Three of the six coaches nominated in the prestigious Coach of the Year award at the NSW Sports Awards are from Penrith, proving the city’s dominance across multiple codes this past year.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary, paddling coach Myriam Fox-Jerusalmi and BMX coach Luke Madill are all nominated in the Coach of the Year category.
Rebecca Rippon, Misha Payne and Simon Hull round out the nominations.
Penrith features prominently in the nominations released this morning.
Olympic champion Jessica Fox is nominated for Athlete of the Year, while the Penrith Panthers are nominated for Team of the Year after their incredible fourth straight NRL title.
Sport NSW CEO, Stuart Hodge, congratulated all 64 finalists across the 12 Award categories and said the standard of performances were exceptional.
“An Olympic and Paralympic year inspires everyone to aim high and chase their dreams whether they are an athlete, coach, official or administrator,” Hodge said.
“It is their collective efforts which motivate a nation of passionate sports lovers of all ages and abilities to dive into the pool, run around the block, shoot a basket, or jump onto a bike and enjoy the health, social and community benefits sport provides.”
The awards will be held at The Star in Sydney on November 25.
Troy Dodds
Troy Dodds is the Weekender's Managing Editor and Breaking News Reporter. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, working with some of Australia's leading media organisations. In 2023, he was named Editor of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.