Olympian Jakara Anthony adds national award to golden season

Barwon Heads Winter Olympian Jakara Anthony has been named female athlete of the year at the 2026 Snow Australia Awards.

The honour, for Olympic disciplines, was shared with snowboarder Josie Baff following a strong 2025–26 freestyle ski season that included three World Cup gold medals ahead of the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games.

At the Games, Anthony became Australia’s first and only Winter Olympian to win two gold medals.

“We had such an incredible Games and to get to share this award with Josie and to take home the [Olympic] gold together is unreal,” Anthony said.

“To get to share this award with someone this time around just shows how far we’ve come, and it’s so exciting, and I couldn’t ask for a better athlete and person to share it with.”

The awards marked the official homecoming of the Australian Olympic and Paralympic team from the Games.

Since returning, Anthony has spent time back on the Bellarine, including an appearance at the Torquay Boardriders annual Easter luncheon.

Cooper Woods was named male athlete of the year, while Ben Tudhope and Georgia Gunew – alongside guide Ethan Jackson – received the athlete of the year in paralympic disciplines awards.

Olympic teenage debutant Indra Brown was named junior athlete of the year and Peter McNeil was coach of the year.