The Wally Foreman Foundation tonight announced its 2017 scholarship recipients, awarding three grants to athletes working towards international success.

Matthew Wearn (sailing), Matthew Richardson (track cycling) and Thomas McHugh (wheelchair basketball) were announced as Wally Foreman Foundation scholarship recipients at tonight's WAIS Annual Awards & Cocktail Reception at the Pan Pacific Hotel.

The Foundation aspires to continue the work of respected sports broadcaster and administrator Wally Foreman, who was a tireless advocate for WA athletes and coaches, before his passing in 2006 from a heart attack.

The organisation, through its activities, the generous support of the community and assistance from bodies such as the Carbine Club, raises funds to support athletes and coaches who are not covered by existing scholarships in their pursuit of sporting excellence, having now issued 42 scholarships since its inception in 2006.

Wally Foreman Foundation Deputy Chair Glen Foreman said: "We're thrilled to again welcome some talented athletes into the Wally Foreman Foundation family.

"Matthew Wearn, Matthew Richardson and Thomas McHugh have demonstrated not only potential, but a willingness to work hard to achieve their dreams and that is a passion and determination that we share with them.

"We're only able to offer this support through the ongoing assistance the Foundation receives from organisations such as the Carbine Club and, in recent times, the West Coast Eagles' hosting of the Wally Foreman Corporate Canter, but significantly through the help of the WA Institute of Sport.

"WAIS is forever supportive of the Foundation and its facilitation of WFF Scholarships and athlete identification is greatly appreciated.

"I hope all supporters of the Wally Foreman Foundation are as excited as we are to see what these athletes can achieve.

Wearn is a highly-rated Laser sailor, having claimed bronze at this year's Laser World Championship, but faced a funding shortfall ahead of a crucial regatta in Miami in 2018, which replaces the Australian regatta and is pivotal to athletes accruing World Ranking points and thus gaining access to further competitions.

The Foundation's support of Richardson is to assist the cyclist in costs incurred through competitions around his interim goal of gaining selection to the Cycling Australia High Performance unit based in Adelaide, which is considered a pre-requisite for his ultimate goal of Olympic selection for Tokyo 2020.

McHugh has defied personal and circumstantial challenges to establish himself as one of Australian wheelchair basketball's most promising athletes and the Foundation's support will contribute to a new set of wheels and the costs associated with competing in the national league, which is essential to gaining selection to the Australian team.

Applications for the 2018 Wally Foreman Foundation scholarships will open around mid-September.

For further information, please see wff.org.au.