SPORT is not all about winning for Beaconhills College student Natalie Templar.
The Beaconhills College vice-captain’s inclusive and supportive sporting beliefs and natural acumen were acknowledged by the Australian Olympic Committee and Victorian Olympic Council as she was awarded a prestigious Pierre de Coubertin Award recently.
Templar, 18, from Pakenham Upper, was one of 127 Victorian student recipients of the award – named after the founder of the modern Olympic Games – and Templar was proud to gain recognition for her passion and commitment to sport.
“I was proud of myself to be honest,” Templar said. “It showed my contributions to sport have been recognised.
“I love being involved with school sport and have always been going to training… enjoyed the time with the teachers and then enjoying helping the younger students.”
A sporting all-rounder, Templar enjoys her swimming and running most of all but has dabbled in anything sports-related throughout her time in school.
Most importantly, the main result she encourages among younger students who look up to her is to finish and celebrate that achievement rather than only aiming to win.
“I believe we need to encourage everyone not to go for the win, but go for the finish,” Templar said. “Sometimes I think we are too focused on winning – they go on about who wins instead of who has competed or who has improved.”
She wanted to thank her Beaconhills College teachers – Samuel Watson and Peter Ashmore – for their tremendous support and instilling in her the right ideals that sportspeople should hold dear.
“Both of them have been coaches throughout my time there and my biggest role models coming through school in general,” Templar said.
“They have been big influences in my sporting time at beacon hills and I think they’ve provided that coaching and encouragement and I’ll continue with it outside of school.”
Beaconhills College’s Head of Sport Samuel Watson said Templar is a positive influence on the younger students at the college and will continue to better the community once she finishes her education.
“Natalie is a determined athlete who is an active model for all of her peers,” Watson said.
“Her efforts at both training and competition demonstrate a complete commitment to all of the sports she participates in and she continually proves that hard work and determination will lead to great success on and off the sporting arena.”
