41 41 Emerging Athlete of the Year Curtis Luck — golf In 12 months Curtis moved from the 27th-ranked Australian amateur to world No. 2 amateur. In that time the young Perth golfer has won his state Open Championship against the leading players of the Australian PGA Tour and represented Western Australia for a fifth time at senior level — all by the age of 20. Curtis then won a record eight consecutive holes to charge to the prestigious US Amateur Championship and set up major championship appearances throughout 2017. The following month he was part of the Australian team which won the Eisenhower Trophy — amateur golf’s highest team accolade — by a record-equalling margin. Para Performance of the Year Australian Steelers — wheelchair rugby One of the enduring memories of the 2016 Paralympic Games was the Steelers’ epic victory in the gold medal clash against arch rival the United States of America. The double overtime victory backed up their London 2012 Paralympic gold and confirmed their world No. 1 ranking. The Rio win was that much sweeter because it came against the team the Steelers had never beaten in a major international competition. Spearheaded by the sport’s best player, Ryley Batt, the Steelers became the first team to successfully defend a Paralympic wheelchair rugby title. Coach of the Year Michael Blackburn — sailing Michael became a back-to-back Olympic gold-medal winning coach when Tom Burton won the Laser class at the Rio Games in 2016, a race that will be remembered for Tom and Michael’s tactical brilliance. This win followed Tom Slingsby’s victory in London 2012. Michael also coaches Matt Wearn, who jostled with Tom for No. 1 spot in world sailing laser rankings for a year before the Olympics. Michael was an instrumental part of the Australian Sailing Rio coaching and support team, and in the very successful technology program that supported our sailing team before the Games. Award for Leadership Kate McLoughlin — Australian Paralympic Committee Kate was Australia’s first female Chef de Mission of a Paralympic Team. Her leadership and support for the 177 athletes and 150 officials leading up to and during the Rio Paralympic Games generated wide praise from the national federations, athletes and staff on the Australian Paralympic Team in Rio. Kate brought back team captains which lead to the instigation of ‘The Mob’, where athletes and team members shared experiences to help understand their place within the history of the Paralympic movement in Australia.