Bond University scholarships have provided assistance to some of Australia's most successful athletes, helping them achieve their goals on the field and in their chosen careers.
These support packages make a significant impact on the lives of upcoming sports stars by offering access to exceptional facilities and coaching, as well as academic support.
The Bond community will unite on May 15 with the objective of funding scholarships. Meet five of our current sports scholars.
Zoe Hanna
Rugby player, student, trailblazer.
Zoe Hanna created history in 2022 when she became the first female recipient of Bond University’s prestigious John Eales Rugby Excellence Scholarship.
The 19-year-old from Kingscliff has been rugby mad since a young age and wasn’t going to be put off applying because all previous rugby scholarships at Bond University had been offered to male players.
Hanna dreams of playing Super W rugby for the Queensland Reds and one day working as a paediatric physiotherapist.
Both ambitions will take plenty of hard work and that’s something Hanna relishes.
She is currently studying a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science and intends to then complete a post-graduate Doctorate of Physiotherapy.
Things are tracking well on the field also. Last year she was a mainstay of the Bull Sharks side that swept all before it as it claimed the Queensland Premier Rugby premiership and followed up with victory in the first Australian Women’s Club Championship final against Sydney premiers Gordon.
“Receiving this scholarship allowed me to maintain full-time studies while playing the sport I love,” she said.
“It also was so effective in helping me with the financial burdens that come with university.
“Knowing there are individuals out there who are willing to support my educational journey only motivates me to work harder and give 100 per cent to everything I do.”
Claudia Bailey
The 2023 ADCO Sports Excellence Scholarship recipient arrived at Bond University as Australia’s premier junior surf lifesaver.
At the 2022 Australian Surf Life Saving championships she won seven gold medals, including the U17 Ironwoman and the Most Outstanding Female Competitor Award.
These results secured selection for the 2022 Australian Youth Surf Life Saving Team that competed at the World Championships in Riccione Italy, where she came away with six gold, six silver and a junior world record.
In 2020 she took up sprint kayaking to compliment her ski training and her talent was immediately evident.
In her first event at the 2022 Canoe Sprint Championships, she won four gold, three silver and one bronze.
That led to a scholarship with the Sport Australia Hall of Fame which allows her to train with other Australian kayakers.
Claudia intends to continue with both sports but accepts she may eventually have to focus on kayaking to realise her dream of competing at the Olympic Games.
“I regard going to the Olympics as the absolute pinnacle in sport and it has been a lifetime goal to compete for Australia at the Olympics,” she said.
The Exercise and Sport Science student is studying part time to allow her to complete regular overseas training blocks with the Australian squad.
I’ve always wanted to attend Bond due to its reputation and it allows me to remain close to training,” she said.
“To be a recipient of the ADCO Sports Excellence Scholarship is an amazing opportunity and means absolutely everything. I am super grateful to Bond and ADCO for the support that allows me to achieve my goals.’’
Flynn Southam
Flying Flynn was a dual Commonwealth Games gold medallist and two-time winner of the Gold Coast Sports Star of the Year award before he reached 18.
The 2023 Hancock Prospecting Swimming Excellence Scholarship recipient didn’t need a campus tour when he began his Bachelor of Psychology degree.
He’d already trained under Bond coaches Chris Mooney and Kyle Samuelson in a junior career that saw him mining gold at both junior and open age events here in Australian and overseas.
He captured the swimming world’s attention when he broke Olympic champion Kyle Chalmers’ 16 years record for the 100m and has risen to every challenge since.
Southam expressed his gratitude that the scholarship allowed him to train in a high-performance environment which gave him the greatest opportunity to chase him Olympic dreams.
"It's an absolute honour and also a big responsibility," he said.
I'm pretty passionate about being a role model. I want to use the opportunity to set an example for others by striking the right kind of balance between my academic and sporting lives."
Mikayla Pauga
One way or another, Mikayla Pauga was determined to be employed by an AFL club.
The 2021 Riewoldt Family AFL Excellence Scholarship recipient has already ticked off that ambition after being drafted to the Brisbane Lions in her first year at Bond University.
Since entering the AFLW system Pauga has been studying her Bachelor of Psychology part time to allow for the busy training schedule and is set to graduate in September 2023.
Her goal is to one day take those skills into a full-time job as a sports psychologist at an AFL club.
“The Riewoldt Family AFL Excellence Scholarship has opened many doors for me in both my academic and sporting endeavours,” she said.
“With Bond's personalised learning environment, I have been able to get the most out of my classes and access various supportive services when needed, making studying an enjoyable experience.”
And it has certainly helped with her blossoming playing career. She made her AFLW debut in 2022 in the round five match-up against the Richmond Tigers and held her position in the side right through to the end of the season, which ended with a heartbreaking grand final loss to the Melbourne Demons.
The 20-year-old continues to represent the Bond Bull Sharks when she is available but is expected to be a regular for the Lions when the 2023 AFLW season begins.
“The Bond Bull Sharks have also become my second family,” she said.
“With the assistance of an amazing coaching and leadership group, the club has created a fun, friendly and hardworking atmosphere which has allowed me to excel in the sport as well as form strong relationships within the playing group and staff.
“I'll never forget my time at Bond - from social events, lifelong friendships, academic achievements, and sporting milestones - all of which I'll carry with me beyond Bond and into the future.”
Harry Bell
The first year of university has been a whirlwind for Harry Bell.
The 18-year-old’s feet have barely touched the ground since moving north from renowned Sydney rugby nursery St Joseph’s College to study a Bachelor of Exercise and Sports Science on the John Eales Rugby Excellence Scholarship.
The U18 Australian player was a Tier 1 selection for the Queensland Reds Academy and splits his time between the Queensland Rugby headquarters at Ballymore and the Bull Sharks base at The Canal.
“This scholarship is a privilege of mine which I value extremely highly,” he said.
“The way in which I am able to balance sporting and academic commitments because of this scholarship is very advantageous and provides me with the tools for my life after university and in furthering my rugby.
“My experience has been made this way through the incredible support staff and the way in which I have been eased into a new environment so well.”