Night of Olympic proportions for Education Foundation fundraiser

A night with Narrabri’s international sport stars has served as a fundraiser for the Country Education Foundation of the Namoi.

Olympians Laura Gourley and Shannan Davey along with international cyclist Lachie Cameron were the guests-of-honour at a fundraising dinner at The Exchange on Saturday.

In almost 20 years, the CEFN has supported 223 local students to further their education, with financial assistance totalling more than $364,000.

Saturday night’s fundraiser aimed to raise more funds for the foundation, along with the generous support it receives from businesses, organisations and individuals throughout the year.

“I am so proud of what we do at the Country Education Foundation of the Namoi for converting the want to complete further studies or start a trade into a reality for some of our local students,” CEFN chair Cara Stoltenberg said.

“If by giving support and encouragement and a monetary grant to someone helps them make the decision to chase their dreams, then I think that’s really worthwhile.

“We are very grateful for the generous support of our local community and we couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers and our donors.

“The Country Education Foundation of the Namoi has conveyed to each recipient that their community is supportive of their goals and is helping them to achieve their aspirations.

“Knowing that you have the support of your community is invaluable and also what I think our students have in common with our local sports heroes and the leaders who are here tonight.”

On the night, Lachie, Laura and Shannan each spoke about their journeys in their respective sports while also offering advice to the assembled guests.

Laura explained her initial start in rowing had proved challenging as the COVID pandemic hit.

“At UTS, I made my first state team for New South Wales in the youth league, where we had great success. And then from there, unfortunately, COVID  came along when I was trying for my first Australian team,” Laura said.

“So I had to come back and train with my brother and my sister, which was challenging at some points. But it was great. But I had a pretty tough year there. I ended up actually breaking a rib or two along the way.

“But COVID taught me a lot of great things about dedication. After COVID, I made my first Australian team, which was the under-23 quad. And unfortunately, because of COVID, we couldn’t go overseas. So we competed just domestically.

“But we had a great opportunity to compete against the Tokyo Olympic team, which for me was a real highlight of my career, getting to train alongside them and compete against them before their big competition.

“And then the next year from there, I made my first individual team. So I got selected in the under-23 scull to compete overseas where I ended up coming eighth overall out of that.”

From Laura’s success there, she was bound for the Czech Republic.

“I was asked to join the extra training squad down in Perth and relocated out there full-time. I was then selected in the double for the Olympic qualifying unit. We had a great season to start off with. We ended up coming fourth twice.

“Unfortunately, on the line, we both finished and then had a tougher, better third Olympic qualification, which ended up with all crews ending in second. And whoever came last didn’t get to go to the Olympics.

“So it was quite a stressful time.

“It’s all about trusting your process, which is what I like.

“After the success in the double and qualifying for the Olympics, that doesn’t mean our spot is selected.

“We have to go to trial for the team. So I had to go back and trial again, which is a bit of a tough process to do all the work. And you think you have your spot, but you still haven’t.

“I was then selected for quad scull, which is four people compared to two. So it was a bit of a different challenge for me. And we had a pretty tough season.

“We went into the Olympics. Each one of us had about three weeks of throat injuries and a few girls getting pretty sick. And we had to re-trial about three times. It was pretty stressful.

“We competed at the World Cup, so I got my first international medal, which was pretty exciting, in Poznan in Poland. And then from there, we set off to the Olympics. At the Olympics, it was not the result we wanted, but I had a great time.

“The support, my whole family came over. They all got T-shirts made up to cheer me on, which is great.

“It was such a great experience for me, and it was a bit of a pinching moment, getting to the Olympics, because I always grew up knowing that I wanted to do sport, because I didn’t always love the classroom, and I knew I always enjoyed being outside, whether it was working on the farm or swimming or even running.

“I was always outside. And just even getting there in the first place was such a surreal moment.

“Even though we didn’t go well, I think even going and just seeing the crowd at the Olympics was such a different experience for us, because rowing is not a massive sport, and we had 30,000 people there, which was really cool.

“I thank my family, and growing up in Narrabri, for giving me a great influence on how I got to where I am today and what I’ve achieved.”

Lachie then addressed the crowd, speaking about his recent trip to Roubaix, France, for the World Track Cycling Championship in the masters category, as well as his sporting journey.

“I was always a rugby league player and a cricketer in summer. And it was really my identity,” Lachie said.

“At times, I’ll look back at some of the stuff I’ve done during my sporting life and feel like I’ve probably overachieved through hard work and dedication.

“I always had some natural talent in the stuff I was doing. But I was also a bit of a jack-of-all-trades, master of none. I was never the quickest guy on the footy field or the biggest guy or the most skilful guy. I just had a little bit of all of it. And then through hard work I managed to get a few places in life with sport.

“I was very lucky with my upbringing. I had a very solid family base. My mum and dad, I couldn’t ask for anyone better in my upbringing.

“I really didn’t grow up with much adversity in life. As a lot of you know, through adversity you grow. And that’s where sport sort of helped me in life.

“It’s through adversity through sport that I have actually grown as a person. That’s then translated to when I’ve had adversity in life. I’ve been able to draw from some of the experiences and lessons learned through sport.”

In addition to footy and cricket, boxing was also part of Lachie’s sporting journey, however, a fractured eye socket meant he could no longer compete in contact sports.

“For a little while there, I lost my identity. Because I’d always seen myself as a sportsman,” he said.

“And it was in that little crossroads that I stumbled across track cycling.

“The same sort of thing happened around COVID time. So I spent a lot of time on an indoor bike before I actually got to race.

“It was a whole new experience. Something I’d never done before. I hadn’t really ridden a bike, an actual bike, since I was a kid. So that was getting used to actually riding a bike again.

“I was pretty bad to start off with. I knew how bad I was, apart from that my times were terrible. But I could actually see competitors taking pity on me. Which was an experience.

“And it was an experience I’d never had before. Because I’d always sort of been, in all the sports I’d played, I’d never really been the guy that made up the numbers.

“Where it was like I was a place filler at races. But on the flip side of that, I also, for the first time in my life, was going to events where there was zero expectations.

“Everything I do in life, I like to do it to the best I can do.

“Fast forward … I started to make a little bit of that gap up. And started winning a few medals at the state events in the masters categories.”

Winning gold at nationals was a highlight as he forged his path in track cycling, however, it’s the state gold that carries special meaning.

“I still hold that NSW gold medal a little bit higher because that was the moment where it became real,” Lachie said.

“I like to do stuff when people tell me I can’t. I’ve even been told that my body type doesn’t suit the race I’m doing.”

“And they could have a point because in cycling there’s a tradition to get an Australian jersey when you win a national title.

“And they gave me my medal and then they handed me my national jersey that they tried to get on me and nearly busted the zipper.”

From there, Lachie qualified for the World Masters Games in Roubaix in northern France which he described as an interesting experience.

For Shannan, he said the night was also about the people who have been with him every step of the way, as well as his efforts.
Shannan’s journey started in Narrabri as a kid who loved playing rugby league and cricket.

“I was actually going down the wrong path in life. That was until one afternoon, my older brother, Brendan Davey, came home from boxing, and I asked if I could go with him the next day,” he said.

“After my first session, I instantly fell in love with boxing. I knew from that day, this is what I wanted to do with my life.

“And from that point on, everything started to change for me. Boxing started to make me become a better person. I started to lose weight, I stopped fighting in school, and I became a respectful young man.

“Boxing became more than just a sport to me. It became a passion, a way to challenge myself, and a reason to keep fighting through life’s challenges.

“Brendan has always been my number one fan, my mentor, and my biggest fan ever.

“Alongside Brendan, my mum has been an unwavering pillar of support. No matter what decisions I made in my life, my mum always believed in me. She never had a doubt that I would make it, and she would be there for me.

“And knowing she was behind me, being able to push through, my fears were passed, her belief in me never wavered.

“I’m so grateful to have such an amazing woman in my life. Thank you, mum.

“My dad. He’s the hardest worker we know. He worked tirelessly to provide for our family, making sure we had what we needed to get by.

“But more than that, he saw something in me that I didn’t always see in myself.

“Every time I wanted to quit boxing … he reminded me of a regret he felt for not chasing his own dreams when he was my age.

“He would say, ‘don’t you dare give up. You will regret it later’. His words taught me that he still lived in this day. Without my dad, without his blessings, without his sacrifice, his love, I wouldn’t have been around today.

“I wouldn’t have been standing up there, representing my country at the biggest tournament in the world. Thank you, dad, as well.

“I also can’t forget my two sisters, Jasmine and Brittany, who have been with me through every high and every low. They always saw the best in me, and I’m so grateful for their support.”

Reflecting on the hardships in his journey, from mental health issues to financial struggles, it is the surgeries that stand out as they challenged Shannan’s dream of making it to the Olympics.

“The first one, a ruptured ACL, was a devastating blow at the time. I didn’t know if I would be able to make it and continue boxing,” he said.

“But that’s when something incredible happened. Lee Parish stepped in at a time when I was struggling. Lee offered to pay for my surgery so I could keep chasing my dream.

“That act of kindness will stay with me forever. I’ll never forget that moment. Lee is a true example of what it means to support others in a better time than me.

“After that surgery, I rushed my recovery to get back into the ring. Desperate, despite the setbacks, I fought through the pain and I qualified for the Commonwealth Games Queensland Selection Event, where I won, and I made it to the Australian Selection Event.”

Shannan ultimately fell short of his goal to represent Australia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“That loss was tough. My first loss in three years, my first loss since that main fight, but it didn’t break me. It only fuelled my desire to keep going,” he said.

“I think sometimes we need to lose enough to grow and get better. With the fire inside me burning stronger than ever, I continued to get up every day and work harder. And then one day, after posting a 10K run on my Instagram story, my preparation met opportunity, when the Australian coach sent me a message that he would like me to represent Australia in the Australia vs New Zealand test match.

“My first opportunity to represent Australia, my lifelong dream, this satisfying moment I will cherish forever. Five months later, I competed in the national championships and won my first ever Australian championship, which also got my international team to compete at the 2023 world championships.

“During 2023, I travelled to nine countries, competed in multiple tournaments, trained in camps, continued to learn and grow.”

That year also included competing at the world championships in Uzbekistan.

“I fought my heart out and stuck it to the Cuban, blow for blow,” Shannan said.

“I was proud of myself, just a boy from Narrabri, taking on the best in the world.

“Three months later, I took out the most important tournament of my life … and I qualified for my final leg of my dream at the Pacific Games.

“I won my first two fights, and now I was one fight away from my dream of qualifying for the Olympic Games. My opponent, Wendell Stanley, from New Zealand, we had met before, and he beat me by a split decision in New Zealand in a test match.

“But this time I was ready. I defeated Wendell by unanimous decision, and won my ticket to the 2024 Olympics. Wow, what a moment.

“These moments are hard to explain. Years of blood, sweat and tears for this moment, and I did it. To feel it is something I can’t explain, I’ll never forget it.

“But just a few days later, my dream was on edge.

“I tore my meniscus and required a second surgery. With limited time on my side, something incredible happened again. Another act of community kindness. From Ross, Nick and Chris McClure … and Lee Parish again stepped up to help pay for the surgery. It was successful, keeping my dream alive, and I’ll never be able to thank them enough for what they have done for me. I made it to the 2024 Olympics.

“It’s a reminder to me that everything happens for a reason. Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. But if you trust the process, keep working hard, opportunities will come.

“I’ve learned to trust what I was planning, even when it doesn’t make sense at the time.

“Growing up in Narrabri I had challenges. It was a small town, and sometimes it felt like I was trying to make a name for what was bigger than me. But that small-town mindset instilled a strong ethic, a sense of community, and humbled it, true to myself.

“It pushed me to want to achieve more, to dream bigger, and to never settle for anything less than my best.

“As I prepared to step into the Olympic ring in Paris, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of emotions. There was excitement, pride, and an overwhelming sense of gratitude.

“But there’s also a sense of calm, because I know that no matter what happens in that ring, I have done everything possible I could to get there.

“I’ve fought through physical pain, mental struggles, and countless obstacles. But with my family, my coaches, my sponsors by my side, I was ready for this moment.

“I was thinking of all those who helped me along the way, my brother, my parents, my sisters, my coaches, all my friends, my sponsors, and of course the community.”

Shannan paid tribute to the local businesses who continue to sponsor him and his pursuit for boxing greatness.

“You’re a great team, you gave me an opportunity to keep going. I will forever be grateful, thank you,” he said.

“Now as I look ahead to my journey, my goal is to become a professional next year, and work toward becoming a world champion within four to five years.

“The fire in my belly burns stronger than ever, and I’m hungry for success. My hunger for success is greater than ever.

“I know that this is just the beginning, and no matter what happened in Paris, I will continue to fight and continue to grow.

“I hope what we have accomplished inspires you all, and motivates you all, and shows that anything is possible when you have a dream.

“Don’t give up, and don’t sit in the back seat. Just keep your head down, and work hard, and believe in yourself.”