MACKAY’S ASHLEIGH STEBBEINGS WINS QUEENSLAND JUNIOR SPORTSTAR OF THE YEAR AWARD
The North Queensland Sports Foundation is delighted to announce that Ashleigh Stebbeings, the winner of the senior Sportstar Award at the Commander Centre North Queensland Sportstar Awards held earlier this year in Normanton, has won the Queensland Junior Sportstar of the Year Award at the Awards ceremony on 4 December in Brisbane.
On the biggest night of the year in Queensland for the “who’s who in sport”, over 1250 people attended the gala night at the Convention Centre in Brisbane, where Queensland’s best sports people are honoured at this huge event which is coordinated by Q Sport.
Seventeen year old Ashleigh Stebbeings from Eton, just outside of Mackay enthralled the crowd with her confidence in her acceptance speech, thanking several people but most importantly, her parents Fran and Ashley. Her emotional parents beamed with pride as the announcement was made and the congratulatory noise was loud from the table which included representatives from the North Queensland Sports Foundation, Mackay Regional Council and sponsor Commander Centre Townsville.
Ashleigh’s performances in 2009 have been outstanding, becoming the World junior AND overall World Champion at the World Barefoot Championships held in New Zealand. She also soared to a distance of 15.5metres in the jump event at the Australian Barefoot Waterskiing championships to equal the current World Record. Ashleigh Stebbeings has done North Queensland proud.
In another positive for North Queensland, the runner up in the senior category at this year’s Commander Centre North Queensland Sportstar Awards, Grant Patterson from Cairns, made the finalists list in the Athletes with a disability category. Grant was accompanied by his grandfather, Rothy and although he did not win the award, he was very proud to have reached the final.
Grant was one of the first people to congratulate Ashleigh, emphasising the strong bond that these two North Queensland athletes have developed since the Awards in April in Normanton. Grant is a very determined and courageous swimmer who is vying for future Australian Paralympic selection.
On a very special night, over half of the 150 inductees into the Queensland Hall of Fame were present at the gala dinner, from a host of different sports, further emphasising the strength of sport in Queensland.
The complete list of winners for 2009:
Queensland Sportstar of the Year – Greg Inglis
Queensland Junior Sportstar of the Year – Ashleigh Stebbeings
Athlete with a disability – Nerice Holland
Service to Junior Sport – Trevor Kirk
Queensland Sport Administrator – Kate Eggar
Sport event of the Year – Brisbane International Tennis Tournament
Sport Officiator – Maria Schwennesen
Sport Volunteer of the Year – Jason Harris
Sport Coach of the Year – Mal Meninga
Junior Sport team of the Year – Queensland Girls Rowing team
Queensland Sport team of the Year – Queensland State of Origin team
Premier’s Service to Sport Award – Lew Cooper
For further information:
Phone Stuart Gibson (Manager) on 0419 681 053 or 47242500 or
Ashleigh Stebbeings on 0448 535 716
