Nea Shingler
Local champion navigates her way to world championships
The World Orienteering Championships (WOC) have been on Nea Shingler’s map from the moment she began orienteering.
While juggling school commitments and a rigorous training schedule, Nea took out the 2022 Junior Women’s National Orienteering League for the second year in a row and achieved her dream of qualifying for the WOC.
“There aren’t any Olympics or Commonwealth Games for orienteering, so the World Championships is the highest level that you can get to. I never thought that I would get there so quickly,” Nea said.
Nea received a grant through the Australian Government’s Local Sporting Champions (LSC) program, which supports many young athletes to participate in championships.
“The grant helped pay for my entry fees and travel costs to get to the Championships,” Nea said.
At 17 years of age, Nea travelled to Denmark to compete in the WOC, where she became the youngest Australian to ever compete in the Championships.
“It was so cool to see the best and fittest orienteers in the world performing at the highest level.”
“I wasn't really nervous because I knew that I was there for the experience and to get a taste for the future,” Nea added.
The LSC program provides financial assistance for coaches, officials and competitors aged 12 to 18 years to participate in state, national or international championships. Successful applicants receive between $500 and $750 toward the cost of attending their championships.
For more information on the LSC program visit: sportaus.gov.au/lsc.
Have any questions about Local Sporting Champions?