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2009 Sports Performer Awards
At a star studded event in Sydney tonight, fellow Australian Flame Dani Samuels and Steve Hooker will face off with ten other Australian sporting icons to be named the 2009 Performer of the Year.
Nominated alongside the likes of Gary Ablett Jnr, Cadel Evans and Jarryd Hayne, the World Champion pair will take home a cheque for $50000 dollars if they are announced victorious.
Samuels became the youngest ever world champion discus thrower capping off a stellar year of improvement on the back of her 9th place at the Beijing Olympics.
In a sport often dominated by those in their late 20’s and early 30’s, the Sydney University student Samuels achieved a personal best of 65.44m to secure the title in the German capital.
Hooker, in a similarly outstanding effort, secured his World Champion status despite suffering an adductor muscle injury in the week leading up to the championships. Ignoring a doctor’s request to sit the event out, Hooker leaped 5.90m in one of only three jumps to secure the title.
Clearly distressed as a result of pain, Hooker’s bravery is a testament to the Australian spirit and his success has resulted in him being the first Australian man to be both the pole vault World Champion and Olympic gold medallist at the same time.
Nominated in the Performer of the Year with a Disability category is Kurt Fearnley.
On the back of one gold, two silver and one bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics, Fearnley has gone on to win the New York Wheelchair Marathon and conquer the Kokoda Track.
His efforts in raising awareness about men’s health program as part of the Movember movement are a true testament to this amazing Australian with an unwavering determination to succeed.
Fellow athletics fraternity nominees are Alex Parnov and Amy Pejkovic.
Pejkovic’s silver medal at the World Youth Championships together with her balance of high school studies has warranted her nomination for Youth Performer of the Year.
Parnov, on the other hand, has been nominated as Coach Performer of the Year on the back of his ability to continually produce some of the worlds’ best pole vaulters including Dimitri Markov, Emma George and fellow nominee Steve Hooker.
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