One sportsperson who loves dashing up the home straight is 14-year-old sprint athlete, Dylan De Domizio.

Dylan captured the attention of the judges for the Sports Awards last year when he was selected as the John Patrick Isuzu Ute Junior Sportsperson of the Year – Primary School.

Dylan has won a swathe of medals and broken many records in his favourite events – 100m, 200m and long jump, as well as breaking the records for the 400m, 800m and 1500m for his school, Mackillop College.

Joining Little Athletics as a three-year old soon paid off, but Dylan credits a lot of his success to the ongoing coaching offered by Wayne Whealey an accredited Level 4 coach who offers local school athletes his time after school.

“Wayne fine tunes everything,” Dylan remarked of his mentor. “There can be at least 10, or up to 20 he assists four days of the week.”

Once again, Dylan has blitzed his competition at the Mackillop Athletics Carnival in June and is working hard toward the All Schools State Meet in October, where last year he came second in the 200m, second in the long jump and fourth in the 100m. This was surpassed with a gold medal in the All Schools Nationals for the 4x100m relay and a fourth in the long jump.

“Dylan competes all the time in Sydney but affordability is an issue,” says Dylan’s mother, Sherrie De Domizio.

“But we just make it work and the money Dylan won last year went into the bank to put toward the costs of athletic meets. It cost $3,000 to compete in Adelaide last year at the Nationals and unfortunately there is no North Coast Academy support for athletics.”

The Rotary Club of Port Macquarie Sunrise has been organising the Port Macquarie Hastings Sports Awards for 18 years. Recent partnering with Port Macquarie-Hastings Council has led to an opportunity to combine the awards with the selection of the Wayne Richards Sporting Scholarship.

“With $7,000 in prizes donated by local businesses and awarded to local athletes, the recognition and prize money goes a little way to help them achieve their sporting dreams, and that is our aim with these awards,”  president, Malcolm McNeil said.

Mr McNeil also wishes to remind individuals and teams that nominations close Sunday, 30 September and that they need to be made online at sunrise-rotary.org.au/sportsawards

There are eight highly sought after categories and a link to apply for the Wayne Richards Sporting Scholarship.

Dylan’s goal is to make the next Commonwealth Games in 2022 via World Juniors and World Championships. Meanwhile Dylan enjoys the camaraderie of his competitors, right up until he steps into the starting blocks.

“You really enjoy what you are doing, but once you get to the starting blocks, it’s everyone for themselves.”