Woodridge SHS teacher Tanya Beths recognised with Aspirations4Kids in Sport award

Woodridge State High School teacher Tanya Beths has been recognised with the teaching award from the Aspirations4Kids in Sport organisation. School students from around the state were also announced bursary recipients.

Woodridge State High School teacher Tanya Beths has been recognised with the teaching award from the Aspirations4Kids organisation.

School students from around the state were also announced Aspirations4Kids in Sport bursary recipients.

Aspirations4Kids chair Ian Healy said the organisation helped Queensland children who “face unique challenges of hardship, disabilities, chronic illness, and remote living issues’’.

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“We provide funding and support services to improve lives through the positive influence of sport,’’ Healy said.

“We see that sport can be the vehicle to enhancing lives and creating new life changing opportunities.’’

Tanya Beths received her award off Ian Healy

Beths, a sports co-ordinator at Woodridge SHS, said she was “honoured and grateful to be the recipient’’ of the Kevin Brasch Sport Dedication Award.

“Being able to give students the opportunity to shine is my ultimate goal,’’ Beths said.

“I would not be accepting this award, without the help of my mum who four years ago came to me with an idea for empowering the younger generation and engaging them in sport.

Tanya Beths with her award.

Through her mentoring this dream has become a reality and is changing children’s lives.’’

The Aspirations4Kids Kevin Brasch Sport Dedication Award aimed to recognise a teacher who had demonstrated an outstanding commitment to encouraging more children into sport.

Beths said her job was made easier by the support she has received through the Woodridge SHS.

Swimming great Susie O'Neill, left, again supported the Aspirations4Kids award ceremony, along with Director-General of Education – Tony Cook.

“Woodridge SHS has been nothing but amazing in supporting and allowing all our students sporting opportunities,’’ Beths said.

“The best part of my job is seeing the students’ faces light up when they have stepped out of their comfort zone, grown as individual and realising absolutely anything is possible.’’

The student award winners were:

Jalawlin Fuamatu from Brisbane’s western suburbs.

Jalawlin Fuamatu (disability): Despite being born profoundly deaf, he has represented Queensland at the national athletic championships where he won three medals.

Cricketer Nicolaas Kossen who is a Wilston-Norths junior, the same junior club as Test player Joe Burns.

Nicolaas Kossen (financial hardship): The rising cricketer was the 2019 Player of the Ian Healy Cup who off the field has also created his own charity, Created own Charity (Bats4Bhadohi).

Shaylene Watson is yet another outstanding rugby league prospect from the Townsville region.

Shaylene Watson (financial Hardship: A single mother at aged 15, Watson is an outstanding rugby league prospect who at her school rose to be Sports House Captain.

Lachlan Hohns from Weipa.

Lachlan Hohns (Remote Living Issues): Despite living in isolated Weipa and confronting the inhibitive costs to travel for training and competition, and having severs disease, Hohns is an excellent rugby league prospect who played in the Paul Bowman Cup.

North Queenslander Giann Sabatino

Giann Sabatino (Hand Up): From a challenging fractured family, the beaming Sabatino has been her premier club player and a regular in representative teams, including representing the Peninsula region and making it to the state cross country championship.

Bill Gbeindah

Bill Gbeindah (Hand Up): From a refugee background and a single parent family, Gbeindah is an athlete on the move, culminating in qualifying for the nationals as a 200m runner. He is also producing PBs in the 100m.