Minister for Sport and Recreation and Penrith MP Stuart Ayres has congratulated Penrith’s own Jessica Fox who was awarded Female Athlete of the Year at the annual 2014 NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) Awards.
“It’s been an incredible year for Jessica, highlighted by her historic double victory at the Canoe Slalom World Championships in September,” Mr Ayres said.
“It was only April this year that Jess took out both the C1 and K1 titles at the under-23 world championships in Penrith, but she has now backed that up to become the first woman to achieve the feat at the senior level.
“Jessica is a genuine superstar on the world stage, and as a fellow Penrith local, I’ve had the utmost pleasure seeing first hand her determination to rise to the top.”
The NSWIS Awards recognise achievement in 11 award categories including academic excellence, career development, team and individual athletic performance.
The honour of Men’s Athlete of the Year was awarded to Wheelchair Rugby player Ryley Batt from Port Macquarie.
Other winners include Junior Athlete of the Year Georgia Wassall (Track & Field), Coach of the Year Ben Ettridge (Wheelchair Basketball) and Outstanding Achievement Cameron Bolton (Winter Sports).
