Elise McLean

Mr GREG PIPER (Lake Macquarie)—Figure skating is one of the most physically demanding sports there is, as it requires participants to not only have excellent physical fitness, but also balance, strength, timing and coordination skills. I'm proud to say that Lake Macquarie is home to one of Australia's top young ice skaters, with 14-year-old Elise McLean recently taking home the bronze medal in the Australian Figure Skating Championships. Elise's love of the ice began when she was just six years old in 2016, and since then has accrued an impressive number of accolades, with Elsie obtaining the podium with a gold medal for the first time in 2017. Elise was also named Hunter Ice Skating Club's Club Champion in 2020, 2022 and 2023 in her division. I also note she has performed with Disney On Ice in 2018 and 2019 as a guest ice-skater. The sport demands a gruelling training schedule and Elise attends the Hunter Ice Club in Warners Bay four days per week under the guidance of her coach Lara Matskel and assistant coach Trica Burns. Congratulation's Elise on your brilliant accomplishments, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for you.