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Gold Coast Sportsperson of the Year Awards

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SNOWSILL ADDS COAST'S HIGHEST ACCOLADE TO TROPHY CABINET
CHAMPION TRIATHLETE NAMED GOLD COAST SPORTSPERSON OF THE YEAR

Story Highlights:

- Emma Snowsill becomes first female winner since 1989;
- Carlton Mid Sportsperson of the Year Awards announced in five other categories;
- Gala dinner format to stay say organisers.

GOLD Coast triathlon sensation Emma Snowsill was named the 2006-2007 Gold Coast
Sportswoman of the Year and Gold Coast Sportsperson of the Year at a glittering presentation at the Southport Sharks AFL Club, Friday 16th February 2007.

In taking out the prestigious award, the Mermaid Waters pocket rocket broke swimmer Grant Hackett's seven-year stranglehold on the Coast's highest sporting honour.

Emma became the first female to take the title since squash champion Danielle Harte's win in 1989.

Other winners included Jetstar Gold Coast Titans CEO Michael Searle who won the Sports Administrator of the Year, Kingscliffe swimming guru Greg Salter who snared Coach of the Year and Tour de France cyclist Robbie McEwen who took out the Sportsman of the Year gong.

Keebra Park State High schoolmates, diver Ashleigh Boura and gymnast Gregory Mirek, received training bursaries as part of the inaugural Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame and Southport Sharks Youth Sports Development Fund.

But it was Snowsill who stole the show, adding the Peter Lacey Medal for Sporting Excellence to her already bulging trophy cabinet.

She is a multiple World Champion and the first female to complete a three-peat, which she did in Lausanne, Switzerland in September 2006 in the ITU Olympic Distance World Triathlon Championship.

Emma was also a Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games gold medalist and is widely regarded as the greatest female triathlete of all time.

The born-and-bred Gold Coaster was crowned the Queensland Sports Star of the Year and Queensland Academy of Sport Athlete of the Year in 2006 after winning an incredible 11 triathlons over the 12-month period.

Her award was presented by Gold Coast Mayor, Ron Clarke MBE.

Gold Coast Sporting Hall of Fame Chair, Daphne Pirie, said the Awards have returned to a gala dinner presentation format after a break of several years.

'These awards are the only major Gold Coast sporting award for our open age athletes and the Peter Lacey Medal was established in 2000 in honour of the late Peter Lacey who was a multiple national surf lifesaving champion,' Mrs Pirie said.

'Tonight has been magnificent and we'll certainly be building upon what's been achieved this year to present an even bigger event next year.

'The awards have taken over from the long-running Walter Lindrum Award, which was first claimed by Gold Coast 1500m freestyle swimmer, Mexico Olympics bronze medallist, Greg Brough.

'And it's great to see Emma's breakthrough win this year, particularly after being a finalist in 2005 and after the stellar competition year she had in 2006,' she said.

The Carlton Mid Gold Coast Sportsperson of the Year Awards are administered by the Southport-based Sporting Hall of Fame.

They are generously supported by Cadbury Schweppes, The Southport Sharks AFL Club, NBN Television, The Gold Coast Bulletin, Lindemans Wines and Gold Coast City Council.

Photos from the night can be purchased from www.aaexpose.com or by phoning 0409 895 055.

Details of other winners are:

Coach of the Year - Greg Salter

Greg Salter was a 2006 Telstra Coach of the Year finalist.

He won the 1995 NSW Coach's Coach of the Year and ten years later won the award a second time. Salter earned the accolade after his students proved themselves as genuine contenders on the international stage.

Greg has coached athletes such as Olympic swimmer, Sophie Edington and Pan Pacific Championship swimmer Dyana Calub.

Sports Administrator of the Year - Michael Searle

In 2003 prominent Gold Coast accountant Michael Searle and his Chairman Paul Broughton began pushing for the re-instatement of a Gold Coast Team in the National Rugby League.

It is history now that their hugely professional bid was successful.

In the second quarter of 2004 the Gold Coast Consortium, as they had become known, announced their team name - the Jetstar Gold Coast Titans - and jersey at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre during an episode of NBN Television's The Footy Show.

Youth Development Fund winners (proudly supported by Cadbury Schweppes) - Ashleigh Boura and Gregory Mirek

At the recent Queensland State Championships, fifteen-year-old Ashleigh competed in three events - the one and three metre springboard events and the five metre platform event. She came first in all three disciplines and, despite her tender age, picked up the title of Queensland 16-18 age Champion in all three events.

This is a title that she will keep until State Championships are held again in November 2007.

Ashleigh is well on her way to the elite level of diving.

She trains at the Southport Olympic Pool with the Paradise Diving Club, which she has been a member of since she was nine years of age.

Gregory Mirek is a member of the Southport Gymnastics Club and, like Ashleigh, attends Keebra Park High School.

Gregory began gymnastics at the age of ten and by the age of 14 had reached Level 7 which qualified him for the 2006 national titles, where he came second overall.

He has developed tremendously since then and returned from the Trans Tasman Championships in New Zealand having achieved the overall highest score and the mantle of Level 8 Trans Tasman Champion for 2006.

Gregory has received over 100 medals and 34 trophies in gymnastics.

Sportsman of the Year - Robbie McEwen

Robbie McEwen's career began when he was crowned Australian Junior BMX Champion, signing his first professional contract in 1996.

Robbie was named Australia's Road Cyclist of the year in 1999, 2002 and 2005, and is known as one of the fastest sprinters in the world.

In 2002, 2004 and 2006 he won the prestigious green jersey in the Tour de France. Last year he won no less than 20 races, in the process becoming this country's greatest road sprinter.

Robbie is in his twelfth professional racing season.

ENDS

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