Yesterday I had the honour of presenting 2017-18 Burt Local Sporting Champions Grant recipients with their awards at Sutherlands Park in Huntingdale.

Burt Local Sporting Champions are young sportsmen and women aged 12-18 participating in an official State, National or International Sporting Championship and received a $500 grant to assist them with interstate and international travel.

The breadth and diversity of our local sporting community is reflected in these awards, with recipients representing WA and Australia in indoor cricket, gymnastics, BMX, boxing, rugby league, Aussie rules, hockey, calisthenics and baseball.

Presenting the awards was my way of acknowledging the hard work and many long hours put in by the parents, families and the athletes themselves.

Parents and carers are the ones getting up early, driving around after school and criss-crossing the metro area each weekend to support their kids. The parents and families of our young sport stars sacrifice so much to ensure their children can live their dreams and the Local Sporting Champions Grants provides a little extra support to those families needing help to live their dream.

People focus too much on the negative stories of our community and these Burt Local Sporting Champions show how we can change the story, by supporting and promoting our great sporting achievements.

Kai Torsvick is currently competing for Australia in New Zealand and just before the award presentation won first place in synchronised trampoline at the 2017 Australian Gymnastic Championships.

Kais mother, Mandy said: Every little bit helps, participating in national and international competitions really puts a strain on our family budget, but its Kais dream and we have to help him make it.

Brenda Campbell, whose son Taylor and daughter Bianca got through to the finals of the UCI World BMX Championships said Thank you to Mr Keogh for his support in helping the kids get the grant, helping them get to where they needed to go.