A World Champion and an Olympic Medalist were on hand yesterday at the official opening of upgraded springboards at Lambton Pool.
The Hunter United Diving Academy was successful in a $65,499 grant from the NSW Government’s Community Building Partnership grants back in 2021.
Finally, the group has been able to spend the grant on repairing their springboards at Lambton Pool which had fallen into disrepair and are essential for the divers training.
Six-time World Champion Red Bull Cliff Diver Rhiannan Iffland and Olympic diver and recent Commonwealth Games Bronze medallist Sam Fricker were both at Lambton Pool yesterday to see the new boards – they are both Novocastrian born and bred and trained at Lambton Pool at the start of their careers.
The official opening of the springboards also coincided with the Diving NSW 3rd Interclub with some locals qualifying for Nationals.
Wallsend MP Sonia Hornery said she was very pleased to be able to support the Hunter United Diving Academy’s grant application
“I was so pleased to be able to support this grant application last year and now to attend the open day and see how the springboards will help young divers to train and grow. Hunter United Diving Academy do an amazing job of coaching our young divers in this great sport,
“The fact that we have World Champion Cliff Diver, Rhiannan Iffland and Olympic diver, Sam Fricker attending, both from Newcastle and who trained at this pool, demonstrates how essential supporting local sporting clubs and facilities are.
“Young athletes need support to be able to grow into the household names we recognise. Everybody has to start somewhere and it’s great that the new springboards here at Lambton Pool might support the careers of the next Rhiannan Iffland or Sam Fricker,” said Sonia Hornery.