Ivy Foster is a 13-year-old sports prodigy who dreams of representing Australia in rugby sevens.

Ivy excels in athletics, league tag and Oztag and recently joined the Illawarra Academy of Sport (IAS), the not-for-profit sports organisation that provides a pathway to excellence for emerging athletes.

Ivy's passion for sport began when, at age three, she took part in Tiny Tots, an athletics program in Penrith.

Then came a move to Wollongong and a pause in participation. But at age six, Ivy took up running again, thanks to her father’s encouragement.

“I did soccer for a bit but it wasn't the sport for me, so then I started doing sprinting again,” Ivy said.

“My dad saw potential in me, so he suggested I start sprint training.

“I have gone to a more competitive level and have been fairly successful.”

While embracing the thrill of competitive sprinting, Ivy expanded her interests after a friend introduced her to league tag and Oztag.

“At first I thought I wasn't going to be good at the sport but I actually was quite good and I really enjoyed playing,” Ivy said.

“After years of doing these sports, I have seen how much I have improved and I have even started to do rugby sevens.”

In her short career, Ivy has achieved remarkable feats, including earning a spot in the representative Oztag team at age 10. She has also taken part in prestigious events such as the Australian and state cups. In athletics, she has won several state medals, showing significant improvement in her times over the years.

“I still continue to make it into the team, that's mainly it for when I was younger, but now I've achieved a lot more,” Ivy said.

As she enters her first year at IAS, Ivy aims to elevate her athletic ability through their advanced programs, notably in strength and conditioning.

“I decided to join the IAS because I wanted to take an extra step in improving myself as an athlete,” Ivy said.

“The IAS has given me a gym program to improve my strength and power in my sprinting.”

Ivy is already enrolled in the academy's Future Stars coaching and training program, which helps talented athletes in various individual and team sports.

“I really like the Future Stars program and I have enjoyed being a part of it because I get to do it with my friends and I get to meet new people,” Ivy said.

“Since I have started doing the program I have noticed some improvements, but since I haven't been doing it for long, I am excited to see how it improves me in the future.”

Ivy has set ambitious goals for the year.

“Some of the goals I want to achieve this year are to run under 12.80 seconds for the 100m, run under 8.00 seconds for 60m, and improve my kicking in league tag, Oztag and rugby sevens,” she said.

“Also just mainly improving my overall fitness before the end of the year.”

In addition to her ongoing achievements in athletics, Ivy's newfound passion for rugby sevens has become a focal point in just her first year of playing.

“My dream for my sports career is to play rugby sevens for Australia when I get older, even though I've only started playing this year – it's always been my dream to play rugby sevens for Australia,” Ivy said.

To find out more about the IAS, visit the website