By Tim Doutré
WATERSKIING whiz kid Teagan Burns has been named the Don Deeble Award nominee for the month of May.
The young talent, who won the overall national title in the under 14 girls at the Australian water ski championships and earned herself a spot in the Australian junior squad, is the final Don Deeble nominee before this year’s award is announced.
The 13-year-old was happy to hear about her nomination.
“It is pretty cool, in Werribee now I will be recognised as a sportswoman,” she said.
Burns dominated two out of the three events at the nationals, winning gold in the jump and tricks, and fourth in the slalom to take out the overall prize.
As part of the 10 person Australian junior squad she has the chance to represent her country at the World Junior Titles in 2010.
“I was elected for the squad, (but) they announce the team at the next nationals in 2009. Then they start training. This year there will be a bit of training and they will keep watching the squad and next April the team is selected.”
Burns most recently won most improved junior tournament skier with her local club; Geelong water ski club. Before the nationals she had previously won the overall champion in the under 14 girls at the Victorian Titles held at Latrobe Valley.
The Hoppers Crossing resident has not been out on the water much lately.
“I don’t have too much to work for at the moment. The season’s over, there is no jump in at our club at the moment, it’s really, really cold and I have school.”
Burns said she had missed out on some school during the summer and would focus on her academic progress throughout the winter.
“I got back to school and all my friends were like ‘I didn’t know you were that good I just thought you were taking time off school to go and ski’.
“Waterskiing has really gone downhill a lot from a lot of years ago, the recognition has gone down. Now there is barely any funding in Australia the biggest tournament that gets seen is Moomba and that’s only because it is in the middle of the city.
“People at school have said that it looks easy and it looks boring (and ask) ‘don’t you get sick of it?’ I don’t think I am ever going to get sick of it. There are always different people coming in and out of it and they are always going to have different points of view.”
Improvement and competing at the top levels are goals for Burns who enjoys what waterskiing provides her both physically and mentally.
“Skiing is an individual sport; it teaches you so many life skills. You learn to set goals and aim for them. I am tricking nearly 2,000 and the world trick record is 12,000 by a senior (male) rider. I am not expected to get anywhere near that.
“The women’s record is around 8,000. It is a huge gap. There is so much difference. Closing that gap is something to aim for.”
The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is supported by Star, the Sunshine and Western Region Sports Club and Yarraville Club Cricket Club.
The award is incentive-based and nominations will be made monthly, with the club announcing an annual winner. The Don Deeble Sports Star Award is open to young sports people across the western suburbs performing at state or national level.
To nominate someone, write to Don Deeble Sports Star, c/o Star News Group, 17 Assembly Drive, Tullamarine, 3043, or email starsport@starnewsgroup.com.au, or phone 9933 4810.
