Stefan Elliott-Shircore is a Laser Standard (ILCA 7) sailor who was awarded a Tier 1 Scholarship within the 2023 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program. He was paired with former Australian Men’s Cricket Team captain, Stephen Waugh AO.
Stefan was born in Perth in 2003 and started sailing as a thirteen-year-old at South of Perth Yacht Club. In 2018, he gained representation with Fremantle Sailing Club and South of Perth Yacht Club.
Stefan began his sailing career in the Optimist class, where he spent 18 months learning the fundamentals of sailing, before transitioning into the Laser 4.7 (ILCA 4) in June 2017.
Having finished 3rd at the 2018 Laser 4.7 Nationals in Queensland – after just six months in the class – he was selected for the Australian Laser 4.7 Team, and travelled to the World Championships in Poland. There he placed a respectable 25th out of 275 boats and 3rd overall in the U16 category.
Once back in Australia, Stefan made the switch to the Laser Radial (ILCA 6) class and enjoyed some exciting results, inclusive of winning Gold at the 2020 Oceania Championships – ahead of several Olympians and Olympic medallists.
In February 2020 Stefan was offered a scholarship at the Western Australian Institute of Sport, prequel to being selected for the Australian Sailing Futures program in early 2021.
January 2021 saw Stefan switch classes again, this time into the Laser Standard (ILCA 7 – Olympic Class). He enjoyed almost immediate success, finishing 2nd at the U21 European Championships in France.
Throughout his sporting career, Stefan has been able to work closely with some of Australian Sailing’s biggest names, including Belinda Stowell OAM, Arthur Brett and Ben Walkemeyer. He harbours the clear ambition of winning Gold for Australia at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
Away from the water, Stefan is a part-time Charter Pilot for the Royal Aero Club of WA and – at just eighteen years old – became the youngest pilot in Australia to achieve their Commercial Pilots Licence (CPL) after passing his flight test in April 2021. He also completed his Diploma of Aviation during his CPL training.
Shortly after graduating flight school, he was recognised with the highest possible award for entry level pilots at the WA Aviation Awards; the prestigious Sir Norman Brearley Award for excellence in his CPL training. Whilst sailing remains his primary focus, Stefan aspires to fly as a full-time commercial pilot sometime in the future.
“I was very excited and honoured to find out that I was chosen as a Sport Australia Hall of Fame Tier 1 recipient for 2023. Being mentored by Steve Waugh – who has achieved so much over the course of his sporting career – will provide me with an incredible opportunity to glean from his experience, wisdom and expertise. I have no doubt that his guidance will be a significant steppingstone in my journey, and I am so grateful for this amazing opportunity I’ve been afforded. Thank you to the Sport Hall of Fame for believing in me.”– Stefan Elliott-Shircore on being selected as a 2023 Tier 1 Scholarship Holder.
Honours & Achievements
- 2018: ILCA 4 Australian National Championships – Bronze
- 2019: ILCA 6 Singapore Open National Championships – Champion
- 2020: ILCA 6 Australian National Championships – Silver
- 2020: ILCA 6 Men’s World Championships – 5th
- 2020: ILCA 6 Oceania Championships – Champion
- 2021: Peter Wainright Award, for best sportsman 2020
- 2021: Sir Norman Brearley Award, for excellence in commercial pilot training
- 2022: ILCA 7 Palma World Cup, U21 Category – 1st
- 2022: ILCA 7 U21 European Championships – Silver
- 2023: Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship Holder
