Anu

Anu Francis (South Australia) has been awarded the Pippa Downes Scholarship for 2020. After graduating from the Bachelor of Science (Veterinary Bioscience) in 2017 at the University of Adelaide, Anu is currently finalising a Bachelor of Education (Secondary & Special Education), whilst undertaking a Bachelor of Exercise Science/Masters of Clinical Exercise Physiology at Flinders University. Anu is the first in her family to attend university.

Anu has cerebral palsy and Ehlers Danlos syndrome and is a Flinders University Scholarship Athlete, having represented and medalled for Australia in Para-Badminton. In 2019, Anu became the first female para-rower to represent South Australia and now trains 20 hours per week with the South Australian Sports Institute as she aims to be selected to represent Australia at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

In terms of her community engagement, Anu has been highly involved in extra-curricular activities throughout her time in high school and university. In year 12 she ran her school’s Environment Group and Student Representative Council and was a section leader and soloist in the choir and received a number of leadership awards. During her time studying Veterinary Medicine, Anu was a member of her college’s student association for two years and was the Australian Veterinary Association’s SA junior and then senior student rep in 2016-2017 and national student president-elect in 2017. Anu has also been involved with the Flinders University Queer Society, was a 2017 Flinders University Student Wellbeing Ambassador, and is the 2019/2020 Flinders University Student Association Disabilities Officer.