Youngster sails away with back-to-back award wins

Promising sailor Will Drew capped off another fantastic year by recording back-to-back wins in the Myles Junior Sport Star of the Year award last night.

Despite a hotly contested field, the 15-year-old’s achievements, coupled with his communication skills, ensured he was declared a unanimous winner by the judges.

During the formal interview process, Will spoke about a recent turning point in his career, while on representative duty interstate.

While sailing in New South Wales, the youngster met former New Zealand gold medallist Sir Russell Coutts and was given an opportunity of a lifetime.

As the only West Australian in attendance, Will did not know many sailors and Coutts gave him a chance to train with the New Zealand team.

Even though he was not an official squad member, Coutts treated him as one of his own – a bond which Will has never forgotten.

The youngster said he loved the inclusiveness of sailing and was looking to test himself further across all levels of competition next year. Finishing a close runner-up was hockey player Georgina Dowd, who was selected in the School Sport Australia under 16s All-Australian team.