OUTSTANDING Pindimar gymnast Josh Thompson has earned a $5000 scholarship from Variety – the Children’s Charity NSW/ACT to pursue his sporting dream.

Fourteen-year-old Joshua is the reigning Level 9 National Under 15 gymnastics champion and hopes to one day represent Australia on the world stage.

The local resident – who overcame a serious L4-L5 back injury to claim five gold and a bronze medal at this year’s Australian Gymnastics Championships on the Gold Coast – was one of 63 children across NSW and the ACT to be awarded $294,000 in scholarships.

Variety Heart Scholarships support young people with an existing talent who are either sick, experiencing disadvantage or living with a disability.

The scholarships are open to school-aged children who are passionate and proficient in their chosen field.

An excited Josh told News Of The Area that the Variety Heart Scholarship “is a tremendous boost that will help relieve financial pressure on my family”.

“The scholarship will help fund my gymnastics training as I live two and a half hours away from the NSW High Performance Centre and more than an hour from my home club, AIS camps and interstate and hopefully international competitions,” stated Josh.

“It will allow my family to enjoy the journey a little bit more with me,” he said.

“For the next 18 months I will be focused on staying injury free and qualifying for my first international competition,” Josh added.

The talented Thompson, who is also part of the Junior International squad, has grown up in the Anna Bay and Tea Gardens area and was introduced to gymnastics at the age of five.

He gained a position at the Gymnastics NSW High Performance Centre in Sydney when he was just eight and is also a part of the Hunter Sports Centre Mens Training program where he continues to hone his skills in the Parallel Bars, High Bars, vault, rings, pommel and floor apparatus.

Variety NSW/ACT CEO Tony Warner said he was filled with excitement and anticipation about what the future holds for Australian sport and the arts.

“Hearing all about the tremendous achievements of these clever kids keeps us focussed on what is most important – investing in the next generation,” he said.

“These young people are working hard to achieve their goals and Variety is honoured to recognise each individual and their many, many hours of hard work and dedication.”

More than 100 guests attended this year’s scholarship ceremony which was held at Bankstown Sports Club.

Since 2017, the scholarships have been made possible thanks to the generous support of presenting partner, the Grahame Mapp Family Foundation in honour of the late Gillian Mapp.

Applications will open again for Variety Heart Scholarships in May 2024. For more information, visit https://www.variety.org.au/nsw/variety-heart-scholarships/

By Chris KARAS