The Ron Barassi Award
2009 Ron Barassi Award winner, Cameron Williams
2009 Ron Barassi Award winner, Cameron Williams
, with Ron Barassi at the 2009 Ron Barassi Debate.
Cameron is the epitomy of spirit, courage and determination, the criteria against which the award is judged. After spending much of his childhood in hospital with chronic illness, Cameron is living his dream.
He is a member of The Tasmanian Institute of Sport’s men’s soccer team and recently was named in the Under 15 squad to compete in the National Championships in Coffs Harbour in October 2009.
With a father who played VFL football, it is not surprising that Cameron would have a similar zest for competitive sport, much to the horror and surprise of his doctors. But with the right diet, his coaches never cease to be amazed with his will to succeed. And after surviving numerous operations Cameron himself is an inspiration to all who know him.
2008 Ron Barassi Award - Dual Winners - Trent McLaughlin and Dimity Broadby
Trent McLaughlin with Lara Giddings
Dual Ron Barassi Award winner Trent McLaughlin with Deputy Premier Lara Giddings after receiving his award. The award is made to a young person with a disability who has displayed spirit, courage and determination in pursuit of their sporting goals and comprises a $1,000 scholarship and commemorative certificate.
Fifteen year old Trent is a member of the Eastern Shore Sharks Swimming Club and in February 2008 achieved a national qualifying time in a 50m breaststroke that made him eligible for the 2008 Telstra Australian Swimming Championships and Beijing Olympic Swimming Trials. In the January 2008 Tasmanian Open Championships won four gold medals in 50m freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke and butterfly.
In October 2007 won the Melissa Carlton award as male swimmer the year with a classified disability and one month earlier in September represented Tasmania at the “Day of Difference” National Junior Disabled Games, winning 3 gold medals and one silver medal in 50m butterfly, 50m and 100m freestyle and 400m freestyle. Naturally his ambition is to represent Australia at the 2012 Olympic Games.
Dimity Broadby with Lara Giddings
Dual Ron Barassi Award winner Dimity Broadby with Deputy Premier Lara Giddings after receiving her award. The award is made to a young person with a disability who has displayed spirit, courage and determination in pursuit of their sporting goals and comprises a $1,000 scholarship and commemorative certificate.
Sixteen year old Dimity, a paraplegic from age 14, was a keen netballer who also played soccer, football, athletics and hockey. In 2005 she came to the attention of scouts at a Paralympics talent search day while playing table tennis at the YMCA. In 2007 progressed to the extent that her obvious talent was recognised at wheelchair basketball almost immediately she started playing.
In October 2007 she competed in the “Day of Difference” Junior Disabled Games in Sydney and as a member of the Tasmanian Team won a bronze medal in the international competition and was selected in the Australian All Stars team that defeated the USA. Dimity also played table tennis and won a gold medal in singles and bronze in doubles.
Unsurprisingly she was named female player of the tournament, and now plays with Dandenong Rangers in the National women’s wheelchair basketball league.
With this record, her ambition to represent Australia at the 2012 Paralympics games is very achievable.
Callum Loh with Ron Barassi
2007 Ron Barassi Award - Callum Loh
Despite his cerebral palsy, fourteen year old High School student Callum Loh rows for Glenorchy Rowing Club as an adaptive rower.
He has just completed his second season of competitive rowing and has improved his skill level dramatically. Callum now holds the State Championship Title for the adaptive 500 metre race.
Callum also won on a bronze medal at the 2007 Australian Championships and is the youngest adaptive rowing competitor in State and National competitions.
His coach, Kay Suter, adds that during the season he has been able to double the number of races he competed in at each regatta as his body became stronger and fitter because of the determination he applied to every training session.
Bradley Mitchell with Ron Barassi
2006 Ron Barassi Award - Bradley Mitchell
(by Rob Shaw, The Examiner, Launceston)
Pictured here with Ron Barassi after the presentation of the award in his name, Hadspen teenager Bradley Mitchell was happy to squeeze Ron into his busy schedule of badminton, cricket, soccer, swimming, baseball, athletics, tennis, gymnastics and basketball.
The award recognises a young person with a disability who has pursued their sporting goals with spirit, courage and determination, summing up perfectly the sports-mad 16 year old with cerebral palsy. Brad has been a member of Special Olympics since he was six years old and mum Vanessa said sport has since become a wonderful part of his life. “It has given him huge self-esteem”, she said. “It is great to see them all interact together in SO. There is no prejudice and they are all there for each other. They could teach the rest of us a lot about sportsmanship and camaraderie”. “Brad is very proud and determined”, she added. “Nothing much fazes him. He just does things to the best of his ability and has a wonderful attitude towards life. And it’s lovely that someone has rewarded him for that.
In 2004, Bradley took part in swimming and basketball at the Junior Special Olympics before joining the intellectually disabled State open team at this year’s national basketball championships in Newcastle. He competed in the 2005 State SO games and Tasmania at tennis nationals on the Gold Coast in October 2006 and tennis in Victoria in February.
Erin Turner
2005 Ron Barassi Award - Erin Turner
The Ron Barassi Award which recognises young people with a disability who have displayed spirit, courage and determination in the pursuit of their sporting goals, was presented to Launceston schoolgirl Erin Turner by Ron himself.
The profoundly deaf 15 year old has made a major splash in the swimming pool after the disappointment of being disqualified during the national junior disabled games in Adelaide in 2003 after a classification error. Despite the declassification Erin still competed and set several personal best times in track and field. After the set back she turned her attention to swimming and completed an astounding transition to the pool at the 2005 national junior disabled games in Sydney with seven PB’s and won one silver and seven bronze medals.
Erin delighted the audience at the breakfast with her acceptance speech in which she apologised to Ron for barracking for Richmond, adding the she hoped it wouldn’t change his mind about giving her the award.
Sam Hallam
2004 Ron Barassi Award - Sam Hallam
Sam Hallam, an above-the –knee amputee won the Ron Barassi ward for courage, spirit and determination. In 2003, as a 17-year old, Sam won gold in power lifting at the National Junior Disabled games and shortly after turned his attention to downhill skiing.
Barely twelve months later he came forth in the Australian winter championships and 16th in the world championships in Canada.
Pictured here recently, Sam added to his Ron Barassi award with an AIS scholarship and selection in the Australian 2006 winter Paralympics squad. The crowning achievement for his efforts in 2004 came at The Tasmanian Sports Stars Awards ceremony where he was named Tasmanian Athlete with a Disability for 2004.
Josh Potts
2003 Ron Barassi Award - Josh Potts
A new annual award was also presented by Ron Barassi at the debate. To be known as the Ron Barassi Award, it is to be presented to a young athlete with a disability who displays courage, determination and spirit in pursuing their personal sporting goal.
The inaugural winner was 19 year-old Josh Potts, a wheelchair tennis player from Hobart. Josh’s award enabled him to fly to Melbourne (courtesy of Qantas) and compete in the Australian Wheelchair Open. The Award met all his other costs for the week.