Courtesy: South Australian Sports Institute (SASI)
The annual South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) Awards were held at Adelaide Oval on Friday night, honoring the best in South Australian sport.
The awards presented recognized SASI’s top athletes, staff and coaches across a range of categories, acknowledging their outstanding contributions and achievements over the past 12 months.
The winners included:
- SASI Para Athlete of the Year – Jed Altschwager and Nikki Ayers (Para-rowing)
- SASI Female Athlete of the Year – Meg Harris (Swimming)
- SASI Male Athlete of the Year – Kyle Chalmers (Swimming)
- SASI Junior Female Athlete of the Year – Lucy Voyvodic (Netball)
- SASI Junior Male Athlete of the Year – Tayte Ryan (Cycling)
- SASI Coach of the Year – Christine MacLaren (Rowing)
In 2023, SASI athletes put the world on notice ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, claiming 10 gold, 14 silver and 10 bronze medals across world championship events.
While the athletic achievements of our top athletes were showcased on the night, other accomplishments within the SASI community were also celebrated, highlighting the team’s dedication to excellence on and off the field.
The Amy Gillett-Safe Award was presented to Para-rowing World Champion Jed Altschwager – this is awarded annually as a memorial to one of SASI’s and Australia’s finest athletes and recognizes an individual’s commitment to sport through passion and persistence.
Other award winners included SASI sport program athletes of the year, and the SASI Service to Sport Award which went to Head of Physical Preparation Luke Knappstein for his commitment to the SASI values of teamwork, excellence, courage and energy.
It was also a momentous night for SASI Director Wes Battams, where after 26 years of service, he celebrated his last day as SASI Director before heading into retirement.
During Wes’ time at SASI, 11,000 scholarships have been offered to more than 4,600 athletes and he has led the SASI team through six Olympic/Paralympic cycles.
