Noosa punches well above its weight when it comes to sporting achievements. Throughout 2023 many Noosa athletes have excelled in their chosen fields including some of those we have met throughout the year.
Meet world champion Sade
World champion waterskier Sade Ferguson, 19, is certainly one of Noosa’s sports stars.
She won her first national title as an eight year old and by the age of 12 was competing in her first international tournament in the disciplines of slalom, trick and jump.
Sade’s achievements include Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship, 2018 Jnr World Champion, Open Women Slalom, Trick and Overall National Champion, 2019 U21 Bronze Slalom and Overall World Champion and 5 x Moomba Jnr Slalom and Overall Champion.
Best Coolum Wedge ever
Competitors and spectators at the Coolum Wedge held over the weekend of 24-26 March were adamant this was the best bodysurfing event ever held.
The bodysurfing tribe from around Australia and the world came together for three days. During the first IBSA (International Body Surfing Association) event in history local competitor Jack Lewis produced a superb performance to take out the world’s first IBSA event, edging out iron man Ky Kinsela and Jack Mac- rae.
Taj Marsh aims for Olympics
With a barbell in hand and dreams in his heart, Noosa local Taj Marsh seeks to make his mark on the world of weightlifting.
Over the past few years, the young athlete has won the 2023 QWA State Junior Champi- onship and the 2023 QWA State U23 Champi- onships. He also won the 2022 Oceania Junior Championship in the 96kg category, and the 2021 Australian National Youth Champion- ships and Queensland’s Youth Championships in the 89kg category. In India in July Taj contested the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Junior and Senior Categories and secured a silver medal in the Junior category and a bronze in the Senior.
Surf Life Saving achievers
From such a small club the Sunshine Beach Surf Life Saving competitors, who represented their club at the recent Australian titles in Perth did a good job, coming home with seven med-als – one gold, three silver and three bronze. Their gold came in one of the most important youth events of all, the Female U14 Life-saver was won by Claire Cameron.
Also at Sunshine SLSC is Electra Outram whose speciality is the Nutra Grain Iron Woman Series. Now training under Sunshine’s Head Coach Wes Berg her winning medals include the U14 and U15 Australian Iron Woman gold, then on entering senior ranks, she won bronze in the U17 National surf race, then later gold in the U19 Australian single ski final. But her major win has, without a doubt, been the Short Course Coolangatta Gold. Over the hill at the Noosa club, Iron Woman Carla Papac is preparing for the competition season. In 2022 Carla won the elite Coolangatta Gold. However, this season she intends to concentrate on three events, the Summer of Surf, the State titles and the National.
Gymnast wins national medal
When gymnasts competited at the Australian Gymnastics Championships on the Gold Coast in May Finlay Jones from Cooroy Gymnastics Club defied the odds to become the level 10 Australian Champion on pommel horse.
In what had been a tough year for the Cooroy gymnast, Fin had to limit his train- ing due to health issues, a brutal university schedule and an injury.
The lack of training and preparation in the lead up to the event meant he was only able to attend one competition and had to adjust his expectations and routines accordingly.
Noosa Master Swimmers excel
It’s a big step up from state-level competition to the intense contests at the National Championships. But it wasn’t too big for the Noosa Masters Swimming team. Fresh from the state titles in Mackay – where the Noosa team won a swag of medals and broke 13 state and national records – 16 Noosa swimmers headed for the Nationals in Hobart. As snow fell on Mount Wellington, they took to the heated indoor pool along with 403 other competitors from 77 clubs around the nation. Noosa swimmers won 37 individual medals (11 Gold, 14 Silver and 12 Bronze) while two relay teams won gold and another two took silver.
Boxing siblings bring home medals
At the Oceania Championships held in Samoa, the Australian team consisting of 18 of our finest young boxers, came home with a total of 11 gold medals, five silver and one bronze. This medal tally made them the most successful team of the championships. But perhaps the most pleasing aspect was that Noosa’s two team members, Paige and Cohen Robinson, came home with medals. Boxing in the 60kg division Paige won the gold medal beating the current New Zealand champion. Cohen won silver, losing out in his final bout to the New Zealand champion on a split second decision.
Hall of Fame for true Tiger
Len Daddow was inducted into the AFL Queensland Football Hall of Fame for his extraordinary contribution to AFL in Noosa.
Len Daddow formed the Noosa Tigers club and he named the club. He procured the land for the club oval and since 1970 has been a driving force in the club’s soli- darity and success. Pretty much nothing has happened at the club without him involved in some way.
Raffi named All-Australian
Four Noosa teens represented their state at the AFL Under 15 National Championships in Victoria, with one, Raffi Baviello, awarded All-Australian at the closing ceremony.
Riley Mackay, Raffi and Remi Baviello from St Teresa’s Catholic College, and Darcy Din- nage from Sunshine Beach State High all cur- rently play for the Noosa Tigers AFC. At the championships they were undefeated in four games to go through to the Grand Final, before missing out to Victoria and landing second overall.
Tiger women undefeated
The Noosa Tigers women’s team rounded out the perfect season making it four flags in a row. And they remained undefeated after a great grand final battle with Caloundra. It was the first time in their four heats that the Tigers have gone undefeated in a season and become ‘Premiers and Champions’
CAZA Jiu Jitsu bring home the medals
At the Australian Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu National Championships, held recently in Melbourne, Noosa’s CAZA Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club sent a team of 14 competitors and came home with a medal count of five gold, five silver and four bronze. Total 14 competitors and 14 medals. These results they achieved contesting in a in a tournament of some 2000 competitors, representing 70 different teams.
Pickleball win
At the Australian Pickleball Championships, held in Sydney and attended by just under 700 participants, making it the biggest ever held in the southern hemisphere, the Noosa Pickleball club came home with a swag of medals: 7 gold 10 silver and 5 bronze.
Gentle is Queen of Tri
Ashleigh Gentle is well known to Noosa Tri enthusiasts, claiming a record 10th title at the 40th anniversary of the Garmin Noosa Triathlon, while Kiwi Hayden Wilde won his first in a new course best time. Gentle lived up to her billing as the Queen of the Noosa Triathlon as she ran her way to victory, a 10th title and her ninth on the bounce, in a time of 1:55:13.
Athletics
Noosa’s young athletes, Luca Gerrard and Marlon Andrews competed in the Australian All School Championships in Perth in December.
Luca contested the U15 Triple Jump 3, Marlon the U14 100m and 200m sprints, coming up against the finest Australia has to offer. Luca won the bronze medal with a personal best jump of 12.69 m. Marlon competed in the 100m, 200m sprints, 4x100m relay and 4×100 mixed relay, winning three bronze medals: in the 100m sprint and bronze medals in both relays.
Karate
Karate Noosa Shotokan Club achieved their best ever results at the World Shotokan Karate Federation Championships in Japan. From a team of seven, the medal tally was outstanding: 11 medals in all, gold silver and bronze. In addition the Dukas family, (Noosa Karate) represented by three generations of grandfather Mike Dukas (8th Dan), son Bryan (6th Dan head coach) and grand-daughter Mikalya (Brown Belt) were honoured, by being invited to give a demonstration Kata at the opening ceremony of the tournament.
Cricket
Tewantin-Noosa Thunder cricketer Andrew Kratzmann was selected into the Australian over 50s Veterans Cricket Team. Andrew has been a vital member of the Thunder’s First Grade team for the past 14 seasons and recently represented Queensland in the National Over 50s Championship, together with his brother Mark.
