Senior Sports Captain Eleanor Barker has seized a unique opportunity to share her experience as a female leader in sport, speaking at the Soroptimist International Women's Day Breakfast for 2021.
Eleanor has shared her unique journey as a talented young athlete which is a perfect reflection on the theme of 2021 – Women in Leadership through sport.
Eleanor at the 2021 Soroptimist International Women's Day Breakfast.
As Kirwan High Sports Captain and a club captain at her swimming club, Eleanor has developed into a strong female leader.
"I spoke about my life and my history as a young athlete," Eleanor said, "as well as about the role models who have inspired me to be who I am today and one of those is my sister Melissa."
Herself a former Kirwan High School Captain, Melissa graduated in 2019 and has always been a source of inspiration to Eleanor.
"She demonstrates many skills that I aspire to have such as teamwork, leadership, communication and a loving personality," she said.
As dedicated to her studies as she is to her sport, Eleanor often trains before and after school.
Eleanor can be found at the pool before and after school training hard to reach National qualifying times, but her career hasn't been without its share of challenges.
From a slipped disc to knee injuries and the mental challenges of balancing study with a competitive sport, Eleanor credits her love of the sport and the support of her friends and family as key factors keeping her in the race for Nationals.
As a senior student at Kirwan High, Eleanor is balancing her swimming aspirations with a challenging suite of subjects. She's confident the hard work will pay off, and is planning to pursue a university degree in Marine Science after Year 12.
Eleanor met fellow guest speakers, and sporting leaders, Suzy Batkovic and Karrie Webb AO, as well as Townsville Mayor Cr Jenny Hill at the Women's Day Breakfast.
While early starts and late finishes have always been a challenge, they've helped Eleanor develop strong time management skills.
"Over the years I've developed very good time management skills to balance studies, swimming, music and all my other commitments."
The Kirwan High community is proud of Eleanor's achievements, and excited to see where this Kirwan High Scholar's inquiring, optimistic, inclusive and aspirational personality will take her next.
If your child is a budding sports star, find out more about Kirwan High's world class Sports Academy.