NSWIS Athletes

Abbey Connor made her Commonwealth Games debut at the Birmingham 2022 Games and just missed the podium, finishing fourth in the women’s 200m butterfly. She made the Team after finishing second in the 200m butterfly at the 2022 Australian Championships, where she swam a personal best of 2:08.58.

In March 2021, the then 15-year-old broke the 200m butterfly age record set by Michelle Ford in 1978 at the NSW State Age Championships, lowering the mark to 2:12.60. A year later, she was selected for the World Junior Open Water Championships in the Seychelles.

Adam Lambert is an Australian snowboarder that competes in the snowboard cross discipline. He was selected for his second Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games. 

Born and bred in Jindabyne in the NSW Snowy Mountains, Adam made his international debut as a 15-year-old in the 2013 Nor-Am Cup at Copper Mountain USA where he placed 20th. He went on to place 15th at his first FIS Junior World Championships in 2015 and then 5th at his next junior world championship appearance the following year. 

Alexander Tuckfield will make his international swimming debut at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics as the third fastest S9 freestyler in the world. At 16 he is one of the youngest members of the Australian Paralympic Team.

Cross country running was the focus for the Sutherland Shire local until 2015 when he turned to swimming as a form of rehab for a running injury. Showing promise immediately, he quickly rose through the ranks and onto the national Para Development Squad.

Amanda Reid is a five-time para-cycling world champion and a two-time Paralympian that has represented Australia in both swimming and cycling. The NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder will become a three-time Paralympian when she takes to the track at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Born in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Amanda was just 14 when she made her international swimming debut at the 2011 Global Games in Italy where she took home seven gold medals. The following year she was named on the Australian Paralympic swim team for the London 2012 Paralympics. The then 15-year-old, the youngest in the final, finished fifth in 100m Breaststroke SB14.

Amy Ridge made her national team debut at the 2017 FINA World League Intercontinental tournament, where Australia defeated the USA to win gold. Since then, Ridge has been a key member of the Aussie Stingers squad.

In 2018, Ridge and her Stingers teammates won bronze at the FINA World Cup. In the same year, Ridge was ranked the second-highest goalscorer in the OVO Australian Water Polo League with 50 goals from 22 matches.

Para swimmer Ashley Van Rijswijk will wear the green and gold for the first time at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, where she will contend the 100m breaststroke (SB14) and the 200m individual medley (SM14).

A passion for swimming runs deep in the Van Rijswijk family. Ashley’s grandparents ran a swim club and her father was a competitive swimmer. Raised in Tumut in the Riverina region of NSW, Ashley and her family would rise at 3.30am to commute 90 minutes to Wagga Wagga for her training, before returning for school.

Belle Brockhoff is an Australian snowboarder who competes in the snowboard cross discipline. She was selected for her third Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Skiing since she was three years old and with a rich history of winter sports in the family, Belle first took up snowboarding at age 10 and quickly earned her first interschool national title.

NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder, Ben Tudhope is regarded as one of the fiercest snowboard cross para-athletes in the world cup circuit.

Ben became Australia’s youngest ever Winter Paralympian when he was selected for the Sochi 2014 Games at the age of just 14. He was the youngest competitor of any delegation at the 2014 Winter Games and had the privilege of bearing the Australian flag for the opening ceremony.

Bradley Woodward proved his worth for the Dolphins at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, winning three medals, a silver in the men’s 200m backstroke, a silver in men’s 4x 100m medley relay and a bronze in men’s 100m backstroke.

He also won three medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games – gold in the men’s 4×100 medley relay and silver in the men’s 100m and 200m backstroke.

Brendan Kerry is a five-time Australian Men’s Figure Skating Champion. He is the first Australian to have successfully landed two quad jumps – the toe-loop and salchow, at an international competition.

Brendan grew up in Sydney and was initially coached by his mother, Monica MacDonald – a 1988 Calgary Ice Dance Olympian, before moving to California, USA in 2012 for training under coach, Tammy Gambill. Beginning his international career in 2008 at a Junior Grand Prix, the then 14-year-old placed 25th. Stepping up to the Senior Four Continents Championships in 2011, Brendan competed at the 2012 World Championships and won his first senior gold medal in 2013 at Skate Down Under.

Brodie Smith is a member of the Australian Women’s Goalball Team, the Aussie Belles, and will make her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

First introduced to the sport in 2014, Brodie led the Australian youth team to a gold medal at the 2017 World Youth Championships in Hungary. The following year she was selected as a member the Aussie Belles Women’s squad for the 2018 IBSA Goalball World Championships in Sweden, where the Australian women’s team made the quarter finals for the first time in history.

Before making her Aussie Stingers debut at just 17, Bronte Halligan represented Australia at the 2013 FINA World Junior Championships and the 2014 FINA World Youth Championships.

Since then she has gone to consistently represent Australia at the highest level, including at the 2019 FINA World Championships where Halligan and her Stingers teammates won the Bronze medal after defeating Hungary.

Cameron Bolton is an Australian snowboarder that competes in the snowboard cross discipline. He was selected for his third Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Growing up, Cameron competed in both skiing and snowboarding before ultimately choosing snowboarding at age 15. His world cup debut came in 2011 and in January 2013 he competed at his first World Snowboard Championships, before achieving his first top ten finish two months later at the world cup event in March in Sierra Nevada, Spain.

Cameron McEntyre finished seventh in the men’s javelin on debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Growing up on the upper north shore of Sydney, Cameron went to Wahroonga Public School and during this time attended the local Little Athletics Club.

Cooper Woods is an Australian freestyle skier who competes in the mogul skiing discipline. He was selected for his first Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Hailing from the NSW South Coast, Cooper joined the Perisher Winter Sports Club at age 12 and was awarded a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Scholarship at 16. It can be said that Cooper was destined to be a professional skier. His mum, Katrina Woods, is an Australian aerial skier and his uncle, Peter Topalovic, is the legendary Perisher and Australian mogul team coach and Winter Sports Program Coordinator at NSWIS. 

Daniel Michael won Australia’s first ever individual boccia medal at a Paralympic Games when he claimed bronze in the Mixed Individual BC3 event at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics.

15-year-old Daniel attended at a Muscular Dystrophy camp in 2010 where he was first introduced to boccia. It was here his journey began. He started training and began competing, going on to win junior state and national titles.

NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) hockey graduate, Dylan Martin, is a defender in the Australian Men’s National Team, the Kookaburras, and will make his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Born and raised in Wagga Wagga NSW, Dylan was a member of the NSW Under 21s team that won the 2019 Australian Championships, where he was named Player of the Tournament, and was a standout for the victorious NSW Pride team that took out the inaugural Hockey One competition in 2019.

Weightlifter Eileen Cikamatana won a gold medal for Australia in the women’s 87kg at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, breaking three Commonwealth Games records in the process.

Eileen won a gold medal in the 87kg for Australia at the 2021 Oceania Championships and comfortably collected three gold medals at the Roma 2020 Weightlifting World Cup finishing on a total of 255kg in the 81kg division, with 115kg in the snatch and 140kg in the clean and jerk.

Ellie Cole is a four-time Paralympian who has amassed an incredible 17 Paralympic medals (including six gold), 10 world championship medals and four Commonwealth Games medals. She has broken numerous Australian and world records and was the first female S9 swimmer to break 29 seconds in the 50m freestyle when she touched the wall in 28.75 at the 2016 Australian Swimming Championships – smashing her idol Natalie du Toit’s decade old record.

The NSWIS scholarship holder is a four-time Commonwealth Games medallist and made her Commonwealth Games debut as an 18-year-old at the Delhi 2010 Games winning bronze in the women’s S9 100m freestyle and S9 100m butterfly events. After missing the Glasgow 2014 Games due to injury rehabilitation, Cole returned at the Gold Coast 2018 Games to win silver in S9 100m backstroke and bronze in the S9 100m freestyle.

Emily Arthur is an Australian snowboarder that competes in the snowboard halfpipe discipline. She was selected for her second Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Hailing from Woronora Heights in the Sutherland Shire, Emily was just shy of her 14th birthday when she qualified for her first world cup in 2013. The following year she claimed bronze at the junior world championships, before advancing to the 2015 World Snowboard Championships in Austria where she placed 16th. 

Evan O’Hanlon has the perfect Commonwealth Games record – one race and one gold in the men’s T37/38 100m – at both the Gold Coast 2018 and Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

“I’m very excited to be selected to my second Commonwealth Games. Hopefully I can repay the efforts of everyone involved by bringing home another medal for Australia. I was lucky to be raised in a family, went to schools and lived in an area where sport was a part of life. This got me into sport early and I have obviously reaped the benefits.”

Flynn Ogilvie plays midfield in the Australian men’s hockey team, the Kookaburras. He represented Australia at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, his second Commonwealth Games appearance, winning a gold medal as a member of the Kookaburras who have won the gold medal seven times at the Commonwealth Games.

Hailing from Woonona in Wollongong, Flynn discovered hockey at age five and had a decorated junior career, including a representative debut for Australia at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games where the Australians won gold.

Para cyclist Gordon Allan has had podium finishes at both the 2019 and 2020 UCI Para-Cycling Track World Championships and competed at his maiden Paralympics when he took to the track at Tokyo 2020.

Gordon’s journey to elite cycling began in 2011 when he attended a Paralympics Australia Talent day. Following the talent day he received a call from Paralympic cyclist Peter Brooks, who won two gold medals at the Athens Games, encouraging him to start cycling. From there Gordon joined Parramatta Cycling Club and then the Western Sydney Academy of Sport’s cycling program.

Greta Hayes represented Australia in hockey at the 2020 Olympic Games and makes her Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham 2022.

In 2016, Greta was a member of the Australian Junior World Cup Team where she helped the Aussie side to a bronze medal. Two years later, she played in the 2017 Australian Hockey League with the NSW Arrows. Scoring during the Grand Final match, Greta’s team was triumphant and finished the tournament with a 7-6 win over the WA Diamonds.

Para archer Imalia Oktrininda will make her Paralympic debut at Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games where she will compete in the women’s individual recurve open and the mixed teams recurve.

With an opportunity for Australia to obtain additional qualification spots for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, Imalia travelled to the Czech republic to compete at the Para Archery World Ranking and Final Paralympic Qualification Tournament. The NSWIS scholarship holder claimed gold in the women’s recurve open, defeating Nataliya Malykh.

Jade Lucy represented Australia in swimming at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games and finished seventh in the women’s 200m freestyle S14. She was part of the three-strong Australian contingent who contested the 200m freestyle S14 in Birmingham, the first time the event has been held for women at the Commonwealth Games.

Jade, who grew up in Engadine in Sydney’s south and trains under Gavin Stewart at SLC Aquadot, claimed five gold medals at the 2017 International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Impairments (INAS) Global Games in Mexico and was named captain for the 2019 event in Brisbane. She was also selected for the Australian Team for the 2019 World Para Swimming Championships, but Birmingham 2022 will be her Commonwealth Games debut.

Jakara Anthony is a Australian freestyle skier who competes in mogul skiing. She was selected for her second Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games where she won gold in the women’s moguls event.

Competing in her first-ever Winter Olympic Games in PyeongChang, Jakara was Australia’s highest placed female mogul skier, narrowly missing the podium in fourth place.

Paralympian Boccia athlete Jamieson Leeson made her Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games, competing in the Mixed Pairs BC3 event.

Jamieson, who hails from Dunedoo in central NEW South Wales, played Boccia casually growing up but decided to pursue the sport professionally after she was scouted at school boccia competition in 2018.

Sailor Jason Waterhouse won the silver medal in the mixed Nacra 17 at the Rio 2016 Olympics with his sailing partner (and cousin) Lisa Darmanin.

The Rio silver medallists return to the Olympic arena for Tokyo 2020 in the mixed-crew Nacra class. The pair have consistently been among the world’s best, backing up a stunning 2018/19 season which included a run of four international victories in five events with back-to-back bronze medals at the 2019 and 2020 Nacra 17 World Championships.

Jessica Hull is a middle-distance runner who made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Unable to compete in both the 1500m and 5000m, Jessica dropped the 5000m from her program and showed remarkable improvement in the 1500m heats with a personal best time of 3:58.81 to set the national record. Jessica made the final and finished 11th in a time of 4:02.63.

At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Jessica finished eighth (4:07.31) in the women’s 1500m event.

Josh Hanlon is an Australian para-alpine skier that competes in the men’s sit-ski discipline. He was selected for his first Australian Paralympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.   As a teenager, Josh was a budding Australian Rules footy player. Hailing from Weethalle in central west NSW, the young athlete was selected into the Greater Western Sydney Giants Academy where he spent four years in the program through to U19. At age 20, a fit and healthy Josh began to feel unwell suddenly and went to hospital. His organs were shutting down due to a severe bacterial infection. During the efforts to save his life, he suffered blood clots which led to the amputation of his right hand and both legs below the knee.   12 months later, and in the winter of 2019, Josh took to the slopes to try sit skiing for the first time. By the 2019/20 season, he was on his first overseas trip with the Australian Winter Para-alpine development squad, and in April 2020, he became an NSWIS scholarship holder.   Despite the challenges of the covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns, with many international competitions being cancelled and limited time on the snow, Josh has had a remarkable rise in his first two years in the sports.   With the Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympics in his sights, Josh competed at the Europa Cup event in Resterhoehe, Austria in November 2021 where he earned a wildcard entry into the World Cup circuit. At the 2021-22 St Moritz World Cup event, he placed 17th in the men’s sitting Giant Slalom 1, before improving on his performance to place ninth in the Giant Slalom 2 the next day.   Josh made his world championship debut at the 2022 Para-Alpine World Championships in Lillehammer, Norway, where he recorded two top-ten finishes – placing 8th in both the Men’s Sitting Giant Slalom and Slalom.

Continuing his form off the back of his world championship performances, Josh captured attention when he recorded an 11th place finish in his first race (the men’s giant slalom sitting) at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games. Josh then went on to go top-ten on debut and finish off his first Paralympic campaign with an outstanding sixth in the slalom.

Josie Baff is an Australian snowboarder that competes in the snowboard cross discipline. She was selected for her first Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Josie made history when she became Australia’s first-ever Winter Youth Olympic Games Champion after winning gold in the Snowboard Cross event at the Lausanne 2020 Youth Games.

Hockey player Kaitlin Nobbs is a defender in the Australian women’s team, the Hockeyroos, and made her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

At the 2022 Commonwealth Games, she was a member of the Hockeyroos team that won the silver medal.

With over 200 international caps to her name, Keesja Gofers is a senior member of the Australian women’s water polo team, the Aussie Stingers. She made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016 where the Stingers narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-finals.

Since being called up to the national team in 2010, Keesja has won multiple World Championship and World Cup medals including Bronze at the 2019 World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea and the 2018 FINA World Cup in Surgut, Russia.

Kurt Lovett is a hockey player with the NSW Institute of Sport.

The Australian Under 21 Burras team – of which Kurt was a player – competed in the Junior World Cup Semi Final against India in 2017.

Lauren Parker is a paratriathlon athlete who won gold in the Para Triathlon Wheelchair (PTWC) event at the 2019 World Championships in Lausanne.

Previous to this, Parker won bronze in PTWC at the 2018 World Championships as well as the 2018 Commonwealth Games, both held on the Gold Coast.

Sailor Lisa Darmanin won the silver medal in the mixed Nacra 17 at the Rio 2016 Olympics with her sailing partner (and cousin) Jason Waterhouse.

The Rio silver medallists return to the Olympic arena for Tokyo 2020 in the mixed-crew Nacra class. The pair have consistently been among the world’s best, backing up a stunning 2018/19 season which included a run of four international victories in five events with back-to-back bronze medals at the 2019 and 2020 Nacra 17 World Championships.

Lucy Coleman first started rowing when she was 14 years old and has since represented Australia at various world cups and world championships, most recently winning a silver medal in the women’s lightweight double scull at the 2022 World Rowing Cup II in Polzan. After completing high school, Lucy studied a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA. In 2018, she returned to Australia and is now studying a double degree in Aeronautical Engineering and Project Management at the University of Sydney whilst also training full time.  Last year Lucy was awarded a Sydney University Blue and a Senate Award for her outstanding academic achievements.  

Mackenzie Little won a silver medal in the women’s javelin on debut at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The javelin thrower started her athletics journey at Northern Suburbs Little Athletics in the Under-6s, but moved on to team sports – soccer, softball, water polo and hockey as she grew older.

Mariah Williams is a member of the Australian women’s hockey team the Hockeyroos, a dual Olympian (Rio 2016 & Tokyo 2020) and She won a silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Born in Parkes in the central west region of New South Wales, Mariah was just four years old when she first picked up a hockey stick. A visit from former Kookaburra and three-time Olympian, Stephen Davies (also from Parkes), to Mariah’s primary school inspired her to think she too could one day play Hockey for Australia. Moving to Newcastle at 14 Mariah joined Hunter Sports High and from there went on to represent her state and was offered a scholarship to the NSW Institute of Sport.

Matt Graham is an Australian freestyle skier and silver medallist that competes in the mogul skiing discipline. He was selected for his third Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

A member of the Perisher Winter Sports Club from the age of six, Matt made his international debut at 15 years-old, and has gone from strength to strength, He made his Olympic debut at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics following some fantastic form throughout the 2013 season. His first Olympics resulted in a final where he took seventh place.

Matthew Dawson is a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) graduate athlete, a member of the Australian Men’s Hockey Team, the Kookaburras, and an Australian Olympic representative. He represented Australia for the second time at the 2022 Commonwealth Games Team, winning a gold medal as a member of the Kookaburras who have won the gold medal seven times at the Commonwealth Games.

Hailing from Killarney Vale on the NSW Central Coast, the defender first started playing hockey at 8 and by 15, he was being selected to the NSW youth teams.

Australian diver Melissa Wu is an Olympic silver medallist, a world championship medallist, and a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder.

The Sydneysider has represented Australia at four Olympic Games (Beijing 2008, London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020) becoming just the third Australian diver to compete at four Olympics.

As part of the Australian Development Squad, Morgan’s sights are set on the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, 2023 India World Cup and 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Morgan has continued her national program development having previously been part of the Arrows Squad.  She was part of the NSW Pride team that competed in the inaugural Hockey One competition in 2019 and is also a member of the squad for the 2021 competition.

NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder Natalie Van Coevorden represented Australia in triathlon at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and won a bronze medal in the mixed team relay and finished 14th in the women’s sprint.

Born and bred in Campbelltown, the 29-year-old will make her Commonwealth Games debut, rounding out a 14-strong Para and able-bodied triathlon squad.

Nicola Olyslagers is an Olympic Games silver medallist, the Australian women’s high jump record holder (2.02m) and an NSWIS scholarship holder. She won the bronze medal in women’s high jump on debut at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and withdrew due to injury in the same event at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athlete was first introduced to high jump at her local little athletics club on the Central Coast of New South Wales when she was seven years old. At age 11, she began working with coach Matt Horsnell who still coaches her to this day. Her personal bests increased year on year and in 2014 Nicola first represented Australia at the IAAF World Junior Championships where she finished 16th.

At 25 years of age Oliver Hoare etched his name in the history books as the new Herb Elliott, when he won the gold medal in the men’s 1500m, one of the greatest races in Australia’s running history, at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. 

He made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games finishing 11th in the final of the men’s 1500m after running one of his best ever times of 3:34.35 in the semifinal.  

Patrick Jensen is a visually impaired para-alpine skier that competes in the Downhill, Giant Slalom, Slalom, Super-G, and Super Combined disciplines (G3). He was selected for his second Australian Paralympic Team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.   Hailing from Newcastle, New South Wales Patrick attended a Disabled Winter Sport Australia camp in 2013 where he first tried skiing. That same year he made his Australian debut at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Cup in Thredbo.   In 2017 Patrick, with his guide Lara Folk, achieved two podium finishes at the 2017 IPC Alpine Skiing Europa Cup in Switzerland, claiming bronze in both the Men’s Giant Slalom B2 and Super-G B2 before going on to debut at the IPC Alpine Skiing World Championships in Tarvisio, Italy where the pair placed 9th in the Men’s Slalom VI.   Making his Paralympic debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games, Patrick and Lara competed in the Men’s Slalom VI and the Men’s Giant Slalom VI where they recorded an 11th place finish in the Giant Slalom.   At the 2019 Para Alpine Skiing World Championships, held in Slovenia and Italy, Patrick was given the honour of opening ceremony flag bearer and went on to claim three top–ten finishes – seventh in both the Men’s Downhill and Slalom VI and ninth in the Men’s Giant Slalom VI.   Patrick had a breakthrough 2019/20 season. With his new guide Amelia Hodgson, the NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder claimed his first world cup medal – a bronze in Super-G, at the opening world cup event in Veysonnaz, Switzerland followed by back-to-back bronze medals in the slalom at the Prato Nevoso World Cup in Italy. 

At his second Paralympic Games – the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Games, Patrick competed alongside sighted guide Amelia to achieve three top-ten finishes.

Rae Anderson is an Australian para alpine skier that competes in the moguls discipline. She is one of only a few athletes to represent Australia at both a summer and winter Paralympics after having previously competed at the Rio 2016 summer Games and being selected for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.   Hailing from Wamberal on the the NSW Central Coast, Rae participated in many sports growing up before a chance encounter with Paralympic gold medallist and world champion Evan O’Hanlon in 2010 inspired her to give para-athletics a go. She excelled in the throwing events but began training for the long jump when she learned that the discus throw would not be contested at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. Making her international debut at 2014 Commonwealth Games, Rae placed seventh in the long jump T37/38.   Switching back to the throwing events, Rae competed at the 2015 IPC Athletics World Championships in Doha, Qatar. She placed seventh in the discus F37 and threw a personal best in the Javelin F37 to place sixth. Incredibly the year 12 student completed her final HSC exam at the British Consulate in Doha the morning of the Javelin event.   Making her Paralympic debut at age 19 at the Rio 2016 Games, Rae recorded a fifth place finish in javelin and eighth place in discus. The following year at the 2017 2017 World Para-athletics Championships in London, Rae finished second in the women’s javelin F37, but it was a non-medal event.   Shortly after the 2017 World Championships Rae was skiing with her family when she was approached by an Australian Para Alpine Coach who asked her to join an athlete identification camp. The NSW Institute of Sport scholarship holder was then offered the opportunity to training the US.

In 2018 she took a year-long break from elite sport to focus on her studies, moving to Indonesia for six months to pursue a degree in cultural studies.

Canoe sprint athlete Riley Fitzsimmons represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Olympics in the K4 1000m, where the crew finished fourth.

After winning his first gold at the 2015 Junior & U23 World Championships, Fitzsimmons has gone on to win multiple international medals at both the junior and senior level. In 2017, Fitzsimmons became a world champion in the K4 1000m after winning gold with his team at the ICF World Championships.

Olympian Rose Davies finished 17th (15:41.23) in the women’s 5000m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Hailing from Newcastle, she first started running around 12 and within two years was the best in the nation, clocking startling times of 2:08 (800m) and 4:27. Rose was an athletics prodigy in her early teens, but patience from her coach in the transition years from junior to senior is reaping rewards as the now 21-year-old is on track to fulfill the potential she showed in her youth.

Rowena Meredith is a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) graduate athlete, a member of the Australian Women’s Rowing Team, and will make her Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games in the women’s quadruple sculls.

Born in England, Rowena was raised on Sydney’s North Shore and first took up rowing in 2008. Her senior club rowing career has been Mosman Rowing club and more recently with Sydney University Boat Club.

Australian diver and NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder Sam Fricker made his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020, competing in the men’s 10m platform event and won a bronze medal in the men’s synchronised 3m springboard at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Born in Newcastle, Sam had a strong background in gymnastics and trampolining before taking up diving at age 11. Just a year into his new sport he won a regional and national school’s title.

Sam Tait is an Australian para alpine skier that competes in the giant slalom, slalom and super-g disciplines (LW11). He was selected for his second Australian Paralympic Team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Growing up Sam enjoyed annual family holidays on the snowfields and was an experienced skier. In 2013, the then 22-year-old came off his motorbike and broke his T11 vertebrae, becoming a complete paraplegic. Encouraged by his family to return to the slopes, Sam took a sit-ski lesson just one month after finishing rehab and knew then that he wanted to incorporate skiing back into his life.

Sarah Carli is a member of the Australian Athletics team and a NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holder. She made her Olympic debut at the 2021 Tokyo Games and finished sixth in the  women’s 400m hurdles at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Hailing from Wollongong in New South Wales, Carli marked her international status when at the 2011 World Youth Championships she claimed silver in the 400m hurdles.  

Se-Bom Lee is an Australian swimmer who made his Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games, competing in the men’s 400m individual medley. At the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games he finished sixth in the men’s 200m individual medley.

At age four, Se-bom was learning to swim and by six had joined squad training. As he rose through the ranks, the young swimmer from Sydney amassed quite a medal collection from state and national junior swim meets. In 2018 he represented Australia at the Junior Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Fiji.

Boccia athlete Spencer Cotie is a world championship silver medallist who will make his Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Spencer, who is from Sydney’s Northern Beaches, started competing in 2010 when he was still in primary school and quickly rose through the ranks.

Two time Olympian Steve Solomon finished seventh in the men’s 400m at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Steve dreamed of being a Wallaby when he was in primary school, but as he hit high school, his rugby teammates out-grew him, and he decided to focus on another sporting passion, soccer.

7News Spirit of Sport Finalist – Spirit in Motion

In a beautiful moment, Paralympic cyclist Stuart Jones slowed during his race at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games to will on another rider. Although they were on different teams and competing in different races, it was a moment of the utmost respect and support shared between athletes. 

Australian rower Tara Rigney will compete at her first Olympic Games when she takes to the water at Tokyo 2020, competing in the women’s double sculls.

The Sydney-sider first took up rowing in high school but focused on netball and was named on the 2016 NSW Under 17 Development squad but two ACL injuries, each requiring 12 months rehabilitation, saw Tara pick up the oars again in 2018. The following year she was selected to represent Australia in the coxless pair at the World Rowing U23 Championships in the US where the crew finished in 10th place.

Tom Birtwhistle is a member of the Australian Rowing Team and will make his Paralympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

A promising young athlete, Tom rowed competitively throughout his high school years. In 2010, not long after graduating he was struck by a car while cycling to rowing training. The accident caused an impairment to his hip, leg and sacral pelvis. Tom made a brief return to rowing in 2013 before focusing on his university studies and working career.

Thomas Grice will make his Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 in the Trap shooting event.

In 2017, Grice and partner Penny Smith became the first ever ISSF World Champions in the Mixed Trap Team event. The pair finished on the podium again at the 2019 World Championships in Lonato, Italy where they claimed bronze.

Timothy Hodge is an Australian Paralympic swimmer. He represented Australia at the 2016 Rio Paralympics and the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics, where he won silver medals in the 4x100m medley SM9 and the 200m individual medley and a bronze medal in the 100m backstroke S9.

Timothy took up swimming at age four as part of his rehabilitation after having his right foot amputated due to a lower leg deficiency. At nine he began swimming competitively and at 14 was selected to his first Australian team for the 2015 World Para Swimming Championships in Glasgow, making the final in the men’s 100 backstroke S9.

Valentino Guseli is an Australian snowboarder that competes in the halfpipe, slopestyle, and big air disciplines. He was selected for his first Australian Olympic team for the Beijing 2022 Winter Games.

Valentino put the world on notice at his world cup debut in Laax, Switzerland in January 2021 when he qualified for the halfpipe finals in first place. At the time he was just 15 years old. In the final, the teenager finished eighth against a very experienced field – an incredible achievement for his first world cup.

William Yang represented Australia in swimming at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and won two gold medals from the relays, swimming in the mixed 4x100m freestyle relay and men’s 4x100m freestyle relay. He also finished fifth in the men’s 100m freestyle.  

William also won a gold medal in the 4x100m mixed relay and a silver medal in the men’s 4x100m freestyle relay final at the 2022 World Championships in Budapest.