia and New Zealand, expected to compete.
Queensland Tourism and Sport Minister Michael Healy said the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup is one of the largest school-based sporting events in the Southern Hemisphere.
“It’s great to keep this major sporting event on the Gold Coast for the next three years, it attracts teams from across Australia and New Zealand,” he said.
“With all eyes on Queensland as a world-class sporting host, the 2024 Australian Volleyball Schools Cup is expected to inject $6.4 million into the local economy.”
A total of 21 Malanda State High School students, across three teams of seven, will be travelling to the competition including one senior boys’ team, one senior girls’ team and one Year 10 girls’ team.
“As the Australian Volleyball Schools Cup creeps closer, I know that the girls and I are very excited to compete and play as a team in such a big event,” captain of the senior girls’ team Hasmin Hernandez-Edwards said.
“As this is my last year competing with my Malanda girls, I am excited to give it our last hurrah.
“We have been training relentlessly to represent our small community to the best of our ability, we are beyond exited to showcase our hard work,” she said.
The students have been training for the past 12-18 months and have been actively fundraising to offset the costs of the $33,000 trip.
“Each of these students have committed to an extensive training program including lunchtime, afternoon, and early morning training sessions,” Malanda teacher Jonathon Lemon said.
“Every student selected has clearly demonstrated not only a commitment to training, but also to various expectations surrounding team spirit and sportsmanship.”
Fundraising initiatives have included barbecues held at Malanda monthly markets and Bunnings in Atherton, a car wash as part of the Queensland Fun Day celebrations at Jack May Park, running school discos for junior students, a beef jerky drive and the selling of hot chocolates at school during the winter months.
One of the students, Georgia Dean, used her influence as an Atherton Maize Queen entrant to also raise funds for the trip, contributing just under $4,000 towards total expenses.
Additionally, there have been three local businesses come on board to become major sponsors including LJ Hooker, Yungaburra Waterfront Developments and Howe Farming.
In total, the students managed to gather $10,500 in fundraising, including sponsorships, contributing to one-third of the total trip costs.
