Cienna DeLuca and Joshua Papsdorf claim the Blacktown Advocate’s top Local Sports Star awards for 2018
Two elite dancers have taken out the Blacktown Advocate’s top awards at the 2018 Local Sports Stars gala awards night
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Dancers Cienna DeLuca and Joshua Papsdorf have taken out the top prizes for the Blacktown Advocate at the 2018 Local Sports Stars gala awards night at Bankstown Sports Club.
Cienna, 9, of Blacktown was named this year’s Junior Sports Star winner while 12-year-old Ropes Crossing local Joshua won the Young Sporting Spirit award.
Cienna represented Australia at the 2018 World Championships of Performing Arts in July, claiming an incredible six gold medals to go along with one silver and two bronze.
She achieved all this despite battling Compromised Variable Immune Deficiency which requires Immunoglobulin replacement transfusions four times a week.
Cienna says travelling and making friends are the best parts of dancing.
“I make new friends at every comp and I get to have opportunities to go to different places in the world.”
Meanwhile Joshua has managed to pull together a series of stellar results in both dancesport and cheerleading despite being diagnosed with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis last year.
He represented Australia at the 2018 American Showcase Cheer and Dance Championships in Los Angeles, claiming gold in the junior hip-hop and cheer divisions.
“I feel pretty lucky (to win),” Joshua said.
“I thought it was going to be pretty close.”
The overall Young Sporting Spirit award went to Forestville footballer Jacob Trzecinski, 17, while 16-year-old Strathfield diver Sam Fricker was named the overall Junior Sports Star.
The event also saw a host of current stars from all walks of the sporting landscape, including NSW Swifts player Sarah Klau, gather to meet the stars of the future and their families.