Top NSW Athletes Celebrated at NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony

Two-time Olympic medallist Jessica Fox has joined the greats of NSW sport being named NSW Athlete of the Year for a second time at the NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony at Rosehill Gardens on Monday night (27 November 2017).

Jess enjoyed an outstanding year winning a total of 13 individual medals and three team medals in the women’s C1 and K1 events at the 2017 World Cups and World Championships – completing the year with the World Champion title in the K1 Slalom.
Humbled and deeply honoured when accepting the award, Jess reflected on the power and growth of women’s sport in NSW where six out of the seven finalists were outstanding female athletes of the highest calibre.

 
Jessica Fox with Matthew Knight (left), Director, Valour Apparel and His Excellency General The Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Ret’d), Governor of NSW

Paralympic cyclist Amanda Reid was named NSW Athlete of the Year with a Disability. 2017 has been an incredible year for Reid where she became a three-time World Champion at the Los Angeles World Paracycling Championships in Individual Pursuit, Time Trial and the Scratch Race.

Amanda Reid

Powerlifter Bethany Parker and rising tennis start Alexei Popyrin were joint-winners of the NSW Young Athlete of the Year.
Bethany went from strength to strength in 2017 claiming the Oceania Powerlifting Championships in the 84kg sub-junior class. When asked what her future goals in the sport were, she stately so simply, “keep lifting.”

Alexei too had an outstanding year becoming the first Australian since 1968 to win the French Open Boy’s singles title at Roland Garros. Whilst Alexei was unfortunately unavailable to attend he sent a video message from Jakarta, ever thankful for the award, noting it was a “special one.”

 
Bethany Parker

Gregory Luff had an outstanding year on the track winning three gold medals, setting new personal bests in each of the 100m, 200m and 400m T38 (U18) category at the World Para Athletics Junior Championships - thereby clinching NSW Young Athlete of the Year with a Disability.

Gregory Luff

Tony Goodwin rounded out the athlete categories when he was named NSW Masters Athlete of the Year after breaking an amazing seven world records in 2017, as well as nine national records, in both long and short course events.

Tony Goodwin (centre) with Carolyn Campbell, Deputy Chairperson, Sport NSW and Andrew Molloy, Account Manager, Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Cover image: Jess Fox, NSW Athlete of the Year with Stuart Ayres MP, Minister for Sport