AOC: Australia Olympic Committee Vice-President Helen Brownlee OAM has received the highest honour that can be bestowed upon a figure of Australian sport, inducted as a General Member of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.
Her list of achievements are vast, as a judge and official at five Olympic Games, a former President and now Life Member of Australian Canoeing, the current president of the Commonwealth Canoe Federation and Oceania Canoe Association, and Chair of the Oceania National Olympic Committee’s Women and Sport Commission.
Presented the award by five-time Olympian Clint Robinson, Brownlee said she felt ‘welcomed’ by the wider Sports Australia Hall of Fame family.
“To be in a room with that many people, it was just like an extension of the Olympic family, of the sporting family.
“To have Clint present the award was very special, it was a lovely canoeing connection. He was the first gold medal win I saw at Barcelona in 1992.”
From her first introduction to the sport as a young child, Brownlee’s life has been dedicated to canoeing.
“My parents were bushwalkers and my sister and I are close in age, so it was difficult to take two babies bushwalking. They joined the canoe club and we went canoeing every weekend,” Brownlee said.
Her father Os Brownlee had been instrumental in establishing the both New South Wales and national canoeing federations, ahead of the Melbourne 1956 Games, and was himself made a Life Member of Australian Canoeing in 1971.
Brownlee spent every morning as a teenager on the Parramatta River, training with her father before school. She began racing in the K1 and K2 classes, but switched to slalom upon its introduction to Australia. Successful at state and national level with a number of medals, Brownlee won Australia’s first international canoeing medal with bronze in Llangollen, Wales.
“I was asked on stage to name my greatest achievement and it was a real struggle. There’s been too many amazing moments to name just one,” she said.
“But I’d have to say getting canoe slalom back into the Olympic Games at Barcelona 1992 after 20 years was a highlight. When (Australian) Danielle Woodward claimed a medal, to be there, it was just fantastic.”
A recipient of the esteemed Olympic Order from the International Olympic Committee, Brownlee is the first woman to be elected to the Executive of the Australian Olympic Committee, to become vice president, and to be awarded life membership of the AOC.
Brownlee said furthering women in sport will be a key focus of her future pursuits.
“There’s still more to do. For the future we’ll be aiming to get equal events for men and women in canoeing at the Olympics, this will happen at Tokyo 2020.
“Then empowering the women of Oceania to lift themselves up to take positions of power.”
Joining Brownlee into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame were; Ryan Bayley OAM (Cycling), Priya Cooper OAM (Swimming, AWD), Leisel Jones OAM (Swimming), Ricky Ponting AO (Cricket), Norm Provan (Rugby League), Casey Stoner AM (Motor Cycling), John O’Neill AO (Administration – Rugby Union/Football).
While golfing star Jason Day claimed The Don Award, two months after claiming his first major title.
Named after Sir Donald Bradman – ‘The Don’ Award is awarded to a sportsperson who, through their achievements and example over the last 12 months, is considered to have most inspired the nation.
Day won the US PGA title with a record score of 20-under-par. Two months earlier, the 27-year-old collapsed with an attack of vertigo during the US Open, but recovered to share the lead after the third round and finish fourth.
Day could not attend as he is in the United States for the birth of his second child.
His mother Dening accepted the award on Day's behalf.
"Such a great year as this, to be able to cap it off with The Don Award, it goes down in my memory as one of the best years that I've ever had," Day said in a video message.
"I'm looking forward to hopefully replicating or improving on years like this and really trying to represent not only myself but represent golf, and golf in Australia and also the Australian nation around the world, the best I possibly can.
"I'd like to congratulate the other 11 nominees - what a fantastic year they've had.
"All the way from the Socceroos to Mick Fanning punching a bloody shark in the face, it's been an amazing year for all the 11 other nominees."
Fanning and Wilson won the Spirit of Sport award after the dramatic shark attack during their final in South Africa.
Fanning punched the shark as it knocked him off his board and Wilson paddled over to see if he could help.
Kerryn McCann's marathon win at the 2006 Commonwealth Games was honoured as a great sporting moment.
The men's 4x400m relay team that scored a stunning silver medal in athletics at the 2004 Olympics won the Team Sport Australia award.
Netballing great Anne Sargeant also became the 37th legend of the hall of fame.
One of Australia's greatest netballers, the shooter represented Australia from 1978-88 and was captain from '83.
olympics.com.au and AAP
