Athletes under 18 must have parental permission before applying.
*Please note that upon receipt of application, one of our coaches will contact the athlete or parent (if athlete is under 18 years) for a phone interview.
The HrdKAW Weightlifting Youth Scholarship Program is for a period of four (4) months and our next intake commences on Saturday October 4th 2025 and ends Saturday January 31st 2026. There will be a break over the Christmas/New Year period.
The aim of our Youth Scholarship Program is to give back to the community and grow the sport of weightlifting in the Western Sydney/Hills area. We believe the best way to do this is by giving kids the opportunity to participate.
In this program youth athletes will learn the fundamentals of Olympic Weightlifting technique and accessory exercises, along with general strength and conditioning to develop quality movement foundations. Athletes will follow a structured program to build strength and safely progress Olympic lifting foundations. To complement their physical training, scholarship athletes will also complete weekly mini workshops that will equip them with the knowledge and tools to help them reach their athletic potential. These include topics such as sports nutrition, injury prevention/management, goal setting, recovery, mindset, time management and personal branding.
We are looking for males and females aged between 14-20 who have a strong background in sport and regular training. No weightlifting experience is necessary but experience in CrossFit, gymnastics, football or other strength based sports is beneficial. Applicants must be interested in being a competitive weightlifter.
The successful applicant/s MUST commit to two (2) training sessions per week. It is COMPULSORY to attend sessions on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings. It is also COMPULSORY to attend our mini workshops on Saturday mornings.
Scholarship athletes will receive:
- Two (2) training sessions per week FREE OF CHARGE.
- Coaching by AWF Level 3/International licensed Coaches Josh Wu and Maddi Wu who have both represented Australia many times as athletes and Team Australia Coaches.
- Weekly mini workshops developed and presented by Josh Wu, Maddi Wu and 5x Olympian Melissa Wu, and will include specialist guest presenters (eg. sports dietician, physiotherapist etc.)
- Mentoring by our expert coaches who bring an approach to sports performance that is based not only on their knowledge as coaches, but also their experience as Australian Representative Athletes.
Scholarship athletes will be required to commit to the following:
-Two (2) weightlifting training sessions per week as follows:
Wed 5-7pm
Sat 9am-11am
-Attend ALL mini workshops Sat 8-9am (immediately prior to training)
- Register with NSW Weightlifting
- Approach the program with commitment, a positive attitude, and a good work ethic.
Applications are open to:
- Male and female athletes aged 14-20 years old.
- No weightlifting experience is necessary but a background in sport and regular training is preferable.
- Experience in sports such as football, CrossFit, gymnastics, powerlifting, or other strength based sports would be beneficial but not essential.
- Athletes with previous weightlifting experience.
- Athletes who have a desire to commit to a weightlifting training program and to compete in weightlifting.
*Failure to comply with the scholarship terms will result in termination of your position in the program.