Henry Kross who has just returned home from the British Junior Open in squash has been named the 2024 Rising Star.
During the last 12 months 11 young sportspeople received grants under a new program called the Ron Harrison OAM Rising Star Award.
The format of the Ron Harrison Award was modified to recognise one of the recipients of the Rising Star Grants - that is the Star of the stars.
The grants are sponsored by Evolution Mining Northparkes Operations and Parkes Shire Council, and the award itself perpetuates the memory of Ron Harrison.
The 11 recipients in 2024 were Ryker Moore, Toby Morgan, Aaryab Gautam, Mason Wild, Henry Kross, Max Jones, Arlo Cassidy, Nate Calabro, Davey Saunders, Khan Jackson and Vashti Williams.
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During the presentation of the Parkes Shire Sport Awards on Australia Day Henry was awarded the Rising Star Award, presented to him by the great granddaughter of Ron Harrison Maely Macgregor.
Henry continues to represent Parkes on a local, state, national and now international level.
Henry had a mammoth 2024 - in short, this is what he achieved: First at Western Silver U17s, U15 Australian selection, Western Region CHS number 1 selection, National Next Gen Squad selection, second at U15 Australian Junior Open, second at U15 Oceania Championships, winner Trans Tasman vs New Zealand, U15 NSW CHS State Champion, second NSW CHS Open Boys Western Teams, NSW CHS selection as number 1, NSW State Champion, NSW Bluetongues selection as number 1, First Pro Satellite Tour Tournament, Top 10 World Ranking, NSW Talent Squad selection, CHS Australian All Schools Selection as number 1, Australian Junior Champion, NSW Team won Australian Junior Teams, Parkes High School third in NSW CHS, Cowra Men's Open winner and British Junior Open squad selection.
Henry is the only regional player to be selected for the Australian team and is the only regional player in the Squash Australia identified athlete program.
"This requires so much discipline and dedication for a boy who has just turned 14," Henry's sport award nomination read.
"He makes many sacrifices to achieve what he does, by having to travel so much."
Henry also volunteers many hours to local juniors through coaching and mentoring them.
Now that squash is going to be included as an Olympic sport, Henry has big dreams to one day represent Australia at the Olympics.
