Choosing winners from field of stars
THE journey to Olympic gold for Debbie Bowman did not so much begin with simply talent and athleticism.
Rather it all started with some peculiar advice from the late Daphne Pirie.
“Daphne was my hockey mum, I’ve known Daphne since I was a little toddler and she basically brought me through the realms of hockey,” Bowman, the former Hockeyroos captain, said at the unveiling of the Gold Coast Sports Star Awards finalists.
“I was 13, Daphne said to
me there are a lot of talented hockey players here on the Gold Coast, in Queensland and in Australia. She said if you want to be the best you have to stand out.
“She said pull up your socks, put electric tape around them and make sure they don’t fall down. The second thing she said was wear white sand shoes, it makes (your legs) look fit, toned and strong.
“She said put your hair in pigtails, then get a ribbon and make it the biggest and brightest. Now they will notice you. They’ll notice your
talent, plus they’ll know you in selection as that little Gold Coast girl with a big heart, who looks strong, fit and looks like an athlete.
“Those words kept with me right through.”
Pirie, renowned as a trailblazer for women and athletes on the Gold Coast, passed away last week.
Bowman, herself a former winner of the accolade, was on hand to reveal those who were up for the mantle, with the likes of double Olympic canoeing gold medallists Jean van der Westhuyzen and Thomas Green, swimming
sensation Emma Mckeon and three-time Paralympics gold medallist Curtis McGrath.
For van der Westhuyzen, fresh off a two-month break following his K-2 1000m triumph last year, preparations for the Paris Olympics in 2024 have already begun.
But having found his home on the Gold Coast since relocating to the region in the lead-up to the 2018 Commonwealth Games, he said this moment of recognition and chance to cement himself in the city’s folklore stood out as a career highlight
“It’s super special, coming to the Gold Coast in 2018 and training with the squad down here has been so amazing. I’m super lucky and to be nominated to get the award is just fantastic,” van der Westhuyzen said.
“I’m not going anywhere, if I can just die on the Gold Coast I’ll be stoked. I’m not going anywhere if I don’t have to.”
The victors will be announced at a gala event on July 8.