Bunbury local Jaiden Lanigan, 21, is off to the Netherlands as part of the Australian Speed Team to compete in the Inline Speed Skating World Championships.
Lanigan had a successful National Championships in January, earning five gold, four silver and five bronze medals throughout the indoor and outdoor events.
He also brought home two gold and one silver from the Oceania Championships in New Zealand at Easter, racing for the first time as a senior.
Lanigan is dedicated to his sport and has competed at 10 National Championships, four Oceania Championships, two international marathons in China, four Namwon Championships in South Korea, and three World Championships (Argentina, Taiwan and China) as a junior.
He also volunteers as a coach for the Speed Skating Club at The Rink and has been acknowledged by many as being an excellent role model for his sport.
Speed Skating is not an Olympic sport (although it has been included in the junior Olympics) and therefore does not qualify for funding or scholarships such as South West Academy of Sport, West Australian Institute of Sport or the Australian Institute of Sport.
Inline Speed Skating is popular and highly competitive in Asia, Europe and South America but has a low profile in Australia.
Lanigan is required to travel to compete and maintain his passion for the sport.
All his costs have been, and continue to be, self and family funded.
He has been a member of the South West Cycle Club from around the age of 10.
Although he is a committed inline speed skater, he cross trains with the South West Cycle Club doing group rides.
He occasionally competes in the Tour of Margaret River, Collie to Donnybrook and Return Cycling Classic, and Tom Lowry Memorial event.
Lanigan appreciates the training partners and camaraderie provided by club members. He is also a cycle skills coach.
The costs of the World Championships in Netherlands are high.
Lanigan is currently studying, training as an elite athlete, and working part time at Merchants Café in Eaton without any funding or financial support as an Australian team member selected to represent his country.
If anyone would like to know more, look at the Australian Sports Foundation page which allows athletes to post their profile in the hope of attracting tax deductible donations: https://asf.org.au/athletes/jaiden-lanigan
The Lanigans also convinced his brother Bryce, 19, to follow his sporting dreams.
Both boys are widely travelled and have a great respect for their bodies, for competition, and for opportunities created by others.
Contact Leonie O’Connell on 0419 511 133 for further information.
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