Swim star takes home major award

JENNA Strauch is the 2023 Bendigo Sports Star of the Year award winner after claiming silver medals at the World Championships and Commonwealth Games in 2022.

While the 25-year-old breaststroke swimmer couldn’t make it on the night, she had her family on hand to receive the award, and recorded an acceptance speech for the crowd.

Strauch said she was honoured to be the latest name added to the long list of Sports Star of the Year award winners.

“I am so excited to be recognised about what I have been able to achieve in my sport of swimming,” she said.

“It really is a true honour to even be mentioned in the same sentence as some of the most elite athletes that have come through Bendigo and given their sport some of its greatest moments.”

Strauch reflected on her World Championship experience, where she finished second in the finals after qualifying fastest, and said she felt the full support of the community behind her.

“How amazing is this,” she said. “A little girl from Bendigo who had a passion for swimming has worked all the way up to being at the World Championships with the fastest athletes in the world.

“What really sat with me though was how supported I felt by the Bendigo community, and I knew whatever I did out there today I had entire group of people supporting me.”