Tracey Roberts (Pearce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Deputy Speaker Claydon, I congratulate you on your role. Today I rise for my constituency statement not only to congratulate an outstanding member of my community but to shine a light on his achievements and his accomplishments. Members of this place may recall the name of Jai Hindley, who won the Giro d'Italia in 2022, just a few months ago. Jai has had a passion for cycling since he was a little boy and has competed in cycling competitions his whole life. Jai has been travelling overseas for cycling competitions since he was 15. This perseverance and dedication led him to become an Aussie legend and the first Australian to win the Giro d'Italia. We are so incredibly proud of him.

Pearce is fortunate enough to be home to Jai and his family, I would like to take this time to provide the chamber and the Australian people with some further information about Jai and what makes him so great. Jai can be described as caring, thoughtful, confident and easygoing. Family is important to him. He has a determined dedication to learning and striving for the next level in his development. However, Jai never forgets the beauty of our electorate and looks forward to coming home to all things Australian and spending time by the ocean in Mindarie. Jai not only grew up in Pearce but was born in Pearce. Before moving overseas to live at the age of 18, Jai attended the Mindarie Primary School and the Peter Moyes Anglican Community School, of which I was foundation registrar. I met Jai's family during this time. Jai later went on to study at the Mindarie Senior College, of which I'm a board member. I'm sure all of these local schools are proud to list him among their alumni.

We all know that great achievements come with great sacrifice and a lot of hard work. Jai juggled school and also trained four times a week at the Midland velodrome, in summer and in winter. He would road-train in the Perth Hills during the early mornings, before the heat of the day. Jai would train on a bike six days a week, with a 5 am start each day before school. He would ride to training, he would train and then he would ride home. For a young person to have such dedication and perseverance is nothing short of outstanding.

I'd like to share a mantra of Jai's in the hope that it influences other aspiring sports champions. Jai's mantra is, 'Ride hard, train harder; go hard or go home.' All of the hard work Jai has put in has paid off. He competed in the Midland Cycling Club events on track and on road from the age of six. He competed interstate from under-18 age groups. He's won the national championships. He competed in the world championships in the under-19s age group and then spent a season racing in Italy, where he turned 18, with an Italian team. That's where Jai learned a lot about European terrain and racing. The next few years saw Jai selected in the Australian WorldTour Academy, based in Italy. (Time expired)