The Olympic designation is aimed at boosting opportunities for talented NSW athletes to progress their sporting and academic careers.

The school received the special designation at a ceremony today attended by NSW Deputy Premier Prue Car, AOC Chief Executive Officer Matt Carroll as well as Olympic alumni from the school – Heather Garriock, Alex Brosque and Shane Cansdell-Sheriff.

AOC CEO Matt Carroll says the Australian Olympic Pathway Schools designation is an important recognition of the value of the Sports High Schools network in NSW.

“Westfields Sports High has produced some 20 Olympians over several decades, which is a very proud record. With Brisbane 2032 just nine years away, today’s students will be striving to represent Australia at a home Games.

“The key to sporting excellence is to align participation, pathways and high performance into the virtuous circle. To have this alignment at high school level is powerful.

“The Australian Olympic Pathway Schools designation provides an additional motivation and validates the specialisation being undertaken within each Sports High School.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car says today’s announcement is another success story for public education in NSW.

“I am delighted to announce that another one of our seven sports high schools, Westfields Sports High School, is being endorsed by the Australian Olympic Committee as an Australian Olympic Pathway School.

“This ground-breaking partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee cements Westfields as an important nursery for sporting talent in Australia.

“There is a good chance we’ll be seeing some of the students here at Westfields today represent our country at the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

“We are seeing just how education and sport can come together to provide global best practice opportunities for high-performing student athletes, while ensuring their academic and wellbeing needs are supported through this critical part of their lives.

“I look forward to hearing about the fantastic achievements, both on and off the sporting arenas, that sports high schools provide for the students in NSW public schools,” the Deputy Premier said.

Westfields alumnus and Matilda Heather Garriock says the school created the opportunity for her to realise an Olympic dream.

“I am a proud Westfields Sports High School alumnus. If it wasn’t for Westfields I would not have achieved my dream of being an Olympian. I am beyond exited to see the collaboration the AOC has made with Sporting High Schools here in NSW and the support from the NSW Government.

“Sport and education plays a key role in the journey of an athlete especially with green and gold runway to Brisbane 2032. I can’t think of anything more inspirational for a student to see the Olympic Rings attached to the high school they are attending,” she concluded.

Heather played for the Matildas at the Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games. She is one of 20 Olympians who have graduated from Westfield Sports High School.

Westfields Sports High School Olympian Alumni:

• Karyn Perkins (Di Marco) - Athletics
• Jason Culina - Football
• Heather Garriock - Football
• Kelly Golebiowski - Football
• Alex Brosque - Football
• Shane Cansdell-Sheriff - Football
• Kylie Ledbrook – Football
• Sarah Walsh - Football
• Fabrice Lapierre - Athletics
• Dani Samuels – Athletics
• Kate Bates - Cycling
• Mark Bridge – Football
• David Carney - Football
• Trent McClenahan - Football
• Jade Close - Hockey
• Daniel Tranter - Swimming
• Ellie Carpenter - Football
• Alanna Kennedy - Football
• Kyra Cooney-Cross - Football
• Courtney Nevin - Football