(Pictured L-R Award winners Declan Budd, Mia Richardson, Jeff Cooper, Sienna Toohey, Ocea Curtis) 

Young athletes from across New South Wales gathered for the prestigious 2024 Regional Academies of Sport Inc (RASi) Awards, celebrating their outstanding achievements across the past year. Held at Wenty Leagues Club, Wentworthville, the event brought together all eleven RAS from across the state to recognize excellence in sport. Among the winners, 15-year-old Swimmer Sienna Toohey from Southern Sports Academy (SSA) was named the RASi Athlete of the Year, marking a major milestone in her already impressive career.

Toohey, a rising star in Australian swimming from Albury, has accumulated numerous accolades, including a Bronze medal in the 100m Breaststroke at the Olympic trials, where she broke Liesel Jones’ 24-year-old record. She holds Australian Age and Allcomers records in the 50m and 100m Breaststroke, has secured four gold medals at the Australian Age Championships, and won two medals at the Pan Pacific Championships. She has also been selected for the Australian Flipper Squad and NSW Open Team for their Junior Tour to Japan. Toohey was one of five outstanding athletes and coaches honoured at the annual event. The award categories and winners included:

  • Athlete of the Year: Sienna Toohey (Swimming) – Southern Sports Academy
  • Athlete with a Disability of the Year: Declan Budd (Para Swimming) – Central Coast Academy of Sport
  • UAA Indigenous Athlete of the Year: Ocea Curtis (Surfing) – North Coast Academy of Sport
  • Steadfast Athlete Leadership: Mia Richardson (Basketball) – Western Region Academy of Sport
  • Steadfast Coach Leadership: Jeff Cooper (Basketball) – South West Sydney Academy of Sport

The event, proudly supported by Steadfast, UAA and ClubsNSW, was attended by a distinguished group of guests, including representatives from NSW State Sporting Organisations, the NSW Office of Sport, the NSW Institute of Sport, the Australian Olympic Committee, and Paralympics Australia. Guests included Dr. Hugh McDermott MP, Member for Prospect, AOC Chief Executive of Community Engagement James Edwards and Olympians Bronte Campbell OAM, Melissa Wu, Gordon Allan, and Sarah Ryan OAM. Key stakeholders, athletes, parents, and staff from the Regional Academies also attended, alongside the South West Sydney Academy of Sport and Western Sydney Academy of Sport, who co-hosted the event.

Brett O’Farrell, Chairperson for the RASi, highlighted the significance of the night: “This event stands as a pinnacle moment for regional sporting excellence. It underscores the collective achievements of our athletes, coaches, and stakeholders from across NSW’s diverse landscapes. With over 2,000 athletes and 300 coaching staff benefiting from RAS support services across 100+ Local Government Areas, the RASi network’s growth and impact are undeniable. As we journey towards Australia’s 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, the RASi’s recognition and influence continue to flourish across government entities, sporting institutions and communities alike.”

The RASi continue to represent athletes from extensive geographic areas across NSW, providing crucial development pathways for future sporting stars. As the network gains momentum and national recognition, its role in shaping Australia’s future Olympians and Paralympians remains stronger than ever. We look forward to seeing our RASi athletes in action in the upcoming 2025 Your local club Academy Games, held in Tamworth across the 12th – 14th April.

 

2024 Award Nominees

 

Athlete of the Year: Ben Shaw (Mountain Bike) – Northern Inland Academy of Sport, Elley Hawken (Basketball) – Central Coast Academy of Sport, Ella Penman (Athletics) – Western Region Academy of Sport, Isla Basa (BMX) – South West Sydney Academy of Sport, Jack Caldwell (Triathlon) – South East Sports Academy, Matilda Percival (Netball) – Hunter Academy of Sport, Matthew Engesser (Para Triathlon) – Western Sydney Academy of Sport, Nicholas McGill (Athletics) – Illawarra Academy of Sport, Ocea Curtis (Surfing) – North Coast Academy of Sport, Sienna Machant (Netball) – Far West Academy of Sport, Sienna Toohey (Swimming) – Southern Sports Academy.

UAA Indigenous Athlete of The Year: Abbey Giltrow (Netball) – Illawarra Academy of Sport, Isabella Stephens (IAP) – South West Sydney Academy of Sport, Jemma Wooden (Netball) – Central Coast Academy of Sport, Jazzy Gordon (Basketball) – Western Region Academy of Sport, Jordyn McFadden (Rugby Union) – Southern Sports Academy, Lachlan Lawson (Golf) – Hunter Academy of Sport, Lara Hodges (Netball) – Western Sydney Academy of Sport, Nya Quinlan (Netball) – Northern Inland Academy of Sport, Ocea Curtis (Surfing) – North Coast Academy of Sport, Tristan Doolan (Rugby League) – Far West Academy of Sport.

Athlete with a Disability of the Year: Daniel Lill (Swimming) – South West Sydney Academy of Sport, Declan Budd (Swimming) – Central Coast Academy of Sport, Dylan Molloy (Alpine Skiing) – Hunter Academy of Sport, Jack Gibson (Triathlon) – Illawarra Academy of Sport, Jackson Gray (Wheelchair Basketball) – Southern Sports Academy, Sam Blade (Wheelchair Fencing) Western Sydney Academy of Sport, Zac Harding (Athletics) – Western Region Academy of Sport.

Steadfast Athlete Leadership: Alyssa Frame (Softball) – Hunter Academy of Sport, Ashton Patterson (Hockey) – Central Coast Academy of Sport, Charlie Ford (Hockey) – North Coast Academy of Sport, Delika Boney (Netball) – Northern Inland Academy of Sport, Ethan Mackie (Triathlon) – Western Sydney Academy of Sport, Jorja Langi (Basketball) – South East Sports Academy, Koen Loader (Volleyball) – North Coast Academy of Sport, Luke Anderson (Rugby Union) -Southern Sports Academy , Marci Davis Cook (Snowboard Cross) – Illawarra Academy of Sport, Mattie Lee Seaton (Rugby League) Far West Academy of Sport, Mia Richardson (Future Stars) – Western Region Academy of Sport, Zoe Bruce (Triathlon) – South West Sydney Academy of Sport.

Steadfast Coach Leadership: Adine Hoey (Netball) – Far West Academy of Sport, Andrew Sinclair (Hockey) – Southern Sports Academy, Ashlee Schofield (Netball) – Illawarra Academy of Sport, Cass Notley (Netball) – North Coast Academy of Sport, Claire Bynon (Basketball) – Western Region Academy of Sport, Gavin Sutherland (Golf) – Central Coast Academy of Sport, Helen Willis (Hockey) – Northern Inland Academy of Sport, Jeffrey Cooper (Basketball) – South West Sydney Academy of Sport, Melissa Wu (Future Stars) – Western Sydney Academy of Sport, Rodney Booth (Golf) – South East Sports Academy, Sander Ganzevles (Swimming) – Hunter Academy of Sport.