Seven new inductees have been introduced in the present day for the nation’s most prestigious sporting organisation, the Sport Australia Hall of Fame (SAHOF).

The 2023 inductees embody Olympic gold medallists, one of many nation’s biggest footballers, a Paralympic powerhouse, a rugby league celebrity, and a training visionary. Their excellent accomplishments have left an indelible mark on the world of sports activities in Australia and past.

The new inductees are Kim Brennan AM, a rowing icon with Olympic gold and a number of medals; Tim Cahill AO, the one Socceroo to play at 4 FIFA World Cups; Kurt Fearnley AO, a three-time Paralympic gold medallist and two-time Commonwealth Games medallist; aerial snowboarding Olympic champion Lydia Lassila OAM; Dally M winner and former North Queensland Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston AM; Nova Peris OAM, the primary Indigenous Australian to win an Olympic gold medal as a Hockeyroo and the one particular person to make back-to-back Summer Olympic Games finals in two completely different sports activities; and Tim McLaren OAM, one of the crucial famend rowing coaches on the planet, who has efficiently coached crews at each Olympic Games since 1992.

The inductees can be honoured at a Sport Australia Hall of Fame occasion to be held on the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney on October 16.

The honour roll of induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame options the nation’s largest sporting names and champions, together with 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, amongst different luminaries.

Those who’re inducted into this elite group are our nation’s main champions. They haven’t solely excelled of their chosen discipline, however have achieved so with dignity, integrity, braveness, modesty, pleasure and ambition.

Membership as an Athlete Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame is proscribed solely to the highest echelon of Australian athletes who’ve all achieved the best honours on the peak stage of competitors. General Members are recognised for his or her excellent achievements in roles that help sports activities contributors.

In 2023, six former sporting greats are being inducted as Athlete Members of SAHOF and one is being inducted as a General Member. Athletes should be retired from their sport for a interval of 4 years earlier than being eligible for consideration to be inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

Two present members may even be elevated to Legend of Australian Sport standing on the Sport Australia Hall of Fame Award luncheon on October 16. Sport Australia Hall of Fame Members should be 15 years retired earlier than being thought of for elevation to Legend of Australian Sport.

SPORT AUSTRALIA HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES FOR 2023

Kim Brennan (nee Crow) AM – Rowing, VIC

Athlete Member

Olympic gold medallist and two-time World Champion Kim Brennan AM is without doubt one of the most profitable rowers Australia has ever produced. Kim’s athletic profession started with aspirations in hurdles, marked by a silver medal on the World Youth Athletics Championships and a rising rank in Australian athletics.

However, future intervened with stress fractures, redirecting her in direction of rowing. Incredibly, inside simply three years she represented Australia at her first of three consecutive Olympic Games. Kim’s Olympic journey was marked by the entire set of medals, together with silver and bronze in London 2012 and a blinding gold in Rio 2016, the place she grew to become the primary Australian girl in 20 years to win an Olympic rowing gold medal, main the ladies’s single sculls to victory.

QUOTE: “ It is such a huge honour and joining some remarkable people in Australian sport is very exciting and really humbling. Sometimes you undervalue what you did and it’s like, ‘oh it’s something I did seven years ago , no big deal’ , and then something like this reminds you that what you did was very special.”

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 outstanding profession spanned 20 years, marked by three Paralympic gold medals, 4 World Championships, and twin Commonwealth Games golds. Fearnley, famend for his prowess in wheelchair marathons, conquered occasions worldwide, together with New York, Chicago, Tokyo and London.

Beyond his athletic feats, his unwavering dedication to championing incapacity rights and galvanizing numerous Australians noticed him turn out to be the primary athlete with a incapacity to win The Don Award within 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”.

Lydia Lassila OAM – Aerial Skiing, VIC

Athlete Member

Lydia Lassila OAM stands as considered one of Australia’s most embellished Winter Olympic athletes. Her stellar profession in aerial snowboarding culminated in a gold and bronze medal, changing into the primary Australian feminine to compete in 5 Winter Games. Lassila’s journey was marked by resilience, together with a close to career-ending knee damage in Torino 2006, however she persevered to win gold in Vancouver 2010. Her daring makes an attempt, just like the quad-twisting triple somersault in Sochi 2014, left an indelible mark on the game, and she or he made historical past as the primary Australian girl to compete in 5 Winter Olympics at PyeongChang 2018.

QUOTE: “W hat I used to do in my sporting career now feels quite distant. Life has moved on I suppose pretty quickly , with family and living in a new country. It’s nice to be reminded that I used to be an aerial skier, and I did some really cool things in my career and achieved a lot. The Sport Australia Hall of Fame Award has always been a huge inspiration for me through hearing other athlete s’ stories and journey s in their careers .”

Johnathan Thurston AM – Rugby League, QLD

Athlete Member

Overcoming preliminary doubts about his measurement, Johnathan Thurston’s illustrious rugby league profession spanned the years from 2002 to 2018, throughout which he earned 4 Dally M Medals and impressed his groups and followers as a half-back or five-eighth. He performed a pivotal position in North Queensland’s maiden premiership victory in 2015 and was a distinguished determine within the State of Origin and worldwide rugby league, incomes the Golden Boot Award 3 times.

QUOTE: “ I received a call from John Bertrand to say I’d been inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and I thought it was a gee up , but I was very, very honoured . I’ve got a lot of great memories on the rugby league field so it brought a smile to my face. It’s very humbling and I’m very proud.”

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 primary Aboriginal Australian to win an Olympic gold medal, with the Hockeyroos in 1996, she etched her title in historical past. Unwavering in her pursuit of excellence, Peris transitioned to athletics, securing two gold medals on the 1998 Commonwealth Games and representing Australia in two Olympic Games. Her extraordinary journey, marked by dedication and flexibility, additionally made her the primary particular person to qualify for Summer Olympic Games finals in two completely different sports activities at consecutive Olympics. Peris’s impression extends past sports activities, as she served within the Australian federal parliament and stays an inspiration to all Australians.

QUOTE: (On receiving an out-of-the blue telephone name 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 li ke a little baby. It’s a real honour and a privilege.”

Timothy Cahill AO – Football, NSW

Athlete Member

Tim Cahill AO is an illustrious former Socceroo who represented the nation at a outstanding 4 FIFA World Cup finals throughout a world profession spanning 15 years. Cahill is the all-time main goal-scorer for Australia, with 50 in 108 video games between 2004 and 2018. He was the primary Australian to attain at a FIFA World Cup. Cahill scored in three World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014), making him the highest Australian goal-scorer on the World Cup with a complete of 5. Since retiring from soccer, Cahill’s charitable endeavours embody serving as an envoy for UNICEF and an envoy for Heartbeat of Football, an Australian organisation that promotes coronary heart well being via soccer.

Quote: “I was extremely honoured and excited when I received the call from John. To be joining such an incredible group of athletes from across the history of Australian sport makes me feel both proud and grateful to all those who helped me in my career, especially my family.”

Tim McLaren OAM – Rowing Coach, NSW

General Member

Tim McLaren’s dedication to rowing throughout greater than 40 years, as a competitor and a coach and educator, has stamped him as one of many sport’s most influential contributors. Initially an achieved rower who narrowly missed Olympic gold in 1984, he transitioned to teaching, changing into a revered determine within the sport. His teaching journey took him from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) Rowing Club to worldwide prominence, guiding athletes to Olympic success, together with the gold medal-winning double sculls staff in 1992. McLaren’s technical experience and dedication remodeled Australian rowing, incomes him an Order of Australia medal (OAM) in 1998.

QUOTE: “John Bertrand gave me a call. I thought he might have been calling because I’m often a reference for some of my athletes going for jobs or doing some thing impressive , so it was a surprise for me. I was very surprised in fact. It’s nice, and of course you feel a little under- qualified in a group of such famous names.”

Induction into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame is reserved for the most effective of the most effective. Nominations will be submitted by anybody by way of the SAHOF web site. Each yr the Selection Committee picks the most recent Hall of Famers to affix their fellow high echelon of Australian leaders. 

Sport Australia Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair, Bruce McAvaney OAM mentioned: 
“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.