Extract from Hansard [ASSEMBLY - Thursday, 12 June 2008] p3779b-3779b Mr John Castrilli

BUNBURY CLUB Statement by Member for Bunbury MR G.M. CASTRILLI (Bunbury) [12.52 pm]: I bring to the attention of Parliament the continued success of the Bunbury Rowing Club at a national level. In 2006 I highlighted the achievements of Jayden Edwards and Josh Williams, two members of the under-23 rowing team that competed in the world championships in Belgium. This was the first time an Australian rowing team was completely made up of Western Australian members, and I am proud to say that half the team came from Bunbury. Today I am pleased to announce that that feat by the Bunbury Rowing Club was not a one-off. Currently a 16-year-old Bunbury girl, Alexandra Hagan, is training an average of 10 times a week to prepare for the World Junior Rowing Championships in Austria next month. Alex won two gold medals and three silver medals at the national championships earlier this year, and is on track to represent Australia in the 2012 Olympics. At present she is the fastest women’s single sculler for her age group in Australia. Although Alex’s long list of achievements in this sport are testament to her incredible dedication, hard work and talent, they are certainly further verification that the Bunbury Rowing Club has established itself as a world-class training ground. The training and support of this club is clearly exceptional and shows the rest of the state that investment in sport in regional Western Australia is well worth it. In highlighting Alex’s success, I recognise the contribution of her coach, Jamie Jones, who will be travelling with her to Austria next month. He has been selected to coach the Australian team to which Alex belongs. He represented WA in the youth and Kings Cup crews for five consecutive years, and won two titles in the Australian Rowing Championships in the early 1980s. Since then he has given a lot back to the sport by fostering talent in Bunbury. He has been an active member of the Bunbury Rowing Club for the past 17 years, serving as club captain in 2006 and 2007. In conclusion, I wish Alex and Jamie the best of luck in Austria, and I thank the Bunbury Rowing Club for its excellence and dedication to the development of sport in Western Australia.

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