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‘The Don’ Award Finalists for 2013
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Seven shortlisted for ‘The Don’ Award honours

Seven of Australia’s greatest sport performers over the past twelve months have been recognised and rewarded as shortlist nominees for the coveted ‘The Don’ Award presented to the athlete who has ‘most inspired a nation’.

The winner will be unveiled at The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Annual Induction and Awards Dinner, proudly presented by Etihad Airways on Thursday, 10 October at Palladium at Crown Melbourne.

Amongst the nominees is golfer Adam Scott who joined Australia’s sporting greats when, showing nerves of steel, he won a sudden-death playoff to become the first Australian in history to win the prestigious US Masters.

Scott is joined by Casey Stoner AM, who closed the curtain on an exceptional Moto GP career with a special victory at the 2012 Australian Grand Prix – his sixth consecutive win in Phillip Island and cricketer Michael Clarke whose double-century in the second test against South Africa in November, his fourth in the one season, saw him become the first batsmen to achieve this and score more than 1,200 runs in a calendar year.

The inspirational Kurt Fearnley OAM continued his feats in wheelchair marathons, recovering from the disappointment of the cancellation of the New York marathon due to super-storm Sandy and a difficult fifth place at Boston to produce a powerful sprint finish to take out the London Marathon.

Overcoming years of injuries and illness, swimmer Cate Campbell won her first major championship in the 100m freestyle event at the world championships in Barcelona.  The feat would be an emotional one, exiting the pool in tears having finally overcome the setbacks that kept her out of the 100m freestyle at the London Olympics.

Olympians Kimberley Crow (rowing) and Jessica Fox (canoeing/kayaking) complete the shortlist, having each gone on to deliver major international results following their London 2012 Olympic performances last year.

Crow became the first Australian woman to win the single sculls world championships in South Korea in August whilst Fox also created history by becoming the first female to win gold in both C1 and K1 events at the same World Cup and just this weekend won the C1 world championships in the Czech Republic.

 

‘The Don’ Award – 2013 Shortlist Nominees

Athlete

Sport

Cate Campbell Swimming
Michael Clarke Cricket
Kimberley Crow Rowing
Kurt Fearnley OAM Athletics/Wheelchair Marathons
Jessica Fox Canoeing/Kayaking
Adam Scott Golf
Casey Stoner AM Moto GP

 

The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chairman John Bertrand AM congratulated the shortlist of nominees acknowledging their feats over the past twelve months.

“The Don Award seeks to recognise and celebrate the individual who has ‘most inspired the nation’ through his or her performance,” Bertrand said.

“At the core of this award is the values set out by our first Sport Australia Hall of Fame Inductee and who this award is created to honour, Sir Donald Bradman, which include dignity, integrity, courage and modesty in compatibility with pride, ambition and competitiveness.

“All seven of these superb athletes have not only demonstrated athletic excellence but also demonstrates these vital values and I have no doubt the decision will be a tough one for the selection committee meeting.”

‘The Don’ Award is an important component of The Sport Australian Hall of Fame Gala Dinner and Chairman of the selection committee Robert de Castella MBE said that the winner was always a difficult one to select.

“It is easy to be bedazzled by phenomenal athleticism and amazing sporting excellence, and there is nothing wrong with this. Indeed it is one of the greatest things about sport.  But, maybe something that is less tangible than the scoreboard, less obvious than the highest mark, less clear than the fastest runner, the strongest lifter, or the highest jumper, might be even more important to recognise and foster,” de Castella said.

 

PREVIOUS ‘THE DON’ AWARD WINNERS

Athlete

Sport

Year

Ms. Sally Pearson Athletics

2012

Mr. Cadel Evans AM Cycling

2011

Mrs. Lydia Lassila OAM Aerial Skiing

2010

Mr. Steven Hooker OAM Athletics

2009

Mr. Steven Hooker OAM Athletics

2008

Mr. Matthew Mitcham OAM Diving

2008

Mr. Shane Warne Cricket

2007

Mr. Glenn McGrath AM Cricket

2007

The 2006 Socceroos Soccer

2006

Ms. Kerryn McCann Athletics

2006

Mr. Grant Hackett OAM Swimming

2005

Ms. Petria Thomas OAM Swimming

2004

Mr. Damien Oliver Horse Racing

2003

Ms. Alisa Camplin OAM Aerial Skiing

2002

Mr. Steven Bradbury OAM Speed Skating

2002

Mr. Patrick Rafter Tennis

2001

Ms. Catherine Freeman OAM Athletics

2000

Mr. Ian Thorpe OAM Swimming

1999

Mr. Mark Taylor AO Cricket

1998

Ms. Heather Turland Athletics

1998

 

Established in 1985, The Sport Australia Hall of Fame aims to preserve and celebrate the history of Australian Sport and excite the next generation of Australians to achieve their potential both in sport and in life.

With a vision and values built around the words of the first Inductee and Legend, Sir Donald Bradman AC, The Sport Australia Hall of Fame is determined to carry to all Australians everywhere the symbol of excellence, as represented by its 518 Members across all sports and genders.

For more information about The Sport Australia Hall of Fame, visit http://www.sahof.org.au.

– ENDS –

 

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