Supporting athletes to build a future beyond competitive sport, Diving Australia’s Beyond the Boards (BTB) Grant returns in 2026, with $40,000 in funding available to help current and former divers pursue new opportunities beyond the pool.

With$40,000 in total funding available, the Beyond the Boards Grant continues to invest in the people behind the performances, providing practical financial assistance to support education, professional development and entrepreneurial pursuits during and after an athlete’s competitive career.

The 2026 program will continue with a two-tier funding model designed to maximise the impact of the initiative:

·Tier 1:Up to two successful applicants may each receive a grant of up to $10,000 to support major projects or significant career opportunities.

·Tier 2:Additional successful applicants may receive grants of up to $2,500 each.

The Beyond the Boards Grant aims to help athletes build a strong foundation for life beyond diving. Funding can support a broad range of initiatives, including education and extracurricular activities, personal and professional development, start-up costs for a new business, or investment in an existing business venture.

Examples include purchasing university or TAFE course materials, undertaking professional development courses, attending industry conferences, accessing career mentoring, establishing a business website, purchasing equipment or investing in marketing and business growth.

Current SIS/SAS scholarship holders, as well as retired athletes who have held a SIS/SAS scholarship within the past five years, are eligible to apply.Athletes who have represented Australia at any level are encouraged to apply and may be given preference during the selection process.

Previous recipients have already used the grant to take meaningful steps towards their future ambitions, from developing professional skills and launching businesses to gaining valuable experience in healthcare.

Diving Australia athlete and 2025/2026 Beyond the Boards Grant recipient Georgia Sheehan said the funding had helped strengthen her professional skills and create new career opportunities.

“Receiving this grant gave me the opportunity to invest in professional development that directly strengthened my skills and opened the door to new opportunities. The knowledge I gained through the course has already been put into practice through my work with Prince Sports & Entertainment, giving me valuable experience and helping me take the next step in my career in PR and communications.”

Fellow recipient Jonah Mercieca used the funding to invest in the tools and resources needed to establish his photography business and develop his career.

“Beyond the Boards has enabled me to set my sights further into the future, creating a basis and foundations needed to launch my own photography business and career. The fund has helped me to join an online cloud storage service (Drop Box), where I can share my photos and videos with other athletes and projects. Additionally, the grant has allowed me to subscribe to Adobe’s Lightroom services, helping me to edit my photos from the raw format. The grant also assisted me to finance an external hard drive to store and edit photos externally, instead of filling my laptops’ local storage.”

For Annarose Keating, the grant supported an international healthcare placement that strengthened her practical experience and helped prepare her for a career beyond elite sport.

“This funding enabled me to undertake a two-week healthcare placement with Work the World in Iloilo, Philippines, an experience that significantly enhanced my clinical knowledge, practical skills, and understanding of global healthcare.

“Throughout the placement, I rotated through the Emergency Department, Obstetrics Postnatal Ward, and Birthing Suites at a major public hospital in Iloilo. The experience provided exposure to a healthcare system that operates under considerable resource constraints and differs significantly from the Australian healthcare system.

“This experience has been invaluable in supporting my career beyond elite sport and contributing to my professional development as a future healthcare practitioner within humanitarian aid. I have now applied for the army reserves to continue to develop skills in disaster management and response.”

The Athlete Committee encourages all eligible athletes to consider how the funding could support their long-term goals and aspirations beyond the sport.

Applications for the 2026 Beyond the Boards Grant open 26 October 2026 and close on 23 November 2026.

Athletes are invited to download the Beyond the Boards documents, which outline the eligibility requirements, selection criteria and official application form.

Completed applications, along with any supporting documentation, must be submitted via email toathletecommittee@diving.org.auby the closing date.

See below for the application form and more information.