A strength and conditioning coach inspired by his Sport and Exercise Science degree at the University of the Sunshine Coast has awarded his own $1,000 bursary to help another USC student follow a similar passion.

Buderim’s Matthew Bousson, 27, who moved to the Coast from America in 2009 and is now studying a PhD at USC, introduced the Harold Bousson Jnr Pursuit of Coaching Bursary in his father’s honour.

The bursary has been awarded to debut Paralympic swimmer Jacob Templeton, 20, of Buderim, who is studying his Bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science while training with the USC Spartans team for the Rio Games in September.

Jacob, who competes in a classification that includes legally blind athletes, will swim for Australia at the Paralympics under high-performance coach Jan Cameron, who has six other USC-based swimmers in her Rio team.

The former Tasmanian schoolboy said it was rewarding to receive the bursary in the third year of his degree, as he worked so hard to pursue his education and sporting dreams simultaneously.

“I’ve put in a lot of effort at uni and to be acknowledged is special,” he said. “This degree is ideal for me as I love sport and it is great to meet people from different backgrounds with interest in different sports.

“The lecturers and staff in my faculty have had great experience in my field and I’ve taken a particular interest in physiology and coaching. I like learning about how the body works and I aim to put what I’m learning into practice to make an impact on sport and helping people.”

Jan Cameron said, “Jake is a good example of how a sportsman can complete uni studies alongside his sport. USC is a fabulous place to do this.”

Matthew, who is director of program development and athlete performance at CSF (Core Strength Fitness) at Maroochydore, said he was enjoying his PhD on “Hip extension and muscle recruitment sequencing during athletic performance” and wanted to give back.

“I came through USC’s undergraduate program and was fortunate to get the opportunity to do my internship at the prestigious Stanford University in California,” said Matthew, who is supervised by Lecturer in Sports Science Dr Dale Lovell.

“It required me to enrol as a part-time student and financially this would not have been possible without the assistance and sacrifice of my father, Harold Bousson. I created this bursary to thank him for supporting my career and help others who want coaching careers.

“I take great pride in being alumni of USC and I want the Sunshine Coast to be at the forefront of injury prevention, coaching and elite athlete development.”

USC Development Officer Greg Bradley said, “It’s quite unusual for current students to be providing scholarships, so Matthew’s bursary is fantastic.”

— Julie Schomberg