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AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE
Orienteering Australia Awards
Athlete of the Year Award for 2004
THE Annual Awards evening in Jindabyne over Easter saw the inaugural awarding of the Orienteering Australia Athlete of the Year award. The purpose of the award is to publicly recognize the most outstanding performance(s) in elite Orienteering competition during the year.
The award is open to elite, male or female, Foot-O or MTBO orienteers. The actual award is a specially struck Orienteering Australia medallion. The award is seen as being long overdue in the public recognition of our outstanding elite athletes.
Adrian Jackson of Victoria was the worthy recipient of the inaugural award in recognition of his gold medal ride at the 2004 World Mountain Bike Orienteering Championships. The first gold medal won at any World Orienteering Championships by an Australian orienteer. Adrian won Gold in the Middle-distance race and Bronze in both the Long-Distance race and the Relay.
EACH year this Silva Award is presented to “an individual who has contributed in a most deserving manner to Orienteering in Australia”.
The 2005 Silva Award for Services to Orienteering goes to Blake Gordon.
The award is in particular recognition of Blake’s role in the development of Mountain Bike Orienteering in Australia, culminating in his work as Event Director of the 2004 World MTBO Championships. Blake has been a key figure in MTBO in Australia since its inception in the mid-1990’s. He was the main driver in establishing the sport in Victoria, and then played a major national role as chair of OA’s MTBO committee for most of its existence. Among other positions, he (with his wife Dale) were the managers of the first Australian WMTBO team which went to France in 2002.
Blake’s work in MTBO is the latest stage in 30 years of contributions to the sport in Victoria. He was the inaugural VicePresident of the Eureka club when it was founded in 1975, and later served as club President. He has served on the VOA committee including a term as VOA President. He has had a major involvement in the organization of many Foot-O events, including the 1981 International 6-Days and the 1984 Australian Schools Championships. Blake has had a major involvement in the promotion of Orienteering in Ballarat and is a major contributor to the sport’s considerable profile in the Ballarat region. In particular, he has been responsible for promoting the sport in Ballarat’s two universities, building strong links with the University of Ballarat through the late 1980’s and 1990’s. Any simple list of achievements does not really capture the essence of Blake’s contribution, as an evangelist and enthusiast for Orienteering, always prepared to try new initiatives and always wanting to focus on the positives.
EACH year this Silva Award is presented to “a coach who has contributed in a most deserving manner to Orienteering coaching in Australia”.
The 2005 Silva Award for Services to Orienteering Coaching goes to Warren Key.
Warren began his Coaching career in the early 90s. His opening foray into coaching was to guide some of Victoria’s up-and-coming elites such as Georgie Macken, Natasha Rowe (now Key), Emily Viner, Clare Hawthorne, Alex Randall and Jason McCrae. His approach from the start was to impress upon his charges the importance of technique, technical training, race preparation and consistency in physical training.
At the 1997 World Champs in Norway, when Warren was still an Australian team member himself, he assumed the role of assistant coach of the team. For the next three World Championships: 1999 in Scotland, 2001 in Finland, and 2003 in Switzerland, he was National Senior Coach in his own right. During this time he transformed how Australian elite orienteers trained and competed. Sticking to his original principles, he drummed into all the need for technical preparation. He instituted annual, week-long national camps focussed on technique, drove an increased focus on supporting the athletes, created the now annual Bushrangers team, and transformed the way the Australian team prepares for World Championships.
Warren’s coaching strength probably lies in two key elements. First, his passion for Orienteering, and second his ability to assess technical weaknesses through either looking at an orienteer’s maps, or following them in the forest. He will give concise, clear and simple solutions to any technical deficiency found.
Warren stepped down from National Senior Coach to spend more time with his young family. However, people who are now steering the reins of Australian elite Orienteering: current National Senior Coach Jim Russell, OA High Performance Manager Jason McCrae and OA High Performance Director Mike Dowling have all studied extensively at the Key School of Coaching. As such, they still suffer the burning sting of a Warren-barrage when he feels elite matters are not heading in the appropriate direction. Hopefully, it will always be Warren’s way to do things with passion. Warren with his youngest, Jensen
