NSWIS Awards

The NSWIS Awards is a celebration of the achievements of NSWIS athletes, coaches, and sport programs over the past 12 months. In 2024, the Awards recognise their achievements from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the recent record-breaking season for winter sports.  The NSWIS Awards categories are:

NSW Office of Sport Female Athlete of the Year

Valour Male Athlete of the Year

Southern Young Athlete of the Year

Ian Thorpe AM Outstanding Achievement presented by Powerade

NSW Institute of Sport Personal Excellence

Sydney Olympic Park Authority Program of the Year

Coach of the Year

Female Athlete of the Year

Jakara Anthony

Moguls skier Jakara Anthony OAM was the standout performer during the hottest-ever winter for Australian athletes on the northern hemisphere’s snow and ice. The 2023-24 World Cup circuit yielded 53 podiums for Australian athletes across all Olympic and Paralympic disciplines, as well as a record five Crystal Globes. However, 25-year-old Anthony, the defending Olympic champion, stole the show and rewrote the record books after finishing her 16 world cup starts with 14 gold medals plus a bronze. Adding lustre to Anthony’s breathtaking performance was her clean sweep of three prestigious Crystal Globes for singles, duals, and overall champion. In the process she dislodged American legend Hannah Kearney, who won 11 gold in 2011-12 as the recordholder for most victories in a World Cup season by any moguls skier.

Jessica Fox

The unstoppable Jessica Fox OAM enhanced her reputation as the world’s greatest paddler – and a titan of Australia sport – with two gold medal winning performances at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. By doing so, the 30-year-old created history as the first Olympian to win both the kayak slalom and canoe slalom events. Fox’s victories also ensured she became the first Australian to win six individual Olympic medals, eclipsing the five won by household names Ian Thorpe, Shane Gould, Anna Meares, Leisel Jones, and Shirley Strickland. Fox’s Paris campaign crowned a triumphant 12 months in which she plundered two gold and a bronze at the 2023 world championships held in London, plus a bank vault’s worth of precious metal she seized throughout the World Cup season.

Lauren Parker

In terms of the biggest heart in Australian sport few match Lauren Parker. Not content with dominating Para Triathlon, where she has made winning titles a delightful habit, the 35-year-old added road cycling events to her repertoire at the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Parker’s trademark 100 percent effort bore fruit with her becoming the first Australian since 1976 to win gold medals in two different Paralympic sports after winning the PTWC triathlon and the road race H1-4. Rounding out an outstanding Paralympics campaign was her silver medal effort in the road time trial H1-3. While the Paralympics was a crowning moment in Parker’s illustrious career, just three weeks after Paris, she won the silver at the UCI 2024 Road and Para-Cycling Road World Championships.

Noemie Fox

Noemie Fox created history as the inaugural Olympic gold medal winner for the women’s kayak cross event. The victory spoke volumes about Fox’s nerve as the kayak cross, described as a ‘full-contact race,’ includes a 15-foot drop and a compulsory 360-degree Eskimo roll. To qualify for Paris, Fox, needed to achieve a podium finish at the Prague Canoe Slalom World Cup. In a memorable show of resilience, she won six races, survived the knockouts, and then completed a come from behind performance to seal silver. In yet another breakthrough, Fox became a ‘first-time’ world champion in the Women’s K1 Team event at the 2023 world championships in London.

Saya Sakakibara

‘Dominant’ describes Saya Sakakibara’s Paris Olympic campaign after she blitzed her three quarter finals and then rode roughshod over her three semifinal heats. Sakikabara rode the momentum into the final, where, with the gold medal at stake, she proved relentless. It was a momentous victory for an athlete who needed to ‘find’ her relationship with BMX again after a series of challenges which included her brother, Kai, retiring in 2020 after suffering life-changing injuries in a crash. Her assault on the Tokyo Olympics ended in a sickening concussion, while more concussions and injuries followed over the next two years. However, in the lead up to Paris, the courageous Sakakibara threw down the gauntlet, becoming the World Cup champion in 2023 and defending her title in 2024.

Male Athlete of the Year

Daniel Michel

Born with spinal muscular atrophy, a genetic neuromuscular disorder that leads to weakness and movement challenges, Daniel Michel initially thought his passion for sports would be limited to spectating. However, at 15, he discovered boccia. Now 29, Michel is supported by Ashlee Maddern, who volunteered as his ramp operator in 2013 after hearing his mother mention that he needed assistance. Together, they have been prominent competitors in the boccia BC3 category for several years. Michel’s silver medal at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games reflects their dedication and teamwork, adding to the bronze they won at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games in the mixed BC3 event and two gold medals from the 2022 world championships.

Dylan Littlehales

One powerful example of the determination that fuels Paralympian Dylan Littlehales, who was born with a rare limb deficiency in his right leg that necessitated over 20 major surgeries, is that he competed in his school’s cross-country event on crutches as a teenager—and didn’t finish last! Since being selected for his first senior national team at just 15, Littlehales has applied this same relentless spirit to representing Australia. Now 25, he achieved remarkable success in his Paralympic preparations, securing a stunning victory in the men’s KL3 200m at the 2023 world championships, followed by a silver medal at the same event earlier this year. It’s no surprise that he showed immense tenacity and grit to earn his first Paralympic medal—a shiny silver—in a nail-biting photo finish at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium in Paris.

Grae Morris

Grae Morris made history as Australia’s first Olympic medallist in windsurfing since Lars Kleppich won bronze in 1992. The 20-year-old clinched a silver medal in the daring iQFOiL event, which he likened to a cross-country race on water with a bit of rugby mixed in. Making its debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, this thrilling sport captivated audiences with the athletes’ nerve and the unique wing-like foil that replaces the traditional fin. This foil elevates riders a metre above the waves, allowing them to glide over the water at speeds of up to 60 km/h. Morris, Australia’s first Olympic windsurfer since 2004, soared off the coast of Marseilles, capping off a remarkable lead-up which included his placing fourth at the 2024 World Championships and taking silver at the 2024 Hyeres French Olympic Week Regatta. Both performances identified him as a serious contender.

Riley Fitzsimmons

In just 18 months, Australia’s K4 team, led by Riley Fitzsimmons, climbed from a 17th-place ranking to finish fourth at the 2023 world championships. As the seasoned member of the crew, Fitzsimmons, inspired by his hero Lachie Tame, provided invaluable guidance to the younger paddlers—Pierre van der Westhuyzen, Noah Harvard, and Jackson Collins—sharing his hard-earned experience. Their collective hunger, talent, and determination culminated in an impressive performance that earned them a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. From his position in the front seat, Fitzsimmons—a three-time Olympian—embraced his leadership role, managing the crew’s stroke rate, rhythm, steering the boat, and executing their race plan.

Tim Hodge

After Timothy Hodge had his right foot amputated at just four years-of-age, he feared he wouldn’t excel at anything. Undeterred, his parents encouraged him to try various sports, including cricket, football, and karate. Ultimately, Hodge found his true passion in swimming, and, at 15, he was thrilled to be selected for his first senior Australian team, sitting alongside Olympic legend Grant Hackett at the announcement. Among his impressive accomplishments are two gold medals and a silver at the recent Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, as well as holding the world record in the 200m individual medley S9. Additionally, he brought home a gold, silver, and bronze from the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships. Now 23, Hodge has emerged as a champion, with his respect for sportsmanship making him a role model for athletes everywhere.

Young Athlete of the Year

Ellie Cole

In a nightmarish two-year period between 2021 and 2022, 18-year-old diver Ellie Cole was sidelined from training and competing with stress-fractures in her lower back. Cole’s nerve and talent was recognised in December 2023 when she was selected to represent Australia at senior level. The Year 12 student enjoyed immediate success in North America, winning the individual platform event at the American Cup. She teamed up with NSWIS athlete, Ruby Drogemuller to win gold for the synchronised event at the Canada Cup and American Cup. Cole qualified to compete at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where she came seventh, after finishing second to her mentor and fellow NSWIS teammate, Melissa Wu, at the Australian Trials/National Championships.

Grae Morris

Grae Morris became Australia’s first Olympic windsurfing medallist since Lars Kleppich won bronze in 1992. Morris won silver in the iQFOiL category – which debuted at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games – and is described by the 20-year-old as a cross country race with rugby tossed in. He entered the Paris Games considered a serious contender after finishing fourth at the 2024 world championships and second at the 2024 Hyeres French Olympic Week Regatta. After finishing the 13 qualification races ranked as the top competitor, Morris was pitted against the top three riders in the final. The iQFOiL was a thrilling spectacle thanks to the nerve of the athletes, and the wing-like foil, which lifts riders above the waves, allowing them to travel at 60 kph.

Jamieson Leeson

In 2023, and at the age of19, Jamieson Leeson relocated to Sydney from regional NSW to study economics at university. Not long after arriving in Sydney, Leeson changed ramp operators to team up with Jasmine Haydon. The women’s BC3 individual event was contested for the first time in Paralympic Games history at the 2024 Paris Games, and, consistent with her outstanding performances throughout the year, she won a historic silver medal. Leeson dedicates her energy to the pursuit of excellence, and that includes training four days a week at Netball Central in the Sydney Olympic Park precinct alongside fellow Aussie boccia athlete, Daniel Michel. The pair finished a commendable sixth in the BC3 Pairs event at the Paris Games.

Mali Lovell

After winning her bronze medal for the 200m T36 event at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, 20-year-old Mali Lovell charmed the nation when she couldn’t tell if it was ‘butterflies or bats’ fluttering in her stomach on the starting line because she felt so nervous. Nevertheless, Lovell, who’s coached by Katie Edwards and three-time Olympian Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, performed brilliantly in a red-hot field at Stade de France to finish third. Another special memory from her Paralympic debut was Lovell’s fighting fifth in the 100m T36 final. It was a continuation of the sprinter’s outstanding form which resulted in her breaking the Australian 200m T36 record and winning bronze for the same event at the 2024 World Para Athletics Championships in Japan.

Olivia Wunsch

Olivia Wunsch broke into Australia’s coveted 4x100m women’s freestyle team, arguably one of swimming’s most sought-after teams, when she finished fifth in the women’s 100m freestyle event at the Paris Olympic trials. Her effort in the trials enhanced her reputation as one of the nation’s future swimming stars after winning five gold medals at the 2023 World Aquatics Junior Swimming Championships. Eighteen-year-old Wunsch was instrumental in Australia’s 4 x 100m freestyle team’s success at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games when, as a heat swimmer, she helped to secure a strong spot in the final for her teammates who went on to win Australia’s fourth consecutive relay gold medal, and in an Olympic record time. Wunsch returned home from Paris to complete her Year 12 studies.

Sienna Hearn, Sienna Green & Matilda Kearns

Sienna Green (aged 19), Sienna Hearn (22), and Matilda ‘Tilly’ Kearns (23) were members of the Aussie Stingers women’s water polo team which won the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. While Paris was Matilda Kearns’s second Olympic Games (Tokyo 2021) the French capital was the scene of Hearn’s and Green’s Olympic debuts. Green, at 19, was the youngest member on the team – and the tallest. The trio were dominant in their performances throughout the Games, playing large minutes and having key roles during matches and penalty shoot outs. Kearns was previously named in the ‘World Top Seven Team’ as centre forward after her strong performances at the 2023 world championships.

Program of the Year

PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 06: Jessica Hull of Team Australia competes during the Women

Athletics

The NSWIS Athletics program embodies the Institute’s values and mission, showcasing leadership and integrity while fostering excellence through a passionate team of staff, athletes, and coaches. Recently, nine performance team members were involved with the Australian Athletics Team across various major events, including the Paralympics and World Championships. Notably, Michael Perry served as Team Leader for the Australian Athletics Paralympic Team, highlighting the leadership that exists within the program. Attending major competitions allows the performance team to identify areas for improvement and enhance future championship outcomes. The recent development of a new Wheelchair track and road sprint program, led by Andrew Dawes and Louise Sauvage, aims to promote sprint wheelchair racing in Australia. Additionally, the performance team has helped guide remarkable success in major championships, with NSWIS athletes contributing significantly to the Australian medal tally with three at the Olympics and four at the Paralympics at the Paris Games.

Canoe Slalom

The Canoe Slalom National Training Centre (NTC), with support from NSWIS, has cultivated a high-performance culture, exemplified by athletes such as Jessica and Noemie Fox, who help mentor emerging talents. The collaboration between Paddle Australia and NSWIS has been crucial in creating this environment, ensuring accountability among athletes regarding performance and attendance. This commitment is reflected by the selection of Jessica, Noemie, and Tim Anderson for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, representing 75 percent of the Australian team. The NTC’s dedication to Olympic qualification and success has driven the canoe slalom team to pursue medals with a united vision. Recent achievements include six NSWIS athletes competing in the world cup season, with Codie Davidson winning bronze at the U23 championships. The program continually embraces innovation, exploring innovative technologies and designs to enhance performance, achieving all key performance indicators set in their partnership agreement.

Winter Sports

The NSWIS Snowboard Cross (SBX) and Moguls programs, led by coaches Jackson Holtham and Kate Blamey, is underpinned by a strong, positive culture. The National Snowsports Training Centre (NSTC) continues to evolve, providing NSWIS Winter Sport athletes with exceptional training opportunities. During the 2023-24 World Cup season, Australian athletes achieved a record-breaking 45 medals, with Jakara Anthony winning 14 gold medals, a bronze and three crystal globes for moguls. The Gangwon 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Games was another highlight, thanks to the three medals won by NSWIS athletes. Innovative developments at the NSTC include a world-class gym and athlete kitchen, designed in collaboration with NSWIS teams. This focus on elite training and nutrition has significantly enhanced the athletes’ performance and culture.

Women’s Water Polo

The NSWIS Women’s Water Polo program exemplifies high-performance standards through its dedicated coaching team: Bec Rippon (current Australia coach), Jacki Northam, and Kate Pipkin. This trio emphasises learning from a robust performance team while aligning with Water Polo NSW and Water Polo Australia’s competitive frameworks. With a significant presence in the Olympic team—over 50 percent were NSWIS athletes—the players highlighted their growth, culminating in a remarkable semi-final victory over the USA. Innovative initiatives such as the European tour for ‘next generation’ athletes and the ‘Breakfast Club’ foster both skill development and recovery education. Monthly workshops led by NSWIS nutritionist Holly Edstein not only enrich athletes’ knowledge, but they promote health. The NSWIS Women’s Water Polo program consistently achieves High Performance Indicators, with an average above 85 percent, reflecting its commitment to excellence and athlete development.

Coach of the Year

Arthur Brett

When windsurfer Grae Morris finished 63^rd at the 2022 world championships, his coach, Arthur Brett, realised while his charge was a special talent he was also young and lacked discipline in his preparation. By continuously instilling the basics and maintaining a rigorous focus on what mattered most, Brett coached Morris to ninth place at the 2023 world championships and fourth in 2024. In the lead up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Brett kept things simple, concentrating on ensuring nothing could go wrong and reducing distractions. This approach helped Morris peak at the right time, and, at age 20, he became an Olympic silver medallist. Brett is a coach driven by a thirst for knowledge. He continuously refines his coaching style, focusing on building and maintaining a strong relationship with his young athletes by balancing fun with a commitment to continual improvement.

Matt Horsnell

Since Matt Horsnell became Nicola Olyslagers’s coach in 2009, she’s either achieved a personal best or equalled her personal best in 14 of the 15 years they’ve worked together. Horsnell has also assembled a performance team dedicated to supporting Olyslagers, who’s 2024 included winning the silver Olympic medal and world indoor title. These experts are spread across Australia, and they remain in contact irrespective of Horsnell and/or Olyslagers’s global location. Further evidence of his professional standards is Horsnell’s comprehensive yearly review to understand what he and Olyslagers must do to improve. This review invites open and frank input from the entire team on how – and what – can be done to do better. The scope of the debrief reflects well on Horsnell’s fierce desire to continue learning and helping Olyslagers reach her maximum potential.

Misha Payne

Misha Payne is regarded as one of Australia’s leading Para swimming coaches. Under Payne’s guidance two swimmers, Timothy Hodge and Chloe Osborn, gained selection on the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games team. Osborn celebrated her debut by winning a silver medal in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay 34 points, while Hodge, who has been on the national team for a decade, won two gold medals and a silver. Hodge is also the current world record holder for the SM9 200m individual medley and has broken his own record on multiple occasions over the past few years. Payne has proven to be a positive role model as a coach and leader who other Para coaches look to for world’s best practice. A tremendous culture underpins his program.

Myriam Fox

Myriam Fox carved her name in Australian sporting history by coaching her two daughters, Jessica and Noemie, to win each of the three gold medals that were on offer for the women’s canoe slalom competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. She also coached Jessica to victory in the 2023-24 K1 and C1 overall world cup crowns. During her distinguished coaching career, Fox has forged a reputation for producing consistent podium performances from her athletes. Indeed, the ease in which Jessica seemingly creates history whenever she competes, belies the painstaking work Fox does behind the scenes. She’s constantly looking for the ‘one-percenters’ needed to improve the Olympic champion’s performances: includes sourcing tailored boating equipment, performance wear and spending long hours assessing every aspect of technique.

Peter McNiel and Kate Blamey

Jakara Anthony’s historic 14 gold medals from 16 starts during the 2023-24 World Cup season; Matt Graham’s two bronze medals after multiple shoulder surgeries, and Cooper Woods’s first world cup podium speak volumes about moguls coaches Kate Blamey and Peter McNiel. However, the program changes they’ve overseen, including a significant shift in the Strength and Conditioning culture (with Janina Strauts), has led to significant – and consistent – improvements. Added to that, in collaboration with the Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) Medical Services and Rehabilitation Team, they oversaw a biomechanics testing project for moguls athletes to measure weight distribution during mogul skiing on snow to better understand physical and technical capability of priority athletes. The pair also led the design, set up, and software upgrades to the Fulcrumtec Video Review system at Brisbane’s water jump.

Rebecca Rippon

Rebecca ‘Bec’ Rippon’s ability to manage players and inspire them, proved pivotal in the Australian Stingers winning the silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Adding lustre to Rippon’s performance is she left her role as Head Coach of the NSWIS water polo program to coach the national team eight short months before the Olympics started. Rippon realised her immediate priority was to make significant changes to the program’s culture. Allied with her depth of technical knowledge, initiative, and skills, the changes allowed Rippon to build the program on pillars of trust, determination, and passion. Those qualities placed Australia in a tremendous position to perform in Paris, a campaign which included an undefeated run until the final, and winning three tense penalty shoot outs.

Ian Thorpe AM Outstanding Achievement

Jakara Anthony

Jakara Anthony was the standout performer during the hottest-ever winter for Australian athletes on the northern hemisphere’s snow and ice. The 2023-24 World Cup circuit yielded 53 podiums and a record five Crystal Globes for Australian athletes across all Olympic and Paralympic disciplines. However, Anthony stole the show, rewriting the record books after finishing her 16 world cup starts with 14 gold medals plus a bronze. In the process she dislodged American legend Hannah Kearney, who won 11 gold in 2011-12, as the recordholder for most victories in a world cup season by a moguls skier. Adding to Anthony’s breathtaking performance was her clean sweep of three prestigious Crystal Globes for singles, duals, and overall champion. Her dedication and devotion to preparation, to training and ability to consistently perform at the highest standard while under intense pressure is inspiring for all athletes.

Jessica Fox

Jessica Fox rewrote the history books – again – by winning gold in both the women’s C1 and K1 events at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, making her the only paddler to ever achieve the remarkable feat. Those two victories ensured she became the first Australian to win six individual Olympic medals, eclipsing the five won by household names Ian Thorpe, Shane Gould, Anna Meares, Leisel Jones, and Shirley Strickland. Adding to the occasion was Fox secured her first gold medal in Paris after fulfilling the honour of being the Australian flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony. In October 2023, Fox was crowned the 2023 Overall World Cup Champion in both the C1 and K1 events: her fifth consecutive K1 World Cup series crown, and the fifth C1 crown of her illustrious career.

Lauren Parker

Lauren Parker endured a challenging lead-up to the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games when a cycling session became a nightmare. She was riding a new bike when four bolts on the foot pods became loose. After having her leg ground into the road at 35kph, then flung back violently (Parker was amazed the limb didn’t snap off) it caused problems to her pelvis, sacrum and hips. The changes Parker’s body underwent so she could adapt to her injuries and compete in France not only caused discomfort but made her slower in the water. Indeed, she needed to reduce her volumes at swimming training due to the pain. While Parker required intense physiotherapy, she dominated, winning two gold Paralympic medals (plus a silver) in different sports – Para triathlon and Para cycling – the first time an Aussie had done so since 1976.

Saya Sakakibara

‘Dominant’ describes Saya Sakakibara’s Paris 2024 Olympic Games campaign after she blitzed her quarter-finals and then rode roughshod over her semi-final heats. Sakakibara rode the momentum into the final, where, with the gold medal at stake, she proved relentless. It was a momentous victory for an athlete who needed to ‘find’ her relationship with BMX again after suffering a concussion at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and a series of challenges which included her brother, Kai, retiring in 2020 after sustaining life-changing injuries in a crash. However, in the lead up to Paris, the courageous Sakakibara threw down the gauntlet becoming the overall world cup champion in 2023 and defending her title in 2024. Indeed, she won the overall world cup series with 2860 points, almost 900 points ahead of second place.

Shane Rose

Days after competing in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games team qualification event, Shane Rose was on a young horse that clipped a hurdle, causing Rose to hit the ground. The horse, weighing 550kgs, fell on top of Rose and he suffered 19 separate fractures. Rose, 51, also needed surgery to insert a rod to his broken femur. During his recovery he worked with Dan Vukovic, NSWIS’s Individual Scholarship Physio and the AIS team. He did everything possible to take his place in Paris, and, incredibly, less than three months after the accident Rose was competing again. His determination ensured he represented Australia at Paris. Thanks to the efforts of Vukovic – and other support staff – Rose, who finished his Paris campaign with a commendable 20^th place in eventing (as an individual, and 15^th for team) proved there are times when simply making the starting line is a victory.

Tristan Knowles

Tristan Knowles is one of only three Aussie Wheelchair Basketball Athletes to have competed at a milestone six Paralympic Games. As captain of the ‘Rollers’ (Australia’s men’s wheelchair basketball team), Knowles has experienced all the national team’s highs and lows. While he won gold at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games, silver at the Athens and London Games, and was a member of the team which won back-to-back world championships in 2010 and 2014. With Knowles inspiring them as their skipper, the Rollers secured their spot at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games where they finished fifth after winning the 2024 Asia Oceania Championships.

Personal Excellence

Ellie Cole

Finishing seventh at the Olympics and securing early entry to University of NSW’s (UNSW) Bachelor of Engineering program before sitting her HSC, plus winning gold medals at the American and Canadian Cups has made 2024 a memorable year for 17-year-old Ellie Cole. Cole didn’t allow the distraction of competing at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games affect her scholastic endeavours, including the successful completion of her Science Extension project: Optimising Air Quality for Vehicle Occupants using Sydney’s Traffic Tunnels. Her efforts were rewarded with an offer of early entry to UNSW after submitting a video showcasing her suitability for its engineering studies and her latest Year 12 school report. Cole’s website, elliecolediving.com, serves as a platform to position her as a role model for young Australians.

Georgina Rowe

After completing her Bachelor of Nursing degree at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Georgina Rowe commenced part-time work as a registered nurse. Added to that she works part-time with Rowing Australia, contributing to development programs and supporting the growth and training of athletes. Rowe’s crammed schedule hasn’t stopped her from volunteering, nor has it affected her sporting performance. Besides working part-time at Rowing Australia, she’s involved in surf lifesaving, supports Gotcha4Life’s mental health program and is an active member of the Minerva Network. She was also a member of the Australian women’s eight crew that finished fourth at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; won gold at the World Rowing World Cup 3 in Poznan, and took gold at the World Lifesaving Championships.

Jamieson Leeson

Jamieson Leeson relocated 422km from Dunedoo, in the state’s central west, to Sydney to focus on her sporting prowess and to study Economics at the University of NSW (UNSW). The 21-year-old is focussing on Econometrics, which analyses data trends and provides recommendations within a given context. Despite the demands of her training schedule for the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games and other overseas competitions, Leeson has studied hard to maintain a high standard and grade within her degree. She celebrated a historic triumph in Paris when she became the first Australian woman to win a silver Paralympics medal in the BC3 Individual Boccia event. She also claimed sixth place in the BC3 Pairs with fellow NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder Daniel Michel.

Mackenzie Little

In the lead-up to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Mackenzie Little balanced her High Performance sporting career with demanding shifts, including night shifts, as a General Practitioner at Sydney’s Royal North Shore Hospital. While working full-time, she competed in four Diamond League events, achieving gold in javelin at the London meet with a personal best throw of 66.27m, along with silver medals in China and Monaco. Ranked second in the world since December 2023, she finished 12th at the Paris Games, while as a member of the Athletics Australia Athletes’ Advisory Committee, Dr. Little serves as an inspiring role model for her fellow athletes, demonstrating how to excel in all aspects of life.

Melissa Wu

Melissa Wu, Australia’s first diver to compete at five Olympic Games, owns HrdKAW Strength, a specialised weight training gymnasium. She applies her extensive knowledge from years of diving and strength training to coach gym members and mentor youngsters. Wu is advancing her expertise in sport science and athlete development by studying a Bachelor of High Performance Sport at the Australian Catholic University (ACU). She also has an active leadership role in supporting and developing younger athletes within the NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) diving program. Wu is actively engaged in charity work as a Feel the Magic ambassador, supporting children affected by the death of a loved one. Wu finished 11^th at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, ensuring she has the distinction of being a finalist at the five Olympics at which she has competed.

Tim Hodge

Besides dominating the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games pool, Timothy Hodge’s Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) studies at the University of Western Sydney yielded an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.783 out of 7. He’s also completing an internship at WSP, an international engineering and consulting firm, in its NSW Transmission and Electrification team. His role involves assisting with project proposals, design and calculations, creating and updating calculation templates, supporting finance and project budgeting, and organising monthly project meetings for the Australia-wide T&E team. WSP has utilised Hodge’s expertise, particularly for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games. He’s shared invaluable insights from his personal experience at previous Games on transport and disability provisions. As a volunteer in the Para Power Mentoring Program, Hodge mentored Para triathlete Liam Twomey leading up to Paris and regularly surrenders his time to participate in interview-style assessment tasks for students studying disability inclusion within their degrees.