| Sarah Boddington (Bomaderry) was named the 2009-10 Lawn Bowls Athlete of the Year at The Illawarra Academy of Sport Annual Presentation Evening, held at the University of Wollongong on 26 February. Sarah has enjoyed an outstanding year, being selected in the NSW under 18 Country Side, the NSW Under 18 State Squad and having represented NSW in all series contested during the past 12 months. She was a part of the NSW Under 18 side that capture the overall gold medal at the Australian junior Championships, while Boddington also captured gold in the Girls Pairs and Girls Fours events. | 
The Hon. Paul McLeay MP (Member for Heathcote and Minister for the Illawarra) and Rob Turner (Director Warilla Bowls Club) present Sarah Boddington with her award as Lawn Bowls Athlete of the Year
photo: Balanced Image Studio | Boddington now joins some very famous company as an Illawarra Academy of Sport scholarship holder. Lawn Bowls has returned as a scholarship sport offered by the Illawarra Academy of Sport in recent years, and with former squad graduates including Karen Murphy, Brett Duprez, Troy Somerville and Leif Selby, she joins an elite group. The Regional Academies of Sport network includes 11 academies around NSW, giving opportunities to young sportsmen and women around the State to pursue excellence. The Academies offer advanced coaching and education opportunities, with athletes learning about nutrition and hydration, public speaking, drugs in sport and fitness. The IAS was Australia’s very first Regional Academy when it opened in 1985 and since then, more than 3900 local athletes have received scholarships here. Today it operates eleven sports programs: cricket, cycling, golf, hockey, netball, rugby league, rugby union, lawn bowls, tennis, swim sports and individual athletes. The Illawarra Academy of Sport encompasses the Wingecarribee, Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama and Shoalhaven Local Government areas. Special tribute was paid to Warilla Bowling Club, the major sponsor of the Illawarra Academy of Sport Lawn bowls program.
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