Good sports
The Sunshine Coast Sport Star of the Year Awards will soon celebrate their 20th anniversary under the banner of Advance Sports. Foundation members Benny Pike and Graeme Sherman have overseen the expansion of a small-time event to a grand affair.
Words FIONA WELSH
In 1989 the king of league, Wally Lewis, rocked up to the Hyatt Regency Coolum for the inaugural Sunshine Coast Sport Star of the Year Awards. As the night’s special guest he was there, along with about 90 people, to pay tribute to the achievements of their local star athletes. It was Lisa Curry-Kenny who walked away with the senior trophy after the sprint specialist emerged from retirement at 30 to win at the Australian swimming titles and qualify for the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Her successful comeback continued early in the new year in Auckland, when she won four gold medals in the pool. Lisa is expected to be among the 19 previous winners who will be there again for the 2008 Caloundra RSL Sport Star of the Year Awards — sponsored by the weekender — on January 30.
But away from the limelight will be a familiar face as well, with Advance Sports foundation member and former vice-president Graeme Sherman watching the night of nights unfold. Nearby will be close mate Benny Pike, taking his customary place on stage as master of ceremonies for the gala affair, now a sell-out with close to 600 people filling the Hyatt Regency Pavilion.
Listening to the pair talk about how far the awards have come during the past two decades, it’s easy to see their passion for Coast sport and athletes has not diminished one iota. If anything, it has grown stronger, as has the prestige and promotion of sport in the region.
The success of the awards can be measured by the length and breadth of nominees across a diverse range of sports in the senior and junior ranks, not to mention the coach/administrator and team awards.
While aquatic pursuits may dominate our sporting landscape, others such as boxing, track and field, golf and even model plane flying have been recognised at the awards. Benny remembers one particular feat that drew a standing ovation — and he can only remember two — was the arrival of ultra-marathon runner Gary Parsons to the stage. The Caboolture athlete had just traversed the Simpson Desert in searing heat and had to hobble to the stage to accept his award.
“In 1999, Gary had run around Australia in record time and then, just days out from the awards (in January 2000), he had been running through the Simpson Desert,” Benny says. “There was just so much emotion on the night and everyone was on their feet clapping.” The second standing ovation didn’t come from an award nominee or winner, but the pride of Queensland was definitely on show when triple Brisbane Lions AFL premiership captain Michael Voss was a guest speaker. “You could see it in everyone’s faces. The room just erupted,” Graeme says. “His was a pretty special achievement.”
The awards have attracted an array of international stars as guests, including golfer Wayne Grady, Olympians Duncan Armstrong and Jon Sieben and world champion netballer Vicki Wilson. But it’s not just the awards that highlight the wealth of sporting talent — Advance Sports has been working for years to foster and promote sport in many ways. The organisation’s activities range from Breakfast with the Stars to farewell and welcome home tributes for Commonwealth and Olympic athletes.
Then there are the payments it makes to athletes to help with expenses. This year alone eight Olympic and Paralympic representatives each received $1000. Benny says the funding has grown enormously in the past 20 years, rising from annual contributions of $15,000 up to $70,000, with events such as the Noosa and Mooloolaba triathlons also among recipients.
But before Advance Sports there was the Sunshine Coast Sportsman’s Association,which had been running its own form of awards since 1968. Based out of Nambour, the association was struggling to stay afloat by the late ’80s. It was then Graeme, who was the region’s fundraising chair for the 1984 Olympics, Benny and the late Jack Boast were drawn together with a common goal of continuing to promote sport at every level. (Later Stan Wilcox would also join.)
Jack was particularly passionate about junior sport. “He was a big strapping fellow, usually just in boardshorts and with his surfboard on the roof of his car,” Graeme says affectionately of the local legend. “His CV ran to three pages. He was a true all-rounder. He was into life saving, swimming, surfing, water polo, rugby union, you
name it,” Benny says. “You would never argue with him — he was a big bloke.”
But Benny managed to crack that tough exterior at the 1997 Sport Star of the Year Awards gala when he revealed the junior award would be named after Jack, who was battling a brain tumour. Jack, whose eldest son John is now the board’s secretary, died in June 1998. “Jack came up to the stage and I could see he was crying. He grabbed my hand and just squeezed it,” Benny says.
The senior award was later named in honour of Graeme. And the announcement was greeted with similar emotion. “I had no idea it was happening,” Graeme says. He admits he would much prefer all the attention was on the athletes and, when asked who stands out from the past 20 years, he nominates five-time Olympian Clint Robinson. Clint is the only athlete to have won back-to-back awards, taking out the junior titles in 1989-90. The world champion kayaker also claimed the 1994 senior award.
“He was born and bred on the Coast and has a great demeanour,” Graeme says. “We are proud of what we have achieved here. It’s unique to the Coast. The awards are the pinnacle of what we do. These athletes have been great role models, too. They give kids someone to look up to. That’s really what it’s about."
FAST FACTS
The Sunshine Coast Sportsman’s Association ran its own sports awards from 1968. They were renamed the Sunshine Coast Sport Star of the Year Awards in 1989. Advance Sports was incorporated 10 years ago and continues to showcase the Coast’s talents each year.
Story: FIONA WELSH
The Sunshine Coast Sport Star of the Year Awards will soon celebrate their 20th anniversary under the banner of Advance Sports. Foundation members Benny Pike and Graeme Sherman have overseen the expansion of a small-time event to a grand affair.
Words FIONA WELSH
In 1989 the king of league, Wally Lewis, rocked up to the Hyatt Regency Coolum for the inaugural Sunshine Coast Sport Star of the Year Awards. As the night’s special guest he was there, along with about 90 people, to pay tribute to the achievements of their local star athletes. It was Lisa Curry-Kenny who walked away with the senior trophy after the sprint specialist emerged from retirement at 30 to win at the Australian swimming titles and qualify for the 1990 Commonwealth Games.
Her successful comeback continued early in the new year in Auckland, when she won four gold medals in the pool. Lisa is expected to be among the 19 previous winners who will be there again for the 2008 Caloundra RSL Sport Star of the Year Awards — sponsored by the weekender — on January 30.
But away from the limelight will be a familiar face as well, with Advance Sports foundation member and former vice-president Graeme Sherman watching the night of nights unfold. Nearby will be close mate Benny Pike, taking his customary place on stage as master of ceremonies for the gala affair, now a sell-out with close to 600 people filling the Hyatt Regency Pavilion.
Listening to the pair talk about how far the awards have come during the past two decades, it’s easy to see their passion for Coast sport and athletes has not diminished one iota. If anything, it has grown stronger, as has the prestige and promotion of sport in the region.
The success of the awards can be measured by the length and breadth of nominees across a diverse range of sports in the senior and junior ranks, not to mention the coach/administrator and team awards.
While aquatic pursuits may dominate our sporting landscape, others such as boxing, track and field, golf and even model plane flying have been recognised at the awards. Benny remembers one particular feat that drew a standing ovation — and he can only remember two — was the arrival of ultra-marathon runner Gary Parsons to the stage. The Caboolture athlete had just traversed the Simpson Desert in searing heat and had to hobble to the stage to accept his award.
“In 1999, Gary had run around Australia in record time and then, just days out from the awards (in January 2000), he had been running through the Simpson Desert,” Benny says. “There was just so much emotion on the night and everyone was on their feet clapping.” The second standing ovation didn’t come from an award nominee or winner, but the pride of Queensland was definitely on show when triple Brisbane Lions AFL premiership captain Michael Voss was a guest speaker. “You could see it in everyone’s faces. The room just erupted,” Graeme says. “His was a pretty special achievement.”
The awards have attracted an array of international stars as guests, including golfer Wayne Grady, Olympians Duncan Armstrong and Jon Sieben and world champion netballer Vicki Wilson. But it’s not just the awards that highlight the wealth of sporting talent — Advance Sports has been working for years to foster and promote sport in many ways. The organisation’s activities range from Breakfast with the Stars to farewell and welcome home tributes for Commonwealth and Olympic athletes.
Then there are the payments it makes to athletes to help with expenses. This year alone eight Olympic and Paralympic representatives each received $1000. Benny says the funding has grown enormously in the past 20 years, rising from annual contributions of $15,000 up to $70,000, with events such as the Noosa and Mooloolaba triathlons also among recipients.
But before Advance Sports there was the Sunshine Coast Sportsman’s Association,which had been running its own form of awards since 1968. Based out of Nambour, the association was struggling to stay afloat by the late ’80s. It was then Graeme, who was the region’s fundraising chair for the 1984 Olympics, Benny and the late Jack Boast were drawn together with a common goal of continuing to promote sport at every level. (Later Stan Wilcox would also join.)
Jack was particularly passionate about junior sport. “He was a big strapping fellow, usually just in boardshorts and with his surfboard on the roof of his car,” Graeme says affectionately of the local legend. “His CV ran to three pages. He was a true all-rounder. He was into life saving, swimming, surfing, water polo, rugby union, you
name it,” Benny says. “You would never argue with him — he was a big bloke.”
But Benny managed to crack that tough exterior at the 1997 Sport Star of the Year Awards gala when he revealed the junior award would be named after Jack, who was battling a brain tumour. Jack, whose eldest son John is now the board’s secretary, died in June 1998. “Jack came up to the stage and I could see he was crying. He grabbed my hand and just squeezed it,” Benny says.
The senior award was later named in honour of Graeme. And the announcement was greeted with similar emotion. “I had no idea it was happening,” Graeme says. He admits he would much prefer all the attention was on the athletes and, when asked who stands out from the past 20 years, he nominates five-time Olympian Clint Robinson. Clint is the only athlete to have won back-to-back awards, taking out the junior titles in 1989-90. The world champion kayaker also claimed the 1994 senior award.
“He was born and bred on the Coast and has a great demeanour,” Graeme says. “We are proud of what we have achieved here. It’s unique to the Coast. The awards are the pinnacle of what we do. These athletes have been great role models, too. They give kids someone to look up to. That’s really what it’s about."
FAST FACTS
The Sunshine Coast Sportsman’s Association ran its own sports awards from 1968. They were renamed the Sunshine Coast Sport Star of the Year Awards in 1989. Advance Sports was incorporated 10 years ago and continues to showcase the Coast’s talents each year.
Story: FIONA WELSH
