Last week I presented Kai Torsvik, one of Burts Local Sporting Champions with an Australian flag to take with him to Sofia, Bulgaria to represent Australia at the 2017 World Trampolining Championships.

Earlier this year I awarded Kai one of the Burt Local Sporting Champions awards, which provided him $500 towards his participation in the Trans-Tasman Challenge in New Zealand in October.

Kai won 1st place in Synchronised Trampolining and 2nd in Double Mini.

Kai his mother Mandy and family have worked hard to help him achieve his dreams and these funds help with the heavy travel costs of international competitions.

I wished Kai good luck from our community for the World Championships.

There are many sacrifices for competitors and their families, especially from Western Australia, where the tyranny of distance adds significantly more to travel costs than for our eastern states friends.

This is why I echo the calls from my colleague, the Member for Tagney for the Local Sporting Champion grants to be increased for Western Australian junior athletes.

Finally Id like to remind everyone that Round 3 of the 2017-18 Burt Local Sporting Champions opened on 1 November 2017, with applications closing on 28 February 2018. So if you are, a local sporting champion aged 14-18 apply today via Australian Institute of Sports website - https://www.ausport.gov.au/ais/grants_and_funding/local_sporting_champions.