When a young Salani first attended the Healthy Kids Clinic 10 years ago, her family could not envisage their daughter would one day come home with a bronze swimming medal from the Pacific Games.

When their daughter was not in the healthy weight range for her age, the family was one of the first to attend the clinic at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital where they worked together to support a healthy lifestyle.

Original staff and families, like Salani, returned to Healthy Kids Clinic recently to celebrate its 10th anniversary.

The clinic is held monthly and involves a multidisciplinary team working with children aged between two and 12 who have a body mass index above the healthy weight range.

Paediatrician Dr Anna Gill said the clinic has played an important role in many local families’ lives by encouraging a family-based approach to supporting healthy lifestyle choices.

Last year, Salani represented Samoa in the Pacific Games - a continental multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from Oceania - where she won the 2023 bronze swimming medal.

Another parent sent a written message to the team: “Congratulations to you and your team on the remarkable milestone of 10 years of the Hornsby Healthy Kids program that you have offered to my family and our community.

“Your dedication, expertise, and unwavering commitment to improving the health and well-being of those around you have not gone unnoticed. Through your efforts, many lives have been positively impacted.”