Practice makes perfect for aspiring atheletes in Donnybrook

The tyranny of distance impacts on many aspects of life in the regions, inevitably reducing the range of opportunities for those living outside the metropolitan areas.

 Donnybrook – the centre of WA apple production, is around a 45 minute drive in afterschool traffic to the City of Bunbury and its Little Athletics club.  This presents a huge hurdle for Donnybrook’s children to get to mid-week  practice for specialised events that aren’t offered at school.

 Local father of three, Tyler Hall, who has been heavily involved in local sports since moving to the community a few years ago, decided to come up with a solution.   Setting up a Donnybrook Little Athletics to provide mid-week practice required equipment.  With zero budget available, he first approached Bunbury Little Athletics who were able to pass on a few old items.  Discovering Fair Game’s Equip for Sport program was therefore a game changer.

 Fair Game searched the warehouse for suitable items and soon a shipment was on the way including long jump mats, practice (soft) discuses, mini hurdles and heaps of cones – essential for setting out drills for a wide range of athletics activities.

 Thanks to CTI Logistics transport support, Tyler was able to collect the equipment from the Bunbury CTI depot. 

 “The process was really easy and the Fair Game staff were so helpful.  When I opened one of the boxes it had a couple of javelins in which I wasn’t expecting.  Knowing I needed any athletic equipment that was available they had popped them in with a note hoping that we would enjoy the equipment.  The whole experience has been awesome.”

 In 2024 Tyler has had 12 kids aged 5-13 years come along to the mid-week sessions and as word has got around interest is growing for enrolments for next season.

 Tyler, who is keen to ensure accessibility to a wide range of sport for the areas’ kids has formed the Donnybrook Junior Sport Alliance to bring together like minded community members and provide support for existing local sporting codes that rely on volunteers and struggle to secure outside funding.