Swimming WA held their annual Swimmer of the Year awards at the Hyatt, Perth on Saturday the 26th May.
It was the annual chance for swimmers, coaches, friends and families of swimmers to get together and celebrate the successes of our swimmers from the past year. The night was a terrific success, with a total of 31 awards presented to swimmers and officials who have excelled throughout the year.
Due to existing long standing commitments to be the keynote speaker at AmChams 50 year celebration, and attend a Kidman board meeting on Saturday in Adelaide, Patron Mrs Gina Rinehart was unable to attend and personally present the Hancock Prospecting Perpetual Award, However Swimming WA’s CEO, Darren Beazley, was on hand to give her speech and present on her behalf. The Hancock Prospecting Perpetual Award is awarded to the able-bodied swimmer who returns the most outstanding swim by a resident West Australian swimmer at the Australian Open Championships, and this year, it was an honour to present for 2018 the award to Blair Evans, an outstanding swimmer, Olympian and role model.
Mrs. Rinehart’s speech follows:
Speech on behalf of Mrs. Gina Rinehart
Patron of Swimming WA
Executive Chairman of the Hancock Prospecting Group
2018 Westpac Swimmer of the Year Awards
Saturday 26th May 2018, Perth
Good evening distinguished guests, swimmers and your families, friends and the wider swimming family.
The Swimmer of the Year Awards are a truly wonderful occasion on the Swimming WA calendar and I regret that I am unable to be there in person for the night.
I committed to a charity function in Adelaide for the Royal Flying Doctor Service to celebrate their 90 years, and a Kidman board meeting in Adelaide that afternoon, prior to being advised of these swimming awards.
As the Swimming WA Patron, I want you all to know how highly I like and regard your dedication, self discipline, your wonderful strong desires to represent your State, and as I say many times, both your ambassadorship for West Australia, and your contribution as role models. I look forward to seeing many of you at the Tokyo Olympics.
You train hard, you live the dream through your own efforts of achieving at the highest level, in this case, on a national and perhaps international stage. Very few people have attained through their own endeavours, a position to represent our country internationally, against the world’s best.
For the past twenty seven years, we have been delighted to support swimming in West Australia, and encourage Swimming WA’s vision that swimming is a part of the West Australian way of life.
Continuing thanks to your coaches and to your supportive families. Without them, this would not be happening, because this is both an individual and a team sport.
Speaking of the very top, warmest congratulations to the six West Australia athletes who were part of the 21st Commonwealth Games held on the Gold Coast in April. You did your State and your country proud. Swimming Australia saw more medals, more gold medals, more records broken, than in the history of Australians competing in the commonwealth games. Fantastic effort! An effort I hope we’ll build upon as we get ready for the Pan PACs, and the Tokyo Olympics.
The Hancock Prospecting Perpetual Award is awarded to the able-bodied swimmer who returns the most outstanding swim by a resident West Australian swimmer at the Australian Open Championships. Tonight’s winner is a proven champion of the sport on the international and national stage. She has made the 400 IM event her own and at both Nationals and the recent Commonwealth Games, her performances were simply magnificent.
Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to announce that the winner of the 2018 Hancock Prospecting Perpetual Trophy Award is Blair Evans!
Thank you and best wishes to our swimmers ,our award winners, and everyone in our West Australian swimming family.
