Josh Alford, winner of the Intersport H R Heher Shield for Outstanding Senior Sporting Achievement, at the Vikings Group 2019 Sports Awards. Photo: Michael Daniel.
Vikings Group has again celebrated the outstanding achievements of Tuggeranong athletes in an awards ceremony held last Friday night (21 February) at the Lanyon Club.
Josh Alford from the Tuggeranong Vikings Swim Club took out the major award, the Intersport H R Heher Shield for Outstanding Senior Sporting Achievement. Josh won two gold medals and two silver medals at the INAS Global Games, the world’s biggest sports event for intellectually impaired athletes.
INAS Global Games are a member organisation of the International Paralympic Committee, with athletes like Josh competing against others from 75 different nations. Josh was part of two world record-breaking relay teams and won two individual silver medals in the 400 metre and 1500 metre freestyle events.
“It’s an honour to be surrounded by very passionate and talented individuals, all the winners and the nominees should be proud of their achievements, and we’re looking forward to seeing how they progress in the future,” Vikings Group President David Assenheim said.
Colby Eddowes received the ActewAGL Shield for Outstanding Junior Sporting Achievement. The South Canberra Tuggeranong Athletics Club member shone at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships, winning a gold medal in the under-18 decathlon, silver in the under-18 long jump and 110 metre hurdles, and bronze in the under-18s high jump and pole vault events.
Kaitlin Makings, winner of the Coca-Cola Shield for Outstanding Coaching Achievement, with Leigh Hancock from Coca-Cola Amatil. Photo: Michael Daniel.
Kaitlin Makings was presented with the Coca-Cola Shield for Outstanding Coaching or Officiating Achievement, Debbie Dunster received the Vikings 24/7 Fitness Award for Outstanding Contribution to Sport, and the Powerkart Raceway Shield for Outstanding Team Performance was presented to the Tuggeranong Vikings Touch Football Women’s Open Team.
Ten scholarships were presented to young Tuggeranong Valley athletes to help them pursue their sport and continue their education. Vikings Group has been offering scholarships to young athletes for the last 30 years and has provided over $870,000 to around 620 scholarship recipients.
The young athletes receiving scholarships were Luke Granatelli, Tuggeranong BMX Club; Emil Rivera Jonsson, Southern Canberra Gymnastics Club; Isabella Young, Ashley Scensor, Amber Brophy, and Brooklyne Corby from the Tuggeranong Netball Association; Taylor McNiven and Ashleigh Deacon from the Tuggeranong Vikings Hockey Club; Sierra Warnock from the Canberra Physical Culture Club; and Helen Legge from the Tuggeranong Vikings Hockey Club.
“Supporting our young local athletes is an important focus of ours. These Scholarships recognise and reward our local athletes whilst providing some assistance towards the costs that they incur competing in their chosen sport. They also provide an important link between our schools and sporting community here in the Tuggeranong Valley,’’ Mr Assenheim said.
Vikings Group 2019 Sports Awards. Photo: Michael Daniel.
This year, as part of the Vikings 40th birthday celebrations, the awards included a community champions category. Vikings Community Champions Awards recognised people who have helped the group build a sense of community, foster and encourage sport participation and social connectivity.
Vikings Group President David Assenheim wanted to acknowledge the contribution of volunteers to local sporting clubs with the Community Champions Awards and called them the backbone of the sporting clubs of Tuggeranong.
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