The Victorian triathlon community came together over the weekend to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Awards recipients and recognise the incredible contributions of clubs, volunteers, coaches, technical officials, athletes and members to triathlon and multisport.
The Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre in Melbourne’s Albert Park played host to the 2024 VIC Awards.
Grace Thek was awarded the Elite Female Athlete of the Year Award for an outstanding 2023/34 season that saw her atop the podium at Ironman 70.3 Geelong, Challenge Wanaka and Challenge Salou in 2023 alone. Earlier this year, she also placed second at Ironman 70.3 Tasmania and Ironman 70.3 Geelong, and fourth at Ironman 70.3 Oceanside, making her a force to be reckoned with on the course.
The Elite Male Athlete of the Year Award was presented to athlete and coach, Mitch Kibby. With an array of top five finishes over the awards period, including second at Ironman 70.3 Tasmania in both 2023 and 2024, Kibby successfully balanced his various commitments to achieve outstanding results.
Four-time National ll1 Triathlon Champion Georgia Powning was awarded the Para/Multiclass Female Athlete of the Year Award. Powning placed second at the 2023 World Multisport Championships in the Sprint Duathlon 20-24 years mainstream category, and is currently working towards being back on the podium at the same event this August.
Cameron Marshall was named Para/Multiclass Male Athlete of the Year after his fourth win in a row at the National Championships in the ll1 category. Also a well respected Foundation Coach, Cam is a focused athlete full of grit and determination.
The Female Youth Athlete of the Year Award went to Madigan Carroll whilst the Male Youth Athlete of the Year Award was presented to Charlie De Fazio. Both relatively new to the sport, Carroll and De Fazio achieved fantastic results over the 2023/24 season.
Abbey Hickey was awarded Female Junior Athlete of the Year following a breakthrough year that saw her place first at the Australian Elite Standard distance Championships, and Ty Davis was presented with the Male Junior Athlete of the Year Award following his third place finish at the Aus Triathlon Junior Sprint championships in Wollongong.
Gab Incani was also recognised with the Youth/Junior Most Improved Award after a determined and consistent effort over the 2023/24 season saw him finish second in the 2xu Race 6 (15-19M) and 3rd in the series as Male Junior Elite.
Described as being full of positivity, humility and professionalism, Skye Wallace was awarded e Athlete’s Athlete of the Year Award for her work bringing the Tri-cycle program to life in order to assist those less fortunate to gain access to equipment.
Despite only being in the sport for 4 years, Regan Hollioake placed first overall in her age group in her second full Ironman distance, earning her the Most Inspiring Performance of the Year Award. The performance also saw her set an age course record and achieve her goal of applying for her professional licence.
Technical Official of the Year was awarded to Allisha Oxley who has relentlessly honed her officiating skills over the past few years and now holds senior positions at some of Victoria’s biggest triathlon events. Allisha’s contributions to the Technical program are invaluable, and her impact is felt not only in the successful execution of events but also in the smiles on the faces of the participants she supports.
Nick Hadden was awarded Junior Coach of the Year for his incredibly successful work developing junior athletes, whilst Sarah Mulkearns was awarded Coach of the Year for her support of athletes ranging from beginners to professionals, including Most Inspiring Performance of the Year Award winner, Regan Hollioake.
Two outstanding individuals were presented with a Club Volunteer Award for their selfless work within the Bictorian triathlon community; Angus Crisp and Angela Sandral. As someone who is always putting their hand up to help, Crisp gave up their time to ride with athletes, teach them new skills, act as photographer on interstate trips and fix bikes. Whilst also being involved as a competitor, Sandral is a positive role model who supported, volunteered and competed at a range of local events over the 2023/24 period.
Momentum Endurance Coaching’s Tri-Cycle Program was awarded the Club Initiative of the Year Award. Created to make the sport more accessible, the sustainable and environmentally friendly program supported and included athletes from a range of financial backgrounds through the use of recycled training equipment.
The morning culminated in the presentation of the President’s Special Recognition Award to Gemma Berry. Gemma was awarded for her prowess as a triathlete over both short and long course events with consistent podium performances but also for her incredible positivity in the face of her young son’s incurable brain cancer. Gemma has taken on fundraising for children’s cancer in addition to her work as a physiotherapist and dedicatation to triathlon training. Gemma is humble, kind, inclusive and a constant inspiration to the triathlon community.
2024 VIC AWARD WINNERS
President’s Special Recognition Award – Gemma Berry
Technical Official of the Year – Allisha Oxley
Technical Recognition Award – Belinda Pitt
Junior Coach of the Year Award – Nick Hadden
Coach of the Year Award – Sarah Mulkearns
Club Volunteer Award – Angus Crisp & Angela Sandral
Club Initiative of the Year Award – Tri-Cycle Program (Momentum Endurance Coaching)
The Athlete’s Athlete of the Year Award – Skye Wallace
Most Inspiring Performance of the Year Award – Regan Hollioake
Elite Female Athlete of the Year Award – Grace Thek
Elite Male Athlete of the Year Award – Mitch Kibby
Female Youth Athlete of the Year Award – Madigan Carroll
Male Youth Athlete of the Year Award – Charlie De Fazio
Female Junior Athlete of the Year Award – Abbey Hickey
Male Junior Athlete of the Year Award – Ty Davis
Youth/Junior Most Improved Award – Gab Incani
Para/Multiclass Female Athlete of the Year Award – Georgia Powning
Para/Multiclass Male Athlete of the Year Award – Cameron Marshall
