BEING chosen as one of the best in your field is often honour enough but being selected by a committee includes former prime minister Bob Hawke, businessmen Solomon Lew, Geoff Dixon, Lindsay Fox, politician John Brown and broadcaster Alan Jones is a bonus.
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The NSW Sport and Tourism Foundation presented 30 upcoming stars in their fields with a scholarship and more opportunities to hit the big time
Four Wagga residents, singers Stephanie Wall and Nathan Lamont, ballerina Ella Havelka and para-athlete Carly Salmon were among the 30 recognised.
Ella dances with the Australian Ballet Company while Stephanie studies at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.
Nathan's career continues to rise with a recent appearance on reality television program The Voice.
Carly, meanwhile, has her sights set on the Paralympics in Rio de Janerio in 2016.
The teenager's most recent success came at the Paralympic World Championships in France where she finished with a bronze medal from the 200 metre sprint against adults.
Before heading to Rio, however, she will compete at the Qatar Paralympics World Championships in 2015.
The foundation seeks to identify and help entertainers and disabled athletes who may have been disadvantaged through their regional location.
"The nice thing was we saw how these kids talked so fondly about being from Wagga," Kevin Salmon said.