Wagga's Greatest Athlete?
Australia has many great athletes, and a surprising large number of elite sportsmen and women originate from the city of Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, population of just 46,000 people. Some of the athletes that have originated from Wagga include cricketers Mark Taylor, Michael Slater and Geoff Lawson, AFL players Wayne Carey, Paul Kelly, Rugby League players Peter Sterling and the Mortimer brothers Chris, Peter and Steve, Rugby Union players Nathan Sharpe and Nathan Hines, tennis player Tony Roche, golfer Steve Elkington and Triathlon Commonwealth Games Gold Medalist Brad Kahlefeldt.
Competition
In 2011, a competition was held to determine Wagga's Greatest Athlete, with local and international sports people from Wagga battling it out over 10 events.
An event was created by local Andrew Wild to determine the greatest/fittest sportsman from Wagga. The event was held on December 17th 2011, with 14 athletes battling it out over 10 sports challenges which test endurance, power and speed and skill.
The Sporting Challenges (not in order)
- AFL goal kicking from 5 different positions
- 50m swimming sprint knockout
- 50m Running Sprint
- Bench Press Maximum
- Beep Test
- Hockey challenge
- Car push over 15m
- Cricket - 6 balls from bowling machine on a good length - amount of runs scored
- High Ball Challenge - Football shot out of bowling machine straight up x5.
- Ironman - Run/Swim aquathon (200-m swim and 2-km run).
Competing Athletes
- Brad Kahlefeldt — International Triathlete
- Joe Williams — former South Sydney Rabbitoh and now Boxer
- Matt Suckling — Hawthorn AFL player
- Adam Commons — former Australian Hockey player and current National Women's Coach
- Anthony McCraken — local boxer
- Ben Absolum — Australian Touch Footballer and local AFL star
- Ned Mortimer — GWS AFL contract player, son of Chris Mortimer
- Marcus Smith — 3 x Hawaii Ironman
- Cameron Breust — Parramatta Eels Rugby League
- Ethan Bartlett — local cricket star (RSL Cricket Club)
- Kyle McCarthy — local rugby league star
- Brad Langtry — Local AFL star
- Joey Swaysland — Tennis player (American College bound)
- Dan Selmes — local Rugby Union Star
- Luke Habel — Central Districts AFL star
Results
Parramatta Eels halfback Cameron Breust held off talented Wagga local sportsmen Ned Mortimer and Kyle McCarthy to win the inaugural Wagga greatest Athlete competition. Breust won the event without winning a single individual challenge, but by always doing well in all events, a true all-rounder. Breust finished in the top three of the 50-meter freestyle swim, the bench press, hockey challenge, beep test and aquathon. Wagga's Olympic triathlete Brad Kahlefeldt was the only athlete to take out two challenges, not surprisingly winning the beep test and the aquathon.
Related Pages
- Australia's greatest athletes
- Rexona Australia's Greatest Athlete
- Discussion about who is the World's Greatest Athlete
- About the Superstars TV Show.
- Vote for the Greatest Athlete of All Time?
- What is the Fittest Sport?
- Fitness for Sports
Any comments, suggestions, or corrections? Please let us know.
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