Awards

The Gippsland Sports Academy Awards are hosted annually and celebrate the achievements of our inspiring athletes.  The Awards allow members of the community, representatives from State Sporting Organisations, Sponsors and many others to come together to congratulate athletes all on their achievements.

Anthony Brown

Anthony was the Academy's first Tim Fosyth Award winner in 1999.

Anthony commenced playing competitive golf at age 12 and joined the inaugural 2000-01 Academy golf squad 3 years later on a 1 handicap.

He achieved considerable playing success while at the Academy under coaches Richard Cooney and Darren Cole, playing in the Victorian Junior Team for 3 years and was runner-up in the Australian Junior Championships and 5 th in the 1999 Junior World Championships in Scotland where he was chosen in the 2-man Australian Junior Team.

A Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship followed where Anthony consolidated his game over the next few years under the coaching of Dale Lynch, with wins in regional events and regular representation in the Victorian Senior State Team. During this time Anthony completed his VCE and a number of golf-related sports psych, strength and conditioning programs through the VIS program and experienced considerable travel to tournaments in Asia, Europe and the United States to develop his game.

Anthony joined the professional ranks in 2006, first qualifying for the Australian Tour and then the Asian Tour where he has had top 10 finishes in India, China, Australia and New Zealand.

Anthony has also developed his skills on the Canadian Tour and is currently playing on the Australasian and One-Asia tours with a goal to play on the USPGA tour within the next 2 years.

Amanda Drennan

Amanda's 2002 Tim Forsyth Award made her the Academy's youngest winner.

Amanda commenced with the 2000-01 swimming squad and her early successes launched her into an international career. Her first overseas trip, at age 14, was as a member of the Australina paralympic swimming squad for the World Championships in Argentina.

Amanda was awarded a Victorian Institute of Sport scholarship and trained under Australian Team Coach, Ian Pope. More successes and more trips followed including a relay bronze medal in 2004 at the Athens Olympics.

The following year Amanda competed in the World Cup in England, as well as the British Championships in which she won the 100 metres butterfly title.

In 2008 Amanda competed at the Beijing Paralympics and although not a medalist she made one final and swam her fastest times.

Amanda's improved Beijing performances followed a critical decision made in 2007 when she moved to Germany to follow the high intensity training programs being practised there.

Hamish and Zachariah Nelson

The two brothers have created a unique place in the Sport's Academy's history. Occasionally two members of the same family receive recognition for their performances at national or international

There have been other siblings who have s who have been achievers at the

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