FIVE FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN WINTER ATHLETES

1. STEVEN BRADBURY

Bradbury became a folk hero Down Under when he won Australia’s first Winter Olympics gold medal at the 2002 Salt Lake City games, when every other finalist in the 1,000 metre short track final fell on the last corner in. Bradbury retired after the games and his ability to stay on his skates led to a book deal and speaking tour and commentary stint.

2. ALISA CAMPLIN

One of Australia’s best skiers, Camplin, an ex-gymnast, won aerials gold at the 2002 Salt Lake City games and a bronze at the 2006 Turin games. What made the gold medal even more miraculous was that Camplin had fractured both her ankles in a training accident several weeks before the games. Since 1994, Australia has won just five gold medals, three silver and four bronze at the Winter Olympics.

3. TORAH BRIGHT

A halfpipe gold medal winner at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, where she was also the Australian flag-bearer, Bright is regarded as one of the country’s best snowboarders. Bright also has two Winter X Games gold medals along with two silvers and a bronze since 2006 and an Olympic silver from the 2014 Sochi halfpipe.

4. TOMMY DUNDERDALE

Dunderdale, one of the first Australians to play hockey in Canada, turned professional with the Winnipeg Strathconas as a 19-year-old in 1906. He went on to play for the Montreal Shamrocks, Quebec Bulldogs, Portland Rosebuds, Saskatoon Crescents and the Edmonton Eskimos in the WCHL. He became the only Australian-born player to be inducted into the Canadian Hockey Hall of Fame when he was bestowed the honour in 1974.

5. NATHAN WALKER

This season, Walker became the first Australian to play in the National Hockey League when he signed with the Washington Capitals. He was briefly recruited to join the Edmonton Oilers where he clocked one game before being put on waivers. He was again snapped up by the Capitals. He plied his trade and learned the game in the Czech Republic before making the move to the NHL.