Ian Thorpe OAM Outstanding Achievement presented by Ryde Toyota

This award recognises the achievements of athletes who have overcome significant challenges to achieve exceptional sporting success.

Named after NSWIS Most Outstanding member and Australian sporting royalty Ian Thorpe, past winners of the Ian Thorpe OAM Outstanding Achievement presented by Ryde Toyota include inspirational basketballer Jeremy Doyle, sailor Liesl Tesch and 2016 winner Matthew Abood.

The finalists for 2017 are:

• Jack Hargreaves (SUBC), Josh Hicks (SRC), Spencer Turrin (SRC) (Rowing): The NSWIS rowers ended Australia’s 26-year world championship gold medal drought in the men’s coxless four during 2017, holding off strong challenges from Italy Olympic champion Great Britain to make history
• Lachlan Hollis (Water Polo): The UNSW athlete returned to full health and international water polo after overcoming a rare form a testicular cancer, joining the Australian men’s water polo team as they finished seventh at the world championships
• Kaarle McCulloch (Cycling): Missed Olympic selection last year but was determined to not let the setback finish her career, coming back to claim world championship silver in the women’s team sprint
• Declan Stacey (Diving): Stacey took to the diving board for the first time ever only 18 months ago, but is now an Australian national representative, finishing eighth at the world championships and claiming FINA Diving World Series bronze in 2017
• Murray Stewart (Canoe Sprint): Overcame chronic fatigue and a disappointing Olympic campaign in 2016 to reclaim his spot at the top of the canoe sprint world, winning K1 1000m and K4 1000m world championship gold medals in 2017
• Melissa Wu (Diving): Diagnosed with stress fractures in her back at the start of the diving season, Wu was effectively resigned to rest until fully healed, before coming back to secure two world championship top-10s and three FINA Diving World series medals in 2017