The Hobart local has been volunteering in water polo for over 10 years, with Alia taking on roles wherever she was needed, from community coach and referee, right up to Water Polo Tasmania board member.

“I often won't be the first one to put my hand up to volunteer, but if no one else does, I'll do it because I don't want the kids to miss out,” Alia said.

It wasn’t until Alia volunteered to take on the President role at the UTAS Honey Badgers Water Polo Club that she faced her biggest challenge yet – how to rescue a club that was struggling to stay afloat.

“At one point our club was about to fold, we only had 40 members,” Alia said.

However, with a lot of blood, sweat and tears, the time and effort Alia and her fellow members put into the club paid off.

“We needed to rebrand and change the culture of our club. We had to create a positive environment for everyone to be a part of – whether they wanted to reach an elite level or just participate for fun.”

“We now have over 260 members. Our club went from almost folding to being the biggest water polo club in Tassie,” Alia added.

Alia was also pivotal in expanding her club to Launceston and implementing a coaching scholarship program to entice skilled coaches to join the Honey Badgers.

“For the benefit of our players, I wanted to provide an incentive for highly skilled coaches to come down and train our members.”

Volunteers like Alia are the heart and soul of local sporting clubs and play a critical role in sport delivery across Australia. Their contribution is recognised as a critical role in sport delivery.

“If we didn’t have volunteers, our sport would be in a lot of trouble,” Alia said.

“I really want to encourage people to find a role they are passionate about and start volunteering in sport. It has made me a better and more rounded person.”

Ready to volunteer? Get involved at ausport.gov.au/findaclub