49erFX skipper and Tokyo Olympian Tess Lloyd has been included in Sport Australia’s list of thirty-seven athletes that have been awarded more than $100,000 in AIS Education Scholarships, a program supporting athletes to be successful in sport, education and life.

Tess is studying Primary School Teaching at Monash University and plans to utilise the scholarship to continue her studies whilst balancing the demands of training. “My future career in Primary school teaching is a focus for me as well as being a dedicated athlete” Lloyd noted. “The AIS education scholarship is important to me because I believe life balance is key for success, wellbeing and happiness in all aspects of life” she added.  

A key feature of this year’s expanded program is supporting athletes with education earlier in their high performance sporting careers. More than three-quarters of athletes awarded scholarships in this round are categorised as ‘Developing’ or ‘Emerging’, the first two steps on an Australian athlete’s journey to becoming an international medallist.

Tess Lloyd & Jaime Ryan sailing at the Tokyo Olympics (Image Source: Sailing Energy)

The AIS Education Scholarship program is doubling from last year’s inaugural program and offering a total $200,000 in scholarships for 2021-22, thanks to support from the John and Myriam Wylie Foundation. A second round will open in March 2022.

Mr Wylie, former Chair of the Australian Sports Commission, said “sport and education is a winning mix. Every athlete goes into competition with a game-plan, this program with the AIS is about helping more Australian athletes to pursue education as part of their broader life plan. Every athlete receiving one of these grants has talents beyond the sporting arena, you just have to look at the breadth of education courses they’re undertaking. There’s health education like paramedics, speech pathology, sonography and medicine, though to diverse areas such as science, commerce, design, engineering and so much more.

“Our message to athletes is sporting success doesn’t have to be at the sacrifice of other ambitions, especially education and career pathways. If we can encourage more athletes to engage with education at the start of their sporting careers, we’ll no doubt have more successful leaders emerging from sport and into their communities.”

The AIS has prioritised athlete education and created more specialised athlete support by building its Elite Athlete Education Network (EAEN) across the country.

AIS CEO Peter Conde said: “The AIS now has formal links with more than 40 universities and 12 TAFEs, giving Australian athletes greater choice and flexibility with their education support. Our priority is to support those athletes who demonstrate a genuine commitment to study and can use their own experiences to inspire and benefit others, in sport and the broader community.”