Noosa swim coach John (JR) Rogers joined Sunshine Coach Olympic and Paralympic medallists to cap off 2024 with top gongs at this week’s Swimming Australia Awards at Howard Smith Wharves in Brisbane.
John (JS) Rogers who has been Noosa Aquatic Centre’s Elite Swim Coach for the past 12 years was named Swim Australia’s Open Water Program Coach of the Year for 2024.
As well as building up a pool full of local distance swimmers at the NAC over the years including the recent 2024 Paris Olympic 10km open water swimmer Nick Sloman, other international Iron men and women have specifically checked into Noosa to be trained by this great Coach.
Jan Frodeno, ex World champion Ironman, and current top ten NZ ironman Braden Currie are just two from JR’s swimming stable.
When asked what this award meant to him, he replied, “I am honoured to accept this award – many a new tune has been played on an old fiddle”.
He may be aged over 85 years but that doesn’t stop JR turning up to the NAC morning and afternoon to share his swimming wisdom, and everyone there is just “so chuffed for him”.
Sunshine Coast Olympian Kaylee McKeown and Paralympian Callum Simpson were among those awarded in front of almost 300 guests at the award ceremony.
It was an historic Olympic campaign for McKeown, Australia’s Closing Ceremony flagbearer, who became the first Australian to win four individual Olympic gold medals after triumphing in the women’s 200m backstroke and in doing so, surpassed the likes of swimming greats Ian Thorpe, Dawn Fraser and teammate Emma McKeon.
McKeown is also the first swimmer to successfully defend the 100m and 200m backstroke titles in Olympic history and finished her Paris campaign with five medals in total – two gold (100m and 200m backstroke), one silver (4x100m women’s medley relay) and two bronze (4x100m mixed medley relay, 200 IM).
The 23-year-old put the world on notice in October when she broke the women’s 50m backstroke world record in Budapest with a time of 26.86 seconds – at the time, this world record cemented McKeown as the first person to hold the world record in the 50m, 100m, and 200m backstroke long-course events.
Paralympic debutant Callum Simpson, 17, cleaned up two awards – the Flipper’s Paralympic Program Athlete of the Year and the AIS Discovery of the Year following his impressive achievements in Paris winning two gold and a silver.
2024 SWIMMING AUSTRALIA AWARD WINNERS
Olympic Program Swimmer of the Year – Kaylee McKeown
Paralympic Program Swimmer of the Year – Timothy Hodge
Open Water Program Swimmer of the Year – Moesha Johnson
AIS Discovery of the Year – Callum Simpson
Olympic Program Coach of the Year – Dean Boxall
Paralympic Program Coach of the Year – Misha Payne
Open Water Program Coach of the Year – John Rogers
National Age Coach of the Year – Chris Mooney
Youth Coach of the Year – Chris Mooney
Flipper Athlete of the Year (Olympic Program) – Milla Jansen
Flipper Athlete of the Year (Olympic Open Water Program) – Chloe Brodrick
Flipper Athlete of the Year (Paralympic Program) – Callum Simpson
Pho3nix Foundation JX Swimmer of the Year – Rose Purcell
The Roger Smith Technical Official of the Year – Darren McLachlan OAM
Club of the Year – Lane Cove Swim Club
Local Legend of the Year – Ariel Darley
Hall of Fame Inductees
Andrew ‘Boy’ Charlton – Priya Cooper, Kieren Perkins
Swimmers’ Swimmer – Emily Beecroft
