Published on Thursday, 20 November 2025 at 12:22:12 PM
Shire of Mundaring is proud to share the achievements of Emily Anderson, one of our recent Youth Travel Grant recipients.
Emily travelled to Lake Molveno in Italy to compete in the XTERRA World Championship Sprint Triathlon on Sunday 28 September. The event is the pinnacle of the XTERRA Youth World Series and is open only to athletes who qualify through sanctioned XTERRA races held around the world.
Emily earned her place after a strong performance at the XTERRA Asia Pacific Championships, where she secured her qualification in the Youth B female category for ages 16 to 17. Representing Australia on the world stage, she took on a challenging course that included a 750-metre swim, a 16-kilometre mountain bike ride and a 5-kilometre trail run.
Emily said the Youth Travel Grant made a meaningful difference to her journey to competing.
“The youth grant was such a big support in helping me get to Italy for the trip. I also did a lot of bake sales and fundraising to save, but the $600 grant helped so much with things like bike hire, uniform and registration fees,” she said.
Emily said the championship event was an unforgettable experience.
“It had an amazing atmosphere, lots of mud on the mountain bike course and some pretty amazing views. It was also so inspiring to see all the elite athletes there competing. It was definitely the toughest race I’ve done but 100 per cent worth it as well. On top of that, experiencing such a beautiful place in the world like Italy was pretty cool.”
Shire President Paige McNeil said supporting young people through programs like the Youth Travel Grant helps remove barriers to major opportunities.
“We are incredibly proud of young people like Emily who take on such impressive challenges. Representing Australia at an invitation-only world championship is an outstanding achievement. It reflects her hard work, determination and the strength of our community.”
President McNeil said Emily’s success is a reminder of what young residents can achieve when they are supported.
“Emily carried the spirit of our community with her to Italy. Her story highlights why we invest in young people and encourage them to follow their ambitions.”
The Youth Travel Grant program provides financial support for young people who travel for competitions, training, leadership events or cultural experiences.
Emily’s achievement is a source of pride for the community and Shire of Mundaring congratulates her on this remarkable milestone.
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