Catherine Risbey and Bailey Lewis are the two taekwondo players who have been put forward for the programme by the sport’s governing body in the country and both will have an article and a video dedicated to them on the “Sports Boost” website.

The pair will go up against each other in round two, with the winner, chosen by Sports Taekwondo Australia, due to receive around AUS$3,000 (£1,500/$2,200  €2,000).

Either Risbey or Lewis will then take on the winners of the other three rounds, from athletics, gymnastics and cycling, in a public vote for the overall “Sports Boost” prize and the victor will be given AUS$10,000 (£4,758/$7,200/€6,779) to put towards launching their professional sporting career.

Risbey was put forward after a breakthrough year which included participating at the World Championships in Chelyabinsk, before she went on to win under 57 kilograms silver at the Pacific Games in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

“I couldn’t imagine not training every day; I don’t know what I’d do with so much spare time,” she said.

“Taekwondo is the one thing that pushes me to my limit mentally and physically.”

Lewis meanwhile won Oceania Championships gold in the under 45kg category in 2014 and, like Risbey, was part of the Australia team at the 2015 World Championships.

The “Sports Boost” programme has the support of the World Taekwondo Federation, the Australian Olympic Committee and the Oceania Taekwondo Union.

Gymnast Talia Folino won the opening round of the programme, with athletes due to contest round three and cyclists will go head-to-head in round four.

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