Womensport and Recreation NSW Inc.

2007 Sydney Schoolgirls' Breakfast with the Stars

Sports Stars

We thank the many sports stars that supported the Schoolgirls' Breakfast with the Stars.
Profiles of our panellists:

1. Kyla Bremner - who is a keen Wrestler

Kyla is the 2007 Oceania and Australian Champion women's freestyle wrestling and has just competed for Australia at the 2007 Wrestling World Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan in the 48kg weight division.
Kyla is currently training hard hoping to qualify for the Beijing Olympics next year.
Kyla has managed to combine intense international competition with study. In addition to competing in her chosen sport of wrestling, Kyla has found time to complete her Medical degree and is now working as a doctor at Bankstown Hospital!

2. Susan Dockar - who participates in the lesser known sports of Underwater Hockey & Spearfishing

Susan has been involved in spearfishing socially and in state and national competitions for many years
In addition to spearfishing, Susan took up the sport of underwater hockey in 1986 and has competed at state level for many years when she was not looking after her two young children.
Susan has represented Australia in the masters team in 2001 and again in 2002 at the World Championships in Calgary in the ladies Masters - where she was successful in winning a silver medal
Susan was also the subject of Yvette Allum's book "The Lonely Sea" which outlines the story of Sue's survival for two days and nights lost alone at sea

3. Sarah Kemp is our next panelist - and plays Golf

Sarah became a keen golfer at the age of the tender age of 12 and playing at NSW Golf Club at La Perouse in Sydney.
Since this early start, Sarah has had achieved success on many international greens.
In 2007, Sarah has competed on the Ladies European Tour LET with best results of third in the Italian Open and third again in the Northern Ireland Ladies Open.
She has played 15 events this year and sits 25th in the world on the European Tour.
Our next athlete participates in Wheelchair Basketball - Kylie Gauci

4. Kylie Gauci has achieved a lot in her chosen sport of Wheelchair Basketball even earning the nick name of the "smiling assassin".

Kylie has been named as an All Star 5 Player in the National Women's Wheelchair Basketball League for 7 successive years as well as voted the Most Valued Player in the 2007 competition.
She has also been named the Wheelchair Sports NSW - Basketballer of the Year in 2006 and 2005 and is yet to see whether she is successful in 2007.
Kylie has made her debut in the Paralympic Team at Athens in 2004 contributing to her team's success in winning a silver medal in a hard fought match against the USA.
Kylie is hoping that the National Wheelchair Basketball Team will go one better in Beijing and grab the Gold.

5. Kimberly Mason is the master of Rhythmic Gymnastics

Kimberly is Australia's reigning Australian National Champion (Overall) after only commencing the sport in 1996.
Kimberly continues to prove herself as Australia's best rhythmic gymnast with consistently strong performances in International competitions.
At the 2005 World Championships, she only competed in 3 out of 4 apparatus but was still ranked 64th overall with the next Australian ranked in 94th position.
In the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Kimberly earned herself two individual medals coming 2nd in the Ball category and 3rd in Clubs.
And while Kimberly is hard at training for the Beijing Olympics she is also studying hard for her NSW Higher School Certificate!

6. Angela Farrell - Sailing

Angela was lifted into a friend's boat at the age of nine and was told to hold 'this rope' and don't let go until I say. At the end of the day being cold, wet, bruised and frustrated she decided to make sailing weekly sport.
Angela is now training with Australia's top ranked female Match Racer Katie Spithill and has just been announced in the Australian Olympic Team for Beijing.

7. Dianne Alagich - Football

Dianne is a key experienced member of the Matildas football team having played every match for Australia at the 1999 and 2003 World Cup and 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games where the Matildas came 5th.
Dianne was one of the key players for the Matildas in the recent 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup in China having a lot of hard work to do as a defender.
The Matildas have been eliminated in the first round of the last three Women World Cups.
But in 2007 they matched the result of the Socceroos in reaching the quarter finals of the World Cup for the first time ever only to be narrowly defeated by Brazil 3-2. Brazil went on play Germany in the final.

8. Our next sporting champion is Allison Shreeve of Windsurfing

Coming from a rural background did not stop Allison being a world champion in a water sport.
From choosing Windsurfing during a high school summer program, Allison is now ranked as number 1 in the World in Formula Windsurfing and has been the Formula Windsurfing World Champion in 2005, 2006 and again in 2007.
In November 2005, Allison set a new world speed sailing record at 27.7 Knots/ or 51.3 km/h and a new Australian women's speed record at 32.84 knots in 2006. A tremendous speed over water.
Allison was named the Australian Female Sailor of the year 2006.

9. Kerri Pottharst probably also needs no introduction being our most recognized Beach Volleyball Player

Kerri is Australia's most decorated Indoor and Beach Volleyball player, having represented her country for an incredible 22 years! When she took up the sport at the age of 15, she hadn't yet dreamed of becoming an Olympic champion.
Kerri has achieved great success in two sports of Indoor Volleyball where Kerri represented Australia from 1982 - 1992, captaining the National Team in 1992.
o And then after a severe knee injury Kerri changed direction and took up Beach Volleyball where she went on to compete in 3 Olympics and win two Olympic medals with the major gold medal at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
And it may be a little known fact that Kerri can also speak German and Italian!

10. Last but not least our last panelist is Julie Fitzgerald - Netball

Julie Fitzgerald is the coaching goddess of Netball.
Julie has been head coach of the Sydney TAB Swifts for 10 years from 1997-2007.
During this ten year period, Julie has won four premiership titles in 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007.
With her wealth of elite coaching experience, Julie Fitzgerald will again coach the NSW Netball Team in the new Trans Tasman competition in 2008 where her beloved Sydney netball team will do battle for the first time against the strong New Zealand teams.
In recognition of her continued success at an elite level, Julie was named the NSW Coach of the Year at the 2006 NSW Sports Federation Sports beating other super coaches such as Paul Roos of the Sydney Swans and Tim Sheens the coach of the Wests Tigers Rugby League team.

Our list of sports stars who attended the breakfast included:

Valentine Armstrong - Dragon Boat
Harriet Moore - Hockey
Mlissa Ashton - Triathlon
Fiona Gray - Dragon Boat
Caitlin Munoz - Football
Kate Beasley - Rowing
Melissa Hammond - Water Polo
Kim Murray - Dragon Boat
Alex Blackwell - Cricket
Deb Harding - Dragon Boat
Marika Noke-raico - Dragon Boat
Kate Blackwell - Cricket
Alyssa Healy - Cricket
Maureen O'neill - Dragon Boat
Julia Boland - Golf
Sonia Healy
Julie Penn - Dragon Boat
Joy Boyd Table - Tennis/Lawn Bowls
Tanya Hollow - Polocrosse
Kerri Pottharst OAM - Beach Volleyball
Kyla Bremner - Wrestling
Lynda Holt - Athletics
Spoorti Rattan - Badminton
Bianca Chidrawi - Tennis
Julie Iles - Athletics
Sarah Rose vSwimming
Liz Cavill - Golf
Lisi Jarrott - Ultimate Frisbee
Emma Schiller - Football
Samantha Chien - Badminton
Vicki Jellis - Golf
Tom Sermanni - Football
Lavinia Chrystal - Alpine Skiing
Elizabeth Jenkins - Athletics
Alex Shaw - Golf
Carin Clonda - Squash
Kate Johnson - Swimming
Nikki Shires - Ultimate Frisbee
Sarah Coyte - Indoor Cricket
Alisha Kawalla - Windsurfing
Allison Shreeve - Windsurfing
Diana Dent - Dragon Boat
Sarah Kemp - Golf
Antonia Smith - Dragon Boat
Jessica Dent - Dragon Boat
Edwina Kennedy - Golf
Alexandra Stewart - Weightlifting
Susan Dockar - Underwater Hockey
Samantha Kennedy - Alpine Skiing
Rebecca Strong - Indoor Netball
Kathy Fahim - Tennis (Coach)
Renee Kirby - Rowing
Gillian Ting - Athletics
Angela Farrell - Sailing
Lauren Kitchener - Indoor Netball
Aimee Watson - Skiing XCountry
Rene Farrell - Cricket
Claire Koski - Indoor Cricket
Bronwen Watson - Rowing
Julie Fitzgerald - Netball (Coach)
Sharon Lockett - Dragon Boat
Johanna Way - Surf Life Saving
Natalie Frostick B - each Volleyball
Marianne Loh - Badminton
Amy Winters OAM - Athletics
Kylie Gauci - Basketball
Kimberly Mason - Gymnastics
Rebecca Wyatt - Ski Racing
Karyn Gojnich - Sailing
Lisa Mcconchie - Netball
Terri Zeibots Indoor - Netball
Narelle Gosstray - Baseball