VU celebrates 2026 Elite Sport & Performer scholarship recipients
From international sporting arenas to some of the world’s biggest stages, Victoria University’s 2026 Elite Sport & Performer Program (ESPP) scholarship recipients are achieving at the highest levels while balancing university study, leadership and personal goals.
This year’s recipients represent an impressive range of sports and performance disciplines, including bobsleigh, judo, opera, taekwondo, netball, athletics, swimming, hockey, badminton and para sport.
Elite Achievement Scholarship
Among them is Hayley Silvester, who represented Australia in bobsleigh and was selected as an Olympic alternate for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. While competing internationally, Hayley has maintained a High Distinction average in her Bachelor of Education and is now targeting selection for the 2030 Winter Olympics.
Australian judo representative Danny Vojnikovich is another Elite Achievement Scholarship recipient. A multiple-time Australian and Oceania champion, Danny competed at the 2026 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, reaching the bronze medal match. He is studying a Bachelor of Sport Science while also coaching and mentoring the next generation of athletes.
Emerging Talent Scholarship
The Emerging Talent Scholarship recipients include Gemma Nha, an internationally performing soprano balancing a career at Vienna’s Volksoper Wien with a Master of Teaching at VU, and Aiden Stilley, one of Australia’s leading heavyweight taekwondo athletes, who is progressing from junior world competition into the senior international ranks.
Young netballer Sahara Ball and distance runner Bianca Puglisi are also being recognised for their promising careers. Sahara has progressed through Victorian and Australian high-performance pathways, while Bianca has represented Australia at the World University Games and World University Cross Country Championships.
Opportunity & Access Scholarship
The Opportunity & Access Scholarship celebrates students including Khushnoor Rangi, an Australian Under 20 pole vault champion selected for the 2026 World Under 20 Athletics Championships; Oscar Mugerwa, who has represented Australia in both wheelchair basketball and para rowing; Layla Mahfouz, a high-performing swimmer balancing study, placements and elite competition; and Indigenous 400m sprinter Dash Muir, who earned selection for the Australian team at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships.
Academic & Leadership Excellence Scholarship
Academic and sporting excellence is also at the heart of the achievements of Georgia Taylor and Nils Vercruysse. Both maintain High Distinction academic averages while competing at high levels and giving back through coaching, mentoring and leadership in their sports.
Congratulations to all recipients
Together, the 2026 scholarship recipients showcase the determination, talent and diversity of VU’s elite sporting and performing community.
Victoria University congratulates all 2026 ESPP scholarship recipients on their achievements – in the classroom, on the field, court, track and stage.