Dalton caps off outstanding year with Student Excellence Award

From championing sustainability in university sports to launching a learn-to-swim initiative for international students, Cameron Dalton’s leadership and passion for sport have earned her an Excellence in Promoting Sport and Wellness Award.

The Experience Gold Coast Student Excellence Awards shine a light on outstanding contributions from high-achieving high school and tertiary students across the region. 

Dalton, 20, was recognised at a gala function at HOTA for her extraordinary initiatives since beginning her studies at Bond University in January 2022. 

Originally from Sydney, Dalton elected to come to Bond after seeing the countless ways she could become a part of the university and its community, along with the wide range of course offerings the university provides.  

Studying a dual degree in Law and Actuarial Science, Dalton quickly immersed herself in university life. She started as Bond Netball’s Social Netball Coordinator, gaining her first taste of the campus’s close-knit culture. From there, she became Finance Liaison for the Bond University Student Association (BUSA), excelling in this role before stepping into her dream position as Vice-President of Sports for BUSA in September 2023.

“I really wanted to continue being a part of BUSA, and I love my sport,” she said. 

“I applied for the role and was very happy to get it!”

In this capacity, Dalton spearheaded several initiatives to enhance sport and wellness at Bond. Among her most notable efforts was the creation of ‘Swim for All’, a program designed to teach international students how to swim.

In a major coup, Dalton managed to recruit Paris Olympian and World Aquatics scholarship recipient Omar Abbass to instruct the class.  

“It’s so ingrained in Australian culture to know how to swim, but we noticed many international students didn’t have that skill,” she explained. 

“I thought, ‘How can we provide an opportunity—free of cost—for them to learn in a safe environment?’”

After reaching out to local swim schools, the first lesson in January 2024 saw over 50 students take part, enabling them to enjoy the Gold Coast’s iconic beaches safely.   

Though recognition was never her goal, the overwhelming positive feedback from students inspired her to expand the program.

Building on this momentum, Dalton also established a functional fitness club and served on a national student board for UniSport, where she led sustainability initiatives for university sports programs across Australia.

Her dedication to sport and community was recognised earlier in the year at Bond University’s Club Sport Awards night, where she received the Outstanding Service to Sport Award.

As she enters the latter half of her degree, Dalton is stepping back from her role in BUSA but remains committed to her initiatives. She plans to work with Bond Sport to ensure Swim for All continues and to support the functional fitness club.

“I’ll be more behind the scenes now, but I’ll still be around,” she said. “If I wasn’t motivated to do it in the first place, I wouldn’t be doing it at all.”