Fearnley and Peris Induced to Sport Australia Hall of Fame

Two of Australia’s most prolific athletes have been inducted today for the nation’s most prestigious sporting organisation, with Kurt Fearnley and Nova Peris announced by the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
 
The 2023 inductees include Olympic gold medallists, one of the country’s greatest footballers, a Paralympic powerhouse, a rugby league superstar, and a coaching visionary. Their outstanding accomplishments have left an indelible mark on the world of sports in Australia and beyond.
 
The new inductees are Kim Brennan AM, a rowing icon with Olympic gold and multiple medals; Tim Cahill AO, the only Socceroo to play at four FIFA World Cups; Kurt Fearnley AO, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games medallist; aerial skiing Olympic champion Lydia Lassila OAM; Dally M winner and former North Queensland Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston AM; Nova Peris OAM, the first Indigenous Australian to win an Olympic gold medal as a Hockeyroo and the only person to make back-to-back Summer Olympic Games finals in two different sports; and Tim McLaren OAM, one of the most renowned rowing coaches in the world, who has successfully coached crews at every Olympic Games since 1992.
 
The inductees will be honoured at a Sport Australia Hall of Fame event to be held at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney on October 16.
 
The honour roll of induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame features the nation’s biggest sporting names and champions, including Sir Donald Bradman AC, Dawn Fraser AC MBE, Cathy Freeman OAM, Ian Thorpe AM, E.J. “Ted” Whitten OAM, Raelene Boyle AM MBE, Wally Lewis AM, Shane Gould OAM MBE, Sir Jack Brabham AO OBE, Greg Norman AO, Lauren Jackson AO, John Eales AM, Susie O’Neill AM, Rod Laver AC MBE, Bart Cummings AM, Louise Sauvage OAM and Layne Beachley AO, among other luminaries.
 
Those who are inducted into this elite group are our nation’s leading champions. They have not only excelled in their chosen field, but have done so with dignity, integrity, courage, modesty, pride and ambition.
 
Membership as an Athlete Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame is limited exclusively to the top echelon of Australian athletes who have all achieved the highest honours at the peak level of competition. General Members are recognised for their outstanding achievements in roles that support sports participants.
 
In 2023, six former sporting greats are being inducted as Athlete Members of SAHOF and one is being inducted as a General Member. Athletes must be retired from their sport for a period of four years before being eligible for consideration to be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
 
Two existing members will also be elevated to Legend of Australian Sport status at the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Award luncheon on October 16. Sport Australia Hall of Fame Members must be 15 years retired before being considered for elevation to Legend of Australian Sport.

Kurt Fearnley AO – Para-Athletics, NSW
Athlete Member

Kurt Fearnley AO is a three-time Paralympic gold medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist. His remarkable career spanned two decades, marked by three Paralympic gold medals, four World Championships, and dual Commonwealth Games golds. Fearnley, renowned for his prowess in wheelchair marathons, conquered events worldwide, including New York, Chicago, Tokyo and London. Beyond his athletic feats, his unwavering commitment to championing disability rights and inspiring countless Australians saw him become the first athlete with a disability to win The Don Award in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2018.
 
QUOTE: “The list is just incredible and I don’t know if I’ll ever see myself that way, but I’m grateful to be mentioned at the same time. It’s one of those ‘is this real?’ kind of moments. You’ve got the likes of Louise Sauvage who defined wheelchair racing in this country for over a decade and I’m honoured to follow her.”

Nova Peris OAM – Multi-Sport (Athletics and Hockey), NT
Athlete Member

Nova Peris OAM, is a trailblazing athlete celebrated for her achievements in athletics and hockey. As the first Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, with the Hockeyroos in 1996, she etched her name in history. Unwavering in her pursuit of excellence, Peris transitioned to athletics, securing two gold medals at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and representing Australia in two Olympic Games. Her extraordinary journey, marked by dedication and versatility, also made her the first person to qualify for Summer Olympic Games finals in two different sports at consecutive Olympics. Peris’s impact extends beyond sports, as she served in the Australian federal parliament and remains an inspiration to all Australians.
 
QUOTE: (On receiving an out-of-the blue phone call from Sport Australia Hall of Fame Chairman John Bertrand AO): “I missed him and then he rang me again and I had to pull over to the side of the road because I was just really overwhelmed by it all. He said, ‘We’re thrilled to have you as one of our members.’ I was hopeless speaking to him on the phone. I kept crying, babbling like a little baby. It's a real honour and a privilege.”

Induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame is reserved for the best of the best. Nominations can be submitted by anyone via the SAHOF website. Each year the Selection Committee picks the newest Hall of Famers to join their fellow top echelon of Australian leaders.

Sport Australia Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair, Bruce McAvaney OAM said:

"In a year where the drama of sport has held us captive as a nation, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame welcomes six elite athletes and a coach who’ve left an indelible mark in their field. Every one of this year’s inductees has been instrumental in providing this country with unforgettable moments – whether it be at summer or winter Olympics, rugby league State of Origin or football’s World Cup. It doesn’t get any bigger or better than that. Diverse in their sporting prowess, each has excelled over a lifetime, paving the way for those who follow and stamping their own mark on history."
 
The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Induction and Awards program is sponsored by the Australia Sports Commission and the Australian Institute of Sport and proudly supported by Sportscover and Victoria University.

By Sport Australia Hall of Fame 
Posted:2/10/2023