All conquering canoeist Jessica Fox has spearheaded a strong women's showing at the NSW Champions of Sport Ceremony at Sydney's Rosehill Gardens
Fox on Tuesday joined swim great Ian Thorpe and seven-times world women's surfing champion Layne Beachley as a three--time winner of the NSW athlete of the year award, having also been named in 2013 and last year.
She won the category ahead of Australian rugby league captain Boyd Cordner, surfer Stephanie Gilmore, Winter Olympian Matt Graham, cricketer Ellyse Perry, high jumper Brandon Starc and diver Melissa Wu.
The 24-year-old paddler has enjoyed unparalleled success this year.
She was the first person to go through an entire paddling World Cup season undefeated, winning five C1 gold medals.
Dual Olympic K1 medallist Fox also won three gold and a silver in the K1 and has won more championships than any person in the history of the sport.
The Athlete of the Year with a Disability award went to double paratriathlon World Cup event winner Lauren Parker.
Just 12 months after suffering a serious bike accident and in her first year as a paratriathlete, Parker won two gold, three silvers and a bronze medal in the International Triathlon Union's paratriathlon World Cup Series,
She also won a bronze at the Commonwealth Games and was a finalist for The Don award.
Liz Ellis, Australia's most capped netballer, was presented with The Waratah, which recognises outstanding long-term contribution to sport in NSW beyond the sporting field and beyond any single year.
Her former Australian teammate Catherine Cox was inducted into the NSW Hall of Champions along with Julie Dolan AM (Football), Jana Pittman (Athletics), Melanie Roche (Softball) and Mark Skaife OAM (Motor Racing).
Other female award winners included two-time Athlete of the Year with a Disability, Louise Sauvage, who was named Coach of the Year after guiding wheelchair racer Madison de Rozario to double Commonwealth Games gold medal success, archer Elizabeth Hole (Masters Athlete of the Year) and Chris Sinclair from Squash NSW (Official of the Year).
A-League football side Sydney FC won team of the year. and the NSW Rugby League, the organisation of the year.
Award winners
*Athlete of the year - Jessica Fox (Canoeing),
*Athlete of the year with a disability- Lauren Parker (Paratriathlon)
*Young athlete of the year - Tom Cornish (Cycling)
*Young athlete of the year with a disability - Tim Hodge (Swimming)
*Masters athlete of the year - Elizabeth Hole (Archery)
*Team of the year - Sydney FC (Football)_
*Team of the year with a disability - Football NSW Cerebral Palsy team (Football)
*Administrator of the year - Jo Fernandes (Football NSW)
*Coach of the year - Louise Sauvage (Wheelchair Track and Field).
*Event of the year - The Sydney International (Tennis)
*Local Council of the year - Cumberland Council
*Official of the year - Chris Sinclair (Squash NSW)
*Organisation of the year - NSW Rugby League
*The Waratah - Liz Ellis (Netball)
