Sport
10 November, 2025
Chasing elite sporting dreams
CAIRNS teenager Zara Imhoff is among a group of regional athletes taking significant strides towards elite women’s sport through the Female Co Academy, a program founded by former Australian Jillaroo Libby Cook-Black to support young women from regional and First Nations communities.
Ms Imhoff, who began playing netball at age four with local club Leprechauns, has since represented North Queensland at state titles and has her sights set on joining the Sapphire Series, Queensland’s high-performance netball league.
“I started netball when I was four years old in the Cairns local community with my club, the Leprechauns,” she said.
“Over the years, I’ve been able to develop my skills and make a few rep teams. The last two years, I’ve made the under-19 North Queensland team and went to state titles in Brisbane.
“From this, I’ve been looking at goals of moving down to Brisbane in a few years to make a Sapphire team.”
Ms Imhoff said being a regional athlete came with challenges, including limited access to resources and high-performance support.
“We didn’t really have much education around what is needed to be an athlete,” she said.
“Not having as many coaches or the same facilities as Brisbane can be a barrier.”
Ms Cook-Black said these challenges were common for regional female athletes.
“Facility access is a really big one,” she said.
“We typically don’t have access to gym facilities or high-performance spaces because they’re not here and the ones that are here are usually taking care of men’s sports.
“There’s also a big gender disparity in scheduling. Our game times are usually in the middle of the hot (day) because the boys get to play in the afternoon in the nicer weather.”
Through the Female Co Academy, Ms Imhoff said she had developed significantly as both an athlete and a leader.
“The TFC Academy has just been amazing,” she said.
“Before it, I was quite experienced as an athlete, but not as a high-performing one.
“With TFC, I’ve been able to improve my strength, my speed, and my overall athleticism. I was working so hard behind the scenes, which I wasn’t doing before.”
Ms Cook-Black said the program also aimed to support First Nations athletes, many of whom may not see themselves as deserving of elite opportunities.
“We had almost 100 applications when we launched a First Nations targeted approach,” she said.
“They’re there, they’re just not seeing that they deserve the opportunity unless it’s spelled out for them.”
The Female Co Academy has launched a new website featuring athlete profiles and updates from its training programs, which can be viewed at www.bit.ly/4nBXuxG
