ORIENTEERING AUSTRALIA AWARDS

Athlete of The Year 2005

Hanny Allston

High Performance Director, Mike Dowling, presenting the Athlete of the Year award to Hanny Allston. Bob Mouatt presenting the Silva Award to John Potter.

Hanny Allston was a very worthy recipient of the 2005 Orienteering Australia Athlete of the Year award. Hanny achieved a number of notable firsts in 2005. She was the first female Australian orienteer to gain a medal at a Junior World Championships. Hanny achieved a bronze medal for third place in the Middle-distance event in Switzerland last July and backed that up with a creditable 11th place in the Long-distance event. A month later in Japan at the senior World Championships, in only her second WOC, Hanny became Australia’s highest placed individual orienteer with a sixth place in arguably the physically toughest Long-distance race ever at a World Championships. Such achievements while still having another year as a Junior Orienteer is a truly outstanding performance. Hanny understands success does not come without hard work and dedication. No orienteer trains harder in her home state than Hanny and she mixes her orienteering training with participation in multi-sport and adventure racing. She became the youngest ever female winner to the famous 80km Overland Track run through the Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park last February. In addition, Hanny combined her successes in 2005 with academic success through the completion of the first year of a Bachelor of Medicine degree at the University of Tasmania.

Silva Award for Services to Australian Orienteering Coaching

John Porter (NSW)

John is a Level 1 coach (proceeding to Level 2) who has been the Coach of the NSW Junior Squad since 1989; was the NSW Coaching Director from 1992 to 2002 and has been highly involved in Coaching and Coach Education in NSW since 1985. The Junior Squad in NSW has at least three weekends and a full-week training camp each year and John has been responsible for the setting of the training program for each of these. He has often done this by enlisting the support of the older members of the Squad who have been encouraged to complete their Level 1 Coaching accreditation while members of the Squad. He is always in attendance with his 4WD and cheerfully arises early in the mornings to travel to the area with his appointed assistant to set up the days’ exercises before the busload of “squaddies” arrives. He also offers advice and assistance to any and all outside of the Squad training camps and has, over the years, assisted many of the prominent NSW elite. He has organised over 10 Level 1 Coaching Workshops and has been responsible for the education of most of the NSW list of accredited coaches. Other Coaching activities include: organisation and coaching at NSW Training weekends in 1999 and 2000; organisation and coaching at more than 6 Women’s Training Weekends between 1995 and 2002; Coach of the NSW Schools Team in 1993 and 1994. John also attended OA Coaching Committee Meetings and Coaching Workshops as NSW representative between 1992 and 2002.

2005 Silva Orienteer of the Year

Ian Hassall

Once again, Ian Hassall (IKN) is the Silva Orienteer of the Year. Ian has won or shared this award 10 times during the past 19 years – a truly remarkable level of achievement. When Ian had to withdraw during the recent AUS 3-Days carnival at Easter due to injury, he was asked when was the last time he had not completed this annual 3-Days event. Typically, his answer was “Never before.” No doubt we’ll be seeing Ian in Burra for the 2007 AUS 3-Days. The Silva Orienteer of the Year competition is based on points gained for participating and placing in the AUS Championships, AUS 3-Days, and all State Championships (in Elite and A classes for M/W 16 and older).