BURGESS AND BLACKMAN TAKE TOP ATHLETICS AWARDS

Athletics West is delighted to announce and congratulate Paul Burgess, Teresa Blackman and the Broome Little Athletics Centre on their recent national awards.

Paul Burgess has been awarded Athletics Australia’s Coach of the Year. Following nominations at both the WAIS Awards and SportWest Awards, Burgess was recognised after a breakout year for the WA-based Pole Vault program.

Burgess coached athletes to three international medals in 2022, including Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall’s gold at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, where Marschall defended his 2018 title. While Kennedy’s Commonwealth Games title came fresh off her sensational result in Oregon where she became the first Australian to win a medal at the 2022 World Athletics Championships, and the first-ever female Australian jumps medal at the Championships.

While overnight Little Athletics Australia conducted its annual Hall of Fame awards ceremony in April 2023 and announced Teresa Blackman and Broome Little Athletics Centre as award recipients.

Blackman was inducted as a Coles Little Athletics Australian Hall of Fame recipient in the Volunteer category in recognition of her service to Little Athletics. Starting as a volunteer in 2007, Teresa has been an active member of the Little Athletics community as a coach, official and administrator at the club, centre, state and national levels. Never hesitating to provide support, Teresa has volunteered her time in almost every role, including as a director of Little Athletics Australia, Chair of Little Athletics WA and the inaugural Chair of Athletics West. Athletics West would like to congratulate Teresa on the award and recognise her ongoing contribution, as well as Mark and Caitlin Blackman.

Coles Little Athletics Australia also awarded inaugural Centre of the Year awards in three categories, with Broome Little Athletics Centre winning the ‘Very Remote Category’. Hosting a range of community-centred events, including the open-age WA North West Athletics Championships, and the Kimberly Gift, Broome Little Athletics Centre was recognised for it’s ongoing commitment to create a platform for young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to showcase and pursue their passions.

On behalf of the Athletics West Board and community, we would like to congratulate all three award winners.

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For more information about how you can get involved in athletics, contact Athletics West on 08 6272 0480.

By David Smith, Athletics West