Scott family dive in for epic trip to JX Clinic

20 Sep 2023

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SAY hello to Mel and Stephen Scott and their two children Amelia, 10, and Ben, 12.

The Scott family thought nothing of packing up the Pajero and heading from their hometown of Albury, on the border between New South Wales and Victoria, Australia and travelling more than 500km to the Pho3nix Junior Excellence Program (JX) Clinic at the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Centre on 16 September 2023.

Amelia and Ben (pictured) were among the 120 junior swimmers from 46 clubs that attended the coaching clinic from all over New South Wales where they were joined by five Dolphins – Alex Tuckfield (Paralympian Tokyo 2020), Ellie Cole (Paralympian Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020), Kirsten Thomson (Olympian Sydney 2000), Meg Bailey (Commonwealth Games Gold Coast 2018) and Tim Hodge (Paralympian Tokyo 2020).

Mana Global and the Pho3nix Foundation, in partnership with Swimming Australia, ran the clinic which is the first step for junior athletes in swimming’s high-performance space, and is a more streamlined, targeted approach.

Mum Mel said: “Amelia and Ben love swimming and are members of the Albury Amateur Swim Club … it’s a long drive but we don’t mind the highway driving. We can’t wait for one day to have clinics in our area but until then we just pack the car up but leave the dog at home!”

“They started off doing learn to swim when they were six months old, they then had a taste of competition through school carnivals and they have just progressed from there … but most importantly, they love it.”

Most of the World Championships Dolphins team that dominated in Japan recently are graduates of the JX program including Olympic medallists Mollie O’Callaghan, Isaac Cooper and Arianne Titmus.

The Pho3nix JX Program is for kids aged 9-13, enabling them to develop their skills as they move into their teenage years. It aims to recognise and inspire young swimmers and build commitment to, and enthusiasm for, the pathway into senior swimming.

Developing healthy habits in the pool, cultivating persistence, resilience, confidence, and goal setting, the program seeks to develop like skills that help junior swimmers become successful in and out of the pool.

More than 200,000 swimmers have participated in the program since launched in 2007, with 17,000 expected to take part this year alone.

For the first time, a clinic was held in conjunction with the National Short Course Championships, and the Sydney clinic – which involved three stations, a Q&A with Dolphins, and specialist coaching session on starts and turns – sold out in three hours.

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Today, the Pho3nix Foundation officially launches the fourth edition of its global Pho3nix Athlete Program, a unique initiative to identify and financially support athletes striving for the Olympics and Paralympics. Now accepting applications for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, the Pho3nix Athlete Program is open to competitors in any individual Olympic or Paralympic sport who are on their journey to qualification. This program addresses the financial and personal sacrifices made by these aspiring Olympians and Paralympians, many of whom work multiple jobs to sustain their training despite being among the best in their disciplines. Rooted in the Pho3nix Foundation’s mission to boost children’s participation in sports, the Athlete Program provides athletes with the financial support needed for training, equipment, competition, and travel. By shouldering these costs, Pho3nix allows these athletes to concentrate on performing at their peak on the world’s biggest stage. Additionally, the Foundation spotlights their journeys to inspire youth worldwide, underscoring its motto, “Together We Rise.” Since 2020, Pho3nix has supported over 60 athletes from 25 nations across 30 sports at three Olympic and Paralympic Games cycles, with over 60% of its athletes achieving their Games dreams. Program alumni have won a total of three Gold medals, […]

Scott family dive in for epic trip to JX Clinic

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