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Some of the biggest stars of Australian Para-sport in 2022, including Paralympics Australia’s recently-crowned World Champion wheelchair rugby team the Steelers, have secured a slew of finalist nominations for the prestigious AIS Sport Performance Awards next month.
The Steelers’ win in Denmark in October, where they defeated arch-rival the United States in the final to claim their first world championship since 2014, earned them a nomination for Team of the Year, while Paralympics Australia’s wheelchair rugby program was named a finalist for High Performance Program of the Year.
Coach Brad Dubberley, who masterminded the Steelers’ extraordinary reversal of form after they finished out of the medals at the Tokyo Paralympics, was named a finalist for Coach of the Year, while superstar player and Australian Paralympic Team co-captain at Tokyo 2020 Ryley Batt was among the four nominees for Male Para-athlete of the Year.
WORLD CHAMPIONS 🏆
— AUS Paralympic Team (@AUSParalympics) October 16, 2022
The Australian Steelers #WheelchairRugby team have defeated @usawchrugby 58 – 55 in the Gold Medal Match at the @ww_rugby World Champs.
Read all the reactions out of Vejle: https://t.co/a6MfLFCnBt
📸: Lars Møller#2022WRWC #VEJLE2022 pic.twitter.com/4KlpTHkLgQ
Batt shares the category with Beijing Winter Paralympics snowboard bronze medallist Ben Tudhope, dual gold medallist and world record-breaker at the World Para-swimming Championships Tim Hodge, and Hodge’s Dolphins teammate Col Pearse, who won gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
Another Para-swimming star, Katja Dedekind, was nominated for Female Para-athlete of the Year after she won gold at the World Championships and broke a world record at the Commonwealth Games. The other finalists are dual gold medallist at the World Para-table tennis Championships Qian Yang, triple Track Cycling World Champion Emily Petricola and Jessica Gallagher, who claimed victory in two tandem cycling events at Birmingham 2022.
Gallagher’s pilot in those events, Caitlin Ward, earned a nomination for the Community Engagement Award alongside another champion cyclist, multiple Paralympic and World Champion Carol Cooke.
Another huge moment at @birminghamcg22 for @JessGallagher86 and pilot Caitlin Ward – GOLD in the Women's Tandem B 1000m Time Trial. That makes 2 gold medals for the pair at #Birmingham2022 👏
— AUS Paralympic Team (@AUSParalympics) August 1, 2022
📸: @CaitlinWard37 via Instagram#B2022 #BoldInGold #ParaCycling pic.twitter.com/vWeFH9WGHR
Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins said: “The ASPAs is a true celebration of Australian high performance sport and the fact we have more than 20 different sports represented across the award categories is a reminder of how many wonderful moments we’ve experienced this year.
“We were privileged to start 2022 by cheering on our Winter Olympians and Paralympians in Beijing, while only a few months ago the nation was inspired by Australia topping the medal tally at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games.
“I want to thank the sports who have nominated these performances and also our judging panel, including representatives from the Australian Olympic Committee, Paralympics Australia and Commonwealth Games Australia.
“It has been a brilliant way to kick-start our green and gold decade towards Brisbane 2032 and I look forward to celebrating with all our finalists and friends across sport next month.”
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Sydney on December 15.
Full list of the 2022 ASPA Finalists:
Team of the Year
Australian Steelers Wheelchair Rugby Team/Paralympics Australia
Australian Women’s Cricket Team, Cricket Australia
Hockeyroos, Hockey Australia
Women’s Rugby 7s, Rugby Australia
High Performance Program of the Year
Athletics Australia
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
The Australian Dolphins, Swimming Australia
Wheelchair Rugby, Paralympics Australia
Coach of the Year
Alexander Stewart, Athletics Australia
Brad Dubberley, Wheelchair Rugby/Paralympics Australia
Peter McNiel and Kate Blamey, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
Tim Walsh, Rugby Australia
Female Para-athlete of the Year
Emily Petricola, AusCycling
Jessica Gallagher, Rowing Australia
Katja Dedekind, Swimming Australia
Qian Yang, Table Tennis Australia
Male Para-athlete of the Year
Ben Tudhope, Snow Australia
Col Pearse, Swimming Australia
Ryley Batt, Wheelchair Rugby/Paralympics Australia
Tim Hodge, Swimming Australia
Female Athlete of the Year
Alyssa Healy, Cricket Australia
Charlotte Caslick, Rugby Australia
Jakara Anthony OAM, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
Jessica Stenson, Athletics Australia
Liz Watson, Netball Australia
Male Athlete of the Year
Cam Smith, Golf Australia
Kieran Woolley, Skate Australia
Scott James, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
Zac Stubblety-Cook, Swimming Australia
Emerging Athlete of the Year
Donnell Wallam, Netball Australia
Maddison Levi, Rugby Australia
Nina Kennedy, Athletics Australia
Valentino Guseli, Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
Award for Leadership
Andrew Faichney, Athletics Australia
Ben Houston, Australian Sailing
Jaime Fernandez, Rowing Australia
Petria Thomas, Commonwealth Games Australia
Community Engagement Award
Caitlin Ward, AusCycling
Carol Cooke, AusCycling
Kyle Vander-Kuyp, Athletics Australia
Rhydian Cowley, Athletics Australia
Win Well Award
Athletics Australia
Golf Australia
Olympic Winter Institute of Australia
Victorian Institute of Sport Sport
Volunteer of the Year Award
Nicole Williams, Cricket Australia
Amanda Bowman, Golf Australia
Tea-Rose Passon, Surf Life Saving Australia
Theodora Niakolas, Special Olympics Australia
By: David Sygall, Paralympics Australia
Posted: 18 November 2022
Image: Lars Moeller, Parasport Danmark
