Joanne Joseph awarded Sport Australia Hall of Fame 2026 Scholarship
Published Tue 21 Oct 2025
Sport Australia has today announced the recipients for the Hall of Fame’s 2026 Scholarship and Mentoring Program, with a total of 32 athletes from 32 different sports sharing $150,000 in funding, spread across three tiers.
Joseph, the 2023 U17 Oceania Girls Junior Champion, 2024 U19 Australian Junior Championships Girls Runner Up and recent Australian Junior Representative at the 2025 World Squash Junior Championships in Egypt, was honoured with 2026 Tier 3 scholarship.
Off the court, Joanne is an academic scholarship recipient and serves as Vice Captain of her school. She is also a Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship holder and is committed to improving her physical performance and refining her game through consistent training and guidance from VIS. With a passion for squash and a clear vision for her future, Joanne aims to represent Australia at the Olympics and Commonwealth Games at the highest levels of senior competition.
After squash, she plans to pursue her passion for medicine and become a doctor. Currently in Year 12, she plans to apply to universities such as the University of Melbourne and Monash University for their three-year Biomedicine programs, followed by a Master of Medicine degree. She also intends to apply for the Elite Athlete Entry Scheme at both universities, which, if successful, would provide flexibility with assignments to accommodate her travel for tournaments.
“Being a SAHOF Scholarship recipient is such an honour to me. To have the support of an institution that backs Australia’s most elite athletes and Olympians is truly incredible. This scholarship will not only give me the financial help to pursue my aspirations in squash, but it also serves as an opening door to new experiences and opportunities, allowing me to broaden my horizons and develop as an athlete and a person," said Joseph.
"This scholarship motivates me to keep pushing myself to strive towards my goals and make the most of every opportunity. I look forward to the coming year and with the support of SAHOF, I can’t wait to continue growing as an athlete, performing at my best in tournaments, and gaining more international experience.”
The scholarship program is backed by the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport. Harvey Norman is co-sponsor through its three-year Gold Sponsorship with the Sport Australia Hall of Fame, which commenced in February 2025. This partnership supports the Hall of Fame’s Scholarship & Mentoring Program, reinforcing Harvey Norman’s commitment to Australian sport and athletes both on and off the field.
Katie Page, CEO of Harvey Norman, said: “Harvey Norman is proud to work in lockstep with the Australian Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport to deliver the 32 new Sport Australia Hall of Fame scholarships for 2026. These scholarships will ensure our talented 15-to-21-year-old athletes and para-athletes can continue to train and compete at the elite level.”
“Congratulations to all the 2026 scholarship recipients, and equally thank you to all the applicants. We wish each of you every success.”
2026 Tier 1 Scholarship Holders
2025 U19 Oceania Mountain Biking (Cycling) Champion, Connor Wright, Under-23 World Champion in Kayak (Canoe) 1500M, Natalia Drobot, Winner of the Professional 24/25 Ironman Series in Surf Lifesaving, Conner Maggs, World Record holder in Men’s S14 50M Butterfly Swimming (Para), Declan Budd, Australia’s top-ranked in Senior Women’s Fencing (Epee), Katarina Egan, Winner of three gold medals at the 2025 Australian Rowing (Para) Championships, Isobel Egan.
Extending the Sport Australia Hall of Fame’s commitment to nurturing future stars, 26 additional athletes have been awarded elite scholarships. Beyond support from the Hall of Fame and its celebrated membership, Tier 2 athletes receive a $5,000 sporting expenses grant, and Tier 3 athletes receive $2,500 each. All scholarship recipients also receive merchandise from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame partners, BLACKROLL and Grip Star Socks.
2026 Tier 2 Scholarship Holders
Jack McShane (2024 Australian Indoor Lawn Bowls champion), Keefer Wilson (2024 Paris Olympian in skateboarding, 8th place), Maddison Brooks (2024 Paris Olympics hockey player), James Johnstone (snowboarding), Grace Brimelow (triathlon - para), Nya Hayman (weightlifting), Maggie Grey (diving), Charlotte Wilson (mogul skiing), Alicia Tan (rhythmic gymnastics) and Jye Dixon (boxing).
2026 Tier 3 Scholarship Holders
Caterina Longhi (artistic swimming), Lucy Darragh (surfing), Emma Putt (water polo), Bilal Cetin (wrestling), Arika Shetty (badminton – para), Toby Clack (eight ball), Anastasiia Golubeva (figure skating), Nicholas Odgers (modern pentathlon), Lucas Furlan (shooting), Joanne Joseph (squash), Gabriella Blewitt (taekwondo), Oliver Fanshawe (tennis - para), Archie McDonald (motorcycle racing), Rory Meehan (sailing), Angus Cormack (judo) and Delta Amidzovski (athletics).
Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chair and legend of Australian Sport, John Bertrand AO, said: “We are proud to welcome the next generation of elite junior athletes into our 2026 Scholarship & Mentoring Program. This initiative is a place where talent meets opportunity and dreams are fuelled by the guidance and support of some of Australia's GREATEST sporting stars.
“This program is made possible through the generosity of our Members, and we are grateful to them for sharing their personal experiences and wisdom to inspire and guide these young athletes to strive for excellence, embrace challenges with courage, and pursue their dreams through the highs and lows of elite sport.
“We also extend our sincere gratitude to our partners, the Australian Sports Commission incorporating the Australian Institute of Sport and Harvey Norman, for their invaluable support in making this program possible.
“We look forward to supporting these 32 young athletes to grow, learn and take their sporting journeys to new heights.”
Australian Sports Commission Chair Kate Jenkins AO congratulated the 2026 scholarship recipients.
“The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship program embodies everything we are striving for at the Australian Sports Commission, producing well-rounded individuals who are set up for success beyond sport. The record number of applications is a testament to this important initiative.
“I congratulate all the recipients and wish them well for their future endeavours.”
The Sport Australia Hall of Fame received a record 341 submissions for the 2026 scholarships, with an applicant pool comprising 154 males (45 per cent) and 187 females (55 per cent), including 26 para sport athletes (7.6 per cent). Applications were submitted from every state (except the Northern Territory), with New South Wales leading at 31 per cent and the east coast of Australia accounting for 78 per cent of the total.
Lifesaving had the most dramatic growth, with a 285 per cent increase in applications compared to 2025. The program also attracted interest from four new sports: eight ball, woodchopping, polo and Kung Fu Wushu. Several traditional sports showed strong growth, with fencing, squash, canoe/kayak and sailing all doubling their application numbers from the previous year. Winter sports saw increased participation, from 20 to 26 applicants in this round. Athletics, lifesaving and swimming remained the most popular sports, consistently taking the top three positions overall, in the male and female categories.
About the Sport Australia Hall of Fame: The Sport Australia Hall of Fame preserves and celebrates the history of Australian sport while inspiring all Australians to achieve their potential. Guided by values of courage, sportsmanship, integrity and excellence, SAHOF honours its Members’ achievements and provides unparalleled opportunities to future generations.
The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship & Mentoring Program, established in 2006, has supported over 267 young athletes in 58 sports. The program connects scholarship holders with SAHOF Members, providing life-changing personal development, work-life balance guidance and media training. Expanded in 2020 to a three-tiered structure, the program now ensures even greater opportunities for Australia’s emerging sporting talent.
