World Champion high jumper Nicola Olyslagers and her coach Matt Horsnell seized major honours while multi-talented wheelchair athlete Lauren Parker became the greatest Athlete of the Year with a Disability in the history of the NSW Champions of Sport Awards Ceremony at The Sydney Event Centre – The Star in Pyrmont tonight.

Parker, a World Champion Para Triathlete and Para Cycling competitor, captured a record-breaking sixth Athlete of the Year with a Disability title, eclipsing the legendary pair of Wheelchair Tennis great David Hall (five-time winner/NSWIS) and Road and Track Wheelchair racer Kurt Fearnley (four-time winner/NSWIS).

The New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship athlete (NSWIS) was previously named Athlete of the Year with a Disability in 2018, 2019, 2022, 2023 and 2024.

This year, Parker continued her dominance in the annual World Para Triathlon series winning four out of four women’s races. In Para Cycling, Parker won World Championship gold medals in the Women’s H3 Road Race and in the Women’s H3 Time Trial. Additionally, Lauren won a World Cup Time Trial gold medal. 

Olyslagers became the first track and field athlete since discus thrower Dani Samuels (NSWIS) in 2019 to claim the blue-ribbon Athlete of the Year title.

Olyslagers enjoyed a brilliant 2025 winning both the Outdoor and Indoor World Championships where she twice defeated Ukraine’s Yaroslava Mahuchikh, the Paris Olympic Games gold medallist, reigning world champion and World Record holder.

At the helm of the NSWIS athlete’s success was her coach Matt Horsnell (pictured above) who has guided her to jump a Personal Best or equalled her PB every year for the past 16 years except in 2022 when she was unwell.

The all-conquering NSW Blind Cricket team, which has won six successive National Cricket Inclusion Championships, achieved back-to-back Team of the Year with a Disability honours.

The border town of Albury celebrated a dual success with local athletes, Australian World Championship swimming medallist, Sienna Toohey (NSWIS), and 16-year-old Australian under 23 Wheelchair Basketball player, Jackson Gray, winning the respective Young Athlete of the Year and Young Athlete of the Year with a Disability titles.

There was further success in swimming with 86-year-old Kay Burton chosen as Masters Athlete of the Year after winning four gold medals at the World Masters Championships while Women’s Rugby World Cup referee, Ella Goldsmith, was awarded Official of the Year, and Bowls NSW CEO, Tim Rowe, was presented with the Administrator of the Year honour.

The AFLW Derby between the Sydney Swans and GSW Giants, played before a record crowd, was named Event of the Year, the State of Origin winning women’s NSW Blues Rugby League team captured the Team of the Year honour, while Basketball NSW triumphed with Organisation of the Year.

The Ceremony also saw five NSW sports greats, Graham Arnold (Football), Mo’onia Gerrard OAM (Netball), Naazmi Johnston (Gymnastics), Mark “Mono” Stewart (Adaptive Surfing), and Ricky Stuart AM (Rugby League) inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions

Netball great, Liz Ellis, was also elevated to Legend status in the Hall of Champions.

The full list of 2025 Award winners are:

CategoryWinnerSportHome Suburb 
Valour Athlete of the YearNicola OlyslagersAthletics Matcham
NSW Office of Sport Athlete of the Year with a Disability Lauren Parker Para TriathlonPara Cycling Chisholm
UNSW Young Athlete of the YearSienna TooheySwimming Albury
Variety Young Athlete of the Year with a Disability Jackson GrayWheelchair BasketballAlbury
People and Culture Strategies Masters Athlete of the Year Kay BurtonSwimmingSpringwood
Gallagher Team of the Year NSW Blues WomenRugby LeagueSydney Olympic Park
Team of the Year with a Disability NSW Blind Cricket team Cricket Bankstown
Resolution Education Administrator of the Year Tim RoweBowls Randwick
Coach of the Year Matthew HorsnellAthleticsLisarow
360 Player Event of the YearAFLW Derby AFL Marrickville
Revolutionise SPORT Official of the YearElla Goldsmith Rugby UnionRose Bay
ACPE Organisation of the YearBasketball NSWBasketball Homebush

Sport NSW

Tags Danni SamuelsDavid HallKurt Fearnley.Lauren ParkerMatt HorsnellNICOLA OLYSLAGERSSienna Toohey

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