Triathlon Western Australia hosted the BikeSure Annual Awards on Sunday 23rd June 2013 at Frasers Restaurant, Kings Park. The event honours the best Triathletes within Western Australia during the 2012/2013 triathlon season along with acknowledging outstanding services to the sport by volunteers, coaches and officials. 

Triathlon WA crowned two new champions for the Triathlete of the Year Awards in a very strong field of athletes. Katey Gibb (from Victoria Park) and James Lewin (Churchlands) took out the female and male Triathletes of the Year awards after both having very consistent podium results throughout the year. Lewin, also crowned the State Long Course Champion, was the first fastest WA athlete at SunSmart Ironman 70.3 Busselton held in May 2013. 

Junior Athlete of the Year went to Jaz Hedgeland. Jaz has had a stellar year after taking out podium placing’s in the 2013 Australian Youth Olympics Festival, the Scody Triathlon Australia Junior Championships and the OTU Oceania Junior Championships. Jaz was unable to attend the award ceremony, as she is currently interstate at a national training camp in preparation of racing at the 2013 Junior World Championship to be held in London in September later this year. Jaz’s award was proudly collected by her sister Kira who in her own rights was an award recipient taking out the 13 -15 age group category. 

Simon Beaumont, currently working with the Department of Sport and Recreation was awarded the Chris Hewitt Award, formally the President’s Award. This award is presented to a member of triathlon community who has provided outstanding support to the sport. Beaumont, a former Media Manager at the Olympics and Radio Host was the MC at the Annual Awards and graciously accepted the award presented by current President, Peter Rash. 

Beaumont has been involved in the sport of Triathlon since 1986 and was influential in starting up Stadium Triathlon Club at its inception. He now works alongside many race directors as a high profile commentator at many international triathlons around WA. Simon is fondly known as "the VOICE of Triathlon in WA". 

At the annual ceremony, Triathlon WA also acknowledged all the Age Group athletes who participated in many of the twelve nominated State Series Races. A special mentioned to our 70+ age group athletes Chris Limb, Ivan and Pauline Wiltshire and Steve Barrie. 

Other very deserved winners and dedicated members of the triathlon community were also acknowledged on the morning, these included: 

• Official of the Year: John Jansen and Shane Burnett 
• Officiating Service to Sport Award (15years) : Ann Blatchford, Mike Blatchford, Stuart Fuller, Warren Milward 
• Mark Batten Trophies: Johan Borg, Dimity-Lee Duke 
• Golden Chain Ring Award : Matt Illingworth 
• Triathlon WA Life Membership: Peter Rash 

Triathlon WA has grown phenomenally over the past 10 years with much of its success relating to every day participants enjoying the thrill of triathlon. A sport once seen as elitist is now accessible to everyone with the sport distances varying from the short novice races (200m swim, 6km bike, 2km run) to the more challenging Iron distances of 3.9km swim; 180.2km bike and 42.2km run. A fantastic lifestyle sport, triathlon provides participation opportunities for those as young as five and to those well into their seventies. 

Triathlon WA has 15 Affiliated Clubs and over 3,100 annual members, the majority of which are members of our very proactive and enthusiastic clubs. Triathlon WA focuses on encouraging a strong club membership culture with a key strategic priority of supporting club development. Over the past 10 years through strong engagement with our clubs, and improved service delivery to our annual members, membership has grown astoundingly. Living our core values, our members enjoy a healthy active lifestyle sport where daily they strive to achieve their own challenges. 

Triathlon WA would like to take this opportunity to thank our long-term partners in BikeSure, the Department of Sport and Recreation and Healthway who have all played a significant role in building triathlon into the successful and well valued sport it is today. 

For more information, a full list of nominees & photographs: 
HAYLEY LETHLEAN 
PH: 08 9443 9778 
M: 0431 872 274 
E: hayley@triathlonwa.asn.au  
W: www.triwa.org.au