By Abbey Cannan
The Noosa community has plenty of sports stars to look out for, and world champion waterskier Sade Fergusson, 19, is certainly one of them.
She was born in Roma, outback Queensland, in 2003, and began competitive water skiing at age six.
“I’m a country girl at heart,” Sade said.
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.
“My parents were always social skiers and when I was six, they took me and my siblings to a come and try day, and from that day on, I loved skiing,” Sade said.
“I loved training alongside people who pushed me, so I entered my first tournament when I was eight. I won a small state competition and from then on, I became obsessed with pushing myself to be better.”
She won her first national title in 2014 at the Australian Junior Masters, and by 2019 she had set seven Australian junior records across various disciplines.
She also collected five Junior Moomba Titles and a Junior World Title in the jump discipline, as well as taking out the title of Australian Open Women’s Jump, Trick and Overall Champion while still young enough to compete as a junior.
Her skills and consistent training then earned her bronze medals in the overall at the junior world titles and she made the finals at the 2019 Open World Championships competing against adults while still a junior. 2019 provided even more success when she was crowned Junior USA Masters Jump Champion.
By the end of 2019, Sade was ranked no 1 in Australia and the world at junior level and number 2 at national senior level, and has been honoured with the Maranoa region Australia Day Junior Sports Award.
“I moved to Noosa three months ago, to get myself back on the water after my knee reconstruction in November last year,” Sade said.
“I work at Eclipse Greek Restaurant on Gympie Terrace.”
She was a recipient of a scholarship within the 2020 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program, the first water skier since the Program began, and was paired with surf lifesaver and Athlete Member, Kristy Munroe AM as her Mentor.
Sade said being recognised as a recipient of the SAHOF Scholarship Program was definitely an honour.
“I train five days a week on the water and after work every night I go to the gym. I base my training around how my body feels,” Sade said.
“I plan on heading to America in the end of April start of May in 2023, to train and prepare myself for the worlds in August.”
Sade said her greatest achievements so far included:
– Sports Hall of Fame Scholarship Holder.
– 2018 Jnr World Champion.
– Open Women Slalom, Trick and Overall National Champion.
– 2019 U21 Bronze Slalom and Overall World Champion.
– 5 x Moomba Jnr Slalom and Overall Champion.
