Dalmeny snowboarding sensation, Valentino Guseli, has been named the 2022 NSW Young Athlete of the Year.
Guseli was awarded the honour at the NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony on Monday (November 28).
The Eurobodalla local was selected over other finalists made up of basketballer, Isla Juffermans, rower, Isabella Scammell, orienteerer, Nea Shingler and 2021 winner, diver, Sam Fricker.
When asked what his secret was, the teenager said there’s no real secret.
“I just try and stay in the moment as much as possible, and then onto the next,” Guesli said.
Guesli finished fourth in this year’s FIS World Cup in the slopestyle standing, won a silver and a bronze medal during the 2022 World Cup and was named Snow Australia Junior of the Year for the second year in a row.
He was the youngest Australian at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics where he finished sixth in the halfpipe finals at the age of just 16.
“To come home with so much support from locals in my home town, especially after the Olympics meant so much to me, I miss home a lot when I go away, so it’s nice to come back and get a good reception,” Guseli said.
“I was super happy to put down my runs at the Olympics and it’s an honour to represent Australia,” he continued.
As for what the future holds for our talented snowboarding star who’s also a pretty handy surfer.
“I want to keeping performing well and be someone who is very respected in the snowboarding industry.”
Images: Valentino Guesli, Bertie Fagan
