SWAS 2023: Sold-out awards night to shine spotlight on local sporting achievements

A cast of home-grown sporting talents will take centrestage at the Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre during a glittering sold-out awards ceremony on February 10.

The event has been made possible due to the support from the local business community.

Representatives from businesses sponsoring the South West Academy of Sport’s annual dinner and awards night will shine the spotlight on well-deserving success stories when they announce the winners of a long list of prestigious prizes.

Held annually, the SWAS annual dinner and awards provides a high-profile platform for celebrating the outstanding triumphs, achievements and dedication of athletes and coaches in the region.

Honours being presented on the night include Sports Star of the Year, Emerging Sports Star of the Year and Wally Foreman Coach of the Year.

Guest speaker will be Greg Hire, former vice-captain of the Perth Wildcats and founder of A Stitch in Time — an organisation committed to improving the mental health of West Australians.

SWAS chief executive Bernice Butlion said the SWAS annual dinner and awards showcased the achievements of the academy and its athletes.

“This is a chance to highlight our athletes — it’s their night to shine,” Butlion said.

The SWAS stalwart thanked all sponsors for making the awards night possible, saying many of the businesses supporting the awards came from a sporting background.

“A lot of business owners and employees, they understand the journey,” she said.

“They know it’s tough to make it in sport, so they get behind us to support this great cause because living in the regions I think we have to work a lot harder to be successful in sport — but then again regional athletes have greater longevity and resilience.”

The event is being made possible by a number of sponsors including The Apprentice and Traineeship Company, Hexion Australia, Summit Realty South West, Nexus Advisernet, RCR Mining Technologies, Onsite Rental Group, The Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, Intersport Bunbury and Lomax Media.