• Three Charles Sturt University students/graduates to compete at Winter Olympics
• They will compete in cross-country skiing or freestyle skiing
• All three were participants in the University’s Elite Athlete and Performer Program

Three former or current students at Charles Sturt University are preparing to compete in Beijing at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

The Winter Olympics will be held from Friday 4 February to Sunday 20 February and feature two Charles Sturt graduates and one current student.

Ms Laura Peel studied online and graduated with a Bachelor of Health Science (Food and Nutrition) (now the Bachelor of Food Science and Nutrition) in Wagga Wagga in 2019. She will compete in Freestyle Skiing in the Women’s Aerials.

Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) graduate Mr Phil Bellingham studied online and graduated in Bathurst in 2017. He will compete in Cross-Country Skiing in the Men’s 15km Classic, 50km Freestyle Mass Start, Sprint Freestyle, Team Sprint Classic and 30km Skiathon.

Current Bachelor of Teaching (Secondary) student Ms Casey Wright is studying online via Charles Sturt in Bathurst. She will compete in Cross-Country Skiing in the Women’s Sprint Freestyle, 10km Classic, 30km Freestyle Mass Start and Team Sprint.

This is the third Winter Olympics for Ms Peel and Mr Bellingham and the second for Ms Wright.

All athletes are or were members of Charles Sturt’s Elite Athlete and Performer Program.

Executive Director of the Charles Sturt Division of Student Services Ms Jacqueline Clements congratulated the athletes on reaching this milestone in their careers.

She said Charles Sturt was committed to supporting elite athletes and performers in their sporting and performing endeavours while they achieved their higher education goals too.

“We had strong representation at the Tokyo Olympics and we are excited to see students, who are supported through the Elite Athlete and Performer Program, now go to Beijing,” she said.

“It just shows how much difference this support program makes to athletes and how it helps them to be successful in their studies as well as they compete at an elite level.”

Mr Bellingham will compete in his first event on Sunday 6 February at 6pm, Ms Wright will compete in her first event on Tuesday 8 February at 7pm and Ms Peel will compete in her first event on Sunday 13 February at 10pm. All events and schedules are accurate at time of publication and times are in AEST.