Katoomba Little Athletics Centre has received a $3,500 grant from the Coles Little Athletics Community Fund to buy new equipment.
Fresh off the inspiring performances from Australia's track and field stars at the Tokyo Olympics, Katoomba Little Athletics is hoping new equipment will help budding athletes fulfill their sporting potential.
The centre's president, Stephen Rothwell, said the funding will help them survive and thrive through challenging times.
"Our club has been providing activities for the Blue Mountains community for over 48 years and has produced state and national champions and even an Olympian. Our kids have the best time each Saturday despite having old equipment which has been resprayed, repaired or should be in a museum," he said.
"This Coles grant will make such a huge difference to our club. It will allow us to replace our entire stock of equipment such as discuses, javelins and shot puts. We'll be able to share the excitement with the schools who use our facilities for their athletics carnivals as well, so there will be many athletes who will benefit from an upgrade of our resources.
"In this Olympic year we expect to have an increase in our registrations and believe the provision of new equipment will help to retain our athletes for many seasons to come."
The latest round of funding brings Coles' allocation of sports equipment grants to over $2 million in three years. This year's grants funded from the sale of Coles' reusable community bags designed by Aussie kids and the sale of bananas sold at supermarkets on National Banana Day in May.
Coles Little Athletics Australia president, Andrew Pryor, said the grants will help develop the next generation of Olympians.
"We are entering a very exciting period for Little Athletics following the success of Tokyo 2020 and as we set our sights on Brisbane 2032," he said.
"Around 75 per cent of the Australian track and field team who competed in the Tokyo Olympics and a further 23 percent of para-athletes in the Paralympics, had their start in Little Athletics - that's why support like this from Coles is so important."
For more information about Little Athletics and to register, visit www.littleathletics.com.au.