Noosa pushes far above its weight when it comes to sport.
Noosa Today looks back at the diverse range of sports that made Ron Lane’s Talking Sport in 2021.
JANUARY
A TEENAGE SENSATION
If one were to stop and wonder, exactly what proverbs would best suite Cooroy’s 13-year-old Dannica Starkey, junior Black Belt member of the Sunshine Coast Martial Arts, one could not do better than to quote Mark Twain: “It is not the size of the dog in the fight that counts but the size of the fight in the dog.”
Despite her youth Dannica has made people in the International world of Martial Arts, sit up and take note. Dannica has won the gold medal for Kumite (sparring) at the World Shotokan Karate Championships in Tokyo Japan.
FEBRUARY
GRACE OTTO – A RISING STAR
Despite the fact that Grace Otto of the Sunshine Beach Surf Life Saving Club, is only a 16-year-old, year 11 student at St Andrews College, she knows exactly what she wants. For Grace there are two golds: first is the Nutri Grain Iron Woman and following this is the biggest event of all, the Coolangatta Gold.
MARCH
A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER
in the final three rounds of the Nutri Grain IronWoman series (again a series of six) another history making result occurred.
When the overall winner Lana Rogers (now of the Alexandra Headlands club but formerly of Noosa Heads) won she became a member of that very small elite group of women who have won an overall tally of four wins (and for Lana also two seconds) from the series of six.This win also gives Lana the unique record of having won two national Nutri Grain Iron-Woman Championships, back-to-back.
For her coach Sharlene Kelly, it has also been an incredible season. “As you can probably understand I am over the moon with the results. We worked out a program at the start of the season and she stuck to it all the way. For Lana to win two series is one thing, but to do it back-to-back was awesome,“ she said.
APRIL
BUSY TIME FOR ATHLETES
For the members of the Sunshine Coast Martial Arts Shotokan Karate and Fitness Institute, the recent state titles held in Brisbane, the overall results were indeed very good. Our Noosa team finished with a total of 16 gold medals, 14 silver and 11 bronze: a team effort that saw them finish second in the state. ‘’I am very happy with the overall results,” said Bryan Dukas Owner/Chief Instructor.
For the lifesavers last weekend was the State Titles and Tugun Beach played host club. For the Noosa club, their boat section came home with a total of six medals: 2 gold 1 silver and 3 bronze. The golds were won by the Masters group and u/19s ladies’ crew known as the kookaburras and the silver was won by the ladies’ u/23 crew (known as the Scrub Turkies).The three bronze medals were won by the u/20yr age group the Condors, the u/23 women Spangled Drongos, and the Reserve Grade women crew, the Bandits.
For our Cooroy Impact Boxing Academy, the Queensland Novice Titles held in Brisbane were successful. “With a team of 8 fighters competing, our local team had a total of 6 wins with 4 going on to win medals; 2 gold and 2 silver.
JUNE
It was in October of last year that the Noosa Pickleball Club hosted its first Noosa Doubles Pickleball Classic. According to a Noosa executive,
“The enrolment for this year was four times as many as last year.” Founded 27 January, 2020, the club now has 133 members playing in the Noosa area: all indications are, that this tournament will become an annual event.
When 20-year-old Ben Cameron-Hands of the Cooroy Impact Amateur Boxing Academy, stepped in through the ropes at the Nissan Arena on the
night of June 19, it was for this young fighter a celebration of two occasions. First was the ending of what can only described as a very successful amateur career: a career of some 90 fights, fights that resulted in him winning no less than six National Golden Gloves three Australian and six Queensland Titles.
But second and perhaps the most important of all, it was the start of what could possibly be a very successful career: a career in the toughest sport of all, the world of professional boxing. “It was for me, a very emotional experience,“ his coach Mark Evans said. “We have been together ever since that first night, when as a 10-year-old, he walked through the doors at our Cooroy Impact Boxing Academy, and told me he wanted to learn to box.”
AUGUST
LIFT SUCCESS RECOGNISED
Members of Noosa Cross Fit 4566 and Bar Bell Weight Lifting Club gathered at the club for a presentation of medals and trophies, won by members at the national and state titles.
Among the medal winners in the weight lifting was Taj Marsh, who won the U89kg national gold medal in the Youth Category and also backed up, by being awarded the Best Youth Male Weight Lifter at both state and national level. For this young man who has been lifting for 10 years and competing for four, it was a good result.
In the female section, Kaiya Marsh, sister of Taj, won gold in the U15, U59kg division, and a bronze medal in the U59kg Youth Category.
Also amongst the medal winners was Alana Castle who, competing in the national titles in the U15 age group, won the U76kg gold medal and in the U17 category, the bronze
SEPTEMBER
A BUSY WEEK IN NOOSA
Members of the Noosa Paddle Sports Club took part in two events of the Old Woman Island Race. In one, 10 members of the club were on the start line for the 5 km race and two members went to the start line, for the 18 km event. For most of the members, it was not only the first time that they had competed, but also the first time they had paddled in the ocean. The conditions for the race were very tricky, with a decent swell and a strong north rast wind.
GREAT WEEKEND FOR NOOSA
In Cairns, three members of the Noosa Barbell Club, Wendy Campbell, Jo Phillips and Scott Mark, represented their club and all three came home with gold medals won in the Snatch, Clean and Jerk event.
For the Ray White Noosa Dolphins, Saturday’s grand final day is surely one to remember.
“With four teams playing grand finals, Colts, Women’s, Reserves and A grade, and winning three of the four, it definitely speaks volumes for the club, but most important of all, our future,” said president Donald McKill.
In the world of amateur boxing, a team of six from the Impact Boxing Academy Cooroy travelled to Brisbane to contest the Queensland championships and once again it was a successful tournament.
OCTOBER
WHEN AGE IS NO BARRIER
Most people who reach the age of 80 years, are content to just put their feet up and watch TV with the grandkids.
But for one 80-year-old this could not be further from the truth. Born, to use her own words, “just three days after Pearl Harbor, in Monterey California”, she is not only still very active, but also about to physically achieve one of her goals to sit for and pass her Shodan (black belt grading) in Shotokan Karate.
Indeed, for Stella Edmundson, 1st Kyu (brown belt), this would have to be one of life’s joys.
“For me it is a way of life. Down through the years I have found that if you keep at it, continue your training, you will find that it will improve your fitness, your balance and flexibility,” she said.
NIGHT OF THE DOLPHINS
According to a club flyer, the Ray White Noosa Dolphins have wrapped up their season with a great night at Dolphin Oval to celebrate and acknowledge all those players, coaches, managers and army of volunteers – volunteers, who worked to make the season, an outstanding
success.
When asked to comment and reflect on the season, club president Donald McKill said, “Of course, nine from nine grand final appearances
was pretty cool, but I have to say that when you are around the club as much as I am and you see all the other work that goes on, day in day out, that a lot of others don’t see that I am most proud of. We have an incredible army of volunteers working hard behind the scenes, creating within the club, one of the best environment’s for kids and their families to come and play rugby: and above all, enjoy our facilities. On top of this, our senior players
both men and women, just seem to thrive in this atmosphere, an atmosphere that you, our workers have created.”
THE PIRATES PREVAILED
With a fair degree of uncertainty amongst the numerous challenges associated with the ongoing pandemic backdrop, the Pirates Rugby League Football Club still managed to register another successful year, according to general manager Brett Winkler. Despite not being able to host its major
club fundraiser, with the annual Noosa Rodeo being cancelled at the start of the year, they still had a number of great events. These included the ISC State League trial game, between the Sunshine Coast Falcons and the eventual ISC Premiers, Norths Devils, and hosting the West Tigers for an NRL open training session.
Then in the second half of the season, NRL heavy weights Melbourne Storm, trained at Pirate Park for three months during their Queensland sabbatical, as the NRL competition moved north to our state. Their final season home game an epic semi- final against the Swans, proved to be their biggest and most well attended game of the year.
On the football front the Pirates managed to field a total of 22 teams across the club, 18 in junior competition, plus four teams in the senior ranks. For the senior teams, it was great to get back on to the paddock after the disappointment of not playing at all in 2020. The club’s division 1 team edged up the ladder again and came in third in the regular season, while the women’s team played finals footy for the first time in their history and thei U/18 team were
grand finalists at Sunshine Coast Stadium.
NOVEMBER
SPORTING TRADITIONS RULE
The Banana Bender Hotel, formerly known as the Ettamogah Pub, played host to an evening of boxing and fighters from both our local clubs, the NBO, (Noosa Box Office) and Impact Boxing and Fitness Academy took to the ring. The evening was well supported and program of some 10 fights was scheduled.
Amongst the highlights from our locals were two outstanding efforts from Kerin Whitehead from the Academy and Luke Sheridan from the NBO.
CREWS SWEEP TO VICTORY
At the recent North Australian Surf Lifesaving Titles held at Mackay, the Noosa club was represented by four boat crews: two women’s, the Bandits reserve grade, and the Sparrows U/19, and two men’s, the Condors, masters and the Peacocks u/19. Sweeping the crews were sweep and head coach, Mick Gardner and Stewart Cooper.
‘’For us, it was a great result and good start for the season. All of our crews won their races and with the surf conditions being very flat, it gave us a good indication as to their early season fitness,” said coach Gardner.
As a result of Noosa winning the overall point score for the boat section, they were awarded the Gold Cup.
