Mela Stalker named in Sport Australia Hall of Fame 2024 Scholarship and Mentoring Program

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF) is continuing its commitment to young athletes, awarding a further $40,000 in elite scholarships to 16 rising stars in the 2024 Scholarship and Mentoring Program.

Snowboarder Mela Stalker has been named as one of the scholarship recipients, following her breakout international season where she made her senior World Cup and World Championships debut.

The Tier 3 scholarship group covers 16 sports, with each athlete receiving a grant of $2,500 plus support from SAHOF and its esteemed member base over the next 15 months.

"“The prerogative of becoming a SAHOF Scholarship holder is so exciting!" Stalker said.

"It’s such a privilege to be recognised as an up-and-coming athlete, supported for the sport I compete in, and for my future ambitions aligned with it.

"Not only that, it’s an honour to receive the opportunity to be amongst a foundation of incredible athletes and to participate in the future progression and success of Australian Sport.

"I’m hyped to move forward as a SAHOF Scholarship holder and utilise the advantages it offers to progress in and outside my sport!"

Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chief Executive Officer, Adrianne Sarkozy, said: “The Scholarship and Mentoring Program is a unique and powerful program which has seen many of our athletes go on to achieve success on the world stage. We are so grateful to be able to provide these 32 scholarships to help these young athletes chase their sporting dreams.

“This year we had almost 300 applicants from over 50 sports, which is a testament to the importance and popularity of the program. These scholarships really are a once in a lifetime opportunity to receive not only financial support but encouragement and guidance from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and our members via various initiatives throughout the program.

“The level of talent amongst these young athletes is incredible and I am particularly excited this year to follow the journeys of our new and past Scholarship holders.”

Over the last three weeks, 32 Sport Australia Hall of Fame scholarships covering 28 sports have been announced, supporting the next generation of Australia’s sporting stars on their journey to excellence and success in sport and in life.

As the nation’s leading sports scholarship program, backed by the Australian Sports Commission incorporating the Australian Institute of Sport, $150,000 of funding has been awarded this year to the recipients for use on resources to help them achieve greatness in their chosen sport. As well as funding via a sporting expenses grant, all three tiers include SAHOF encouragement and support via various initiatives throughout the program. All three tiers are also provided with merchandise from SAHOF’s partners BLACKROLL® and Grip Star Socks.