Twenty-one year old Victorian Danielle Pascoe has become Australia’s second ever female national yachting judge.

Danielle received a $2500 grant through the 2010–11 Sport Leadership Grants and Scholarships for Women program – a joint initiative of the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Government Office for Women that aims to boost the number of women in leadership roles.

The grant will allow her to gain more experience in judging at an international level by covering the cost of her national judge’s qualification as well as attendance at several international meets.

‘I originally did my state judge’s course in 2008 just for something productive to do because I had a lot of rules and protest knowledge from hanging around juries and observing protests over the years.

‘Then in the national judge exam I got the top mark and passed at national level and as ISAF want more female and younger judges I’ve received a lot of encouragement to do events and get my qualifications.’

With a father who is an international sailing judge, Danielle has been around sailing her entire life and made the decision to follow the officiating pathway to become more involved in the sport. 

‘I have grown up travelling from regatta to regatta with my parents and for me it’s the social side of the regatta I really enjoy. I also love being out in the jury boat on the water in the middle of a really skilled fleet and watching the top sailors in action.’

Now that Danielle has a national qualification, she is set to gain more experience in top-class international events.

‘I went to the laser radial men and women’s world championships in Scotland in July and the Hobie 16 World Championships in China in August.’

This range of international experience means Danielle will have the opportunity to work alongside some of the sport’s top officials and competitors.

‘I don’t have the time, drive or funding to get to a point where I can frequently go to major interstate and international events as a competitor, but as a volunteer official I have a lot more opportunities.’

Danielle’s future plans include applying for her international judge’s qualification and continuing to move up through the officiating ranks.

Her advice to other young women is, ‘Just do it. Don’t worry about whether you can or can’t do it, just give it a shot and do not be afraid to ask for help and advice.’