Awards recognising local champions

THE Bendigo Sports Star awards are all about recognising and celebrating home-grown talent.

Each month, one or two top athletes are selected as the monthly winners and are nominated for the overall yearly award.

In addition, a scholarship winner is announced each month, with the winner receiving $500.

The awards began in March 1965 with Eaglehawk Frank McCraig being named the first Sport Star of the Year and have been growing ever since.

Other awards include the Healthiest School award, with up to $3000 awarded to the school doing the best to encourage students to be more active and eat better while providing environments that support mental wellbeing.

The Faith Leech achievement award was established in 2013, in honour of teenage Olympic hero Faith Leech, to pay tribute to a sporting identity or group, recognising their inspiring achievements and service to sport.

For 2019-2020 the award went to John Forbes OAM who tragically died earlier this year.

Mr Forbes was a committee member of the Sports Star Awards as well as a founding member of the Victorian Blue-Ribbon Foundation and has his legacy of a 22-year career as the promotions manager at Puma on display at Rochester Sports Museum.

The Maxine Crouch Trust Fund honours champion for sport in the region and former committee member Maxine Crouch and is awarded to young athletes showing outstanding potential.

The Cyril Michelsen Trust Fund was first presented in 1982-1983 in honour of founding member of the awards and former newspaper editor Cyril Michelsen.

Notable winners of the Sports Star of the Year award include former captain of the Australian netball team and Sharelle McMahon, sailing world champion Glenn Ashby, and Geelong captain Joel Selwood.

Nominate someone who you think deserves to have their sporting achievements recognised at bendigosportsstar.com.