JENNY ABELA

Jenny is an inspiration to many of us who have given up in pursuing sport because of our 'age'. Jenny only began her golfing career at the tender age of 60 years in March 2000. Not only was age a barrier, but she was an extremely shy person and had a vision impairment all her life and even struggles to see the ball on the ground in front of her. She has since won several trophies such as the West of the Mountains Tournament, Ladies Lowest Net Score of 2006. Jenny believes that without organizations such as Women's Golf NSW and Womensport & Recreation NSW today, women's sport and women in general would not be in a position to be able to participate on as level playing field as possible and get the respect and recognition that is deserved

AME BARNBROOK ASM

Ame Barnbrook was born in 1988 with Phocoameha. This disease manifests itself with the absence of limbs. Ame has no arms and just the lower part of one leg with a small foot and three toes. She uses her three toes for eating, playing the trumpet and fulfilling her passion for sailing. Ame began sailing at aged seven, utilizing specially designed servo assist controls. At age 8 Ame announced that she would sail in the Olympics one day. Now after a ten year campaign to change the consciousness of the elite disabled sailing world, a new discipline has been included in the 2008 Paralympic Games. Now 19 year old Ame is a skillful sailor and is vying for selection in the Australian Paralympic Sailing Team.

MARNY CRINGLE

Marny's passion for tennis did not let anything stand in her way to continue being involved in her sport. Despite a horrific train accident in London, which resulted in her losing her left leg, she pursued her sport through wheelchair tennis. Now, Marny is in elite training squad of the Australian Woman's Wheelchair Tennis Team and currently seeded number one for Australia with a world ranking of 48. This, despite the fact she does not regularly use a wheelchair. She has been a major inspiration to her community highlighted by Maitland presenting her with the Senior Sportsperson of the Year Award in 2006. Marny says, "human beings are like tea bags - you don't know just how strong you are until you've been dipped in hot water … giving up was never in my thinking."

CHRISTAL FITZGERALD

Christal is the first Australian woman to enter the prestigious NCAA college baseball ranks in the United States in New Hampshire, just north of Boston. She only began playing baseball 6 years ago and achieved what many of her male counterparts only dream of - playing baseball at college level. She also became the first Australian to play in the North American Women's Baseball League (NAWBL), winning the title for "Offensive Player of the Year in 2005 and also named to the NAWBL All-Star Team that toured Japan. Long time mentor and coach Darren King says that "Chrystal has never been afraid to step forward and have a go…she always gives 100% and never gives up." Playing with the boys is not an easy feat let alone living away from home and in a culturally different background. She even completed her freshman year at college with a 3.45 GPA, a B+ average…an outstanding academic record while being the 4th woman to ever play collegiate baseball in a regular season game. She never wavered to the critics who said it couldn't be done and has now paved the way for other girls to follow in her footsteps.

SAMANTHA KADAR

Samantha has a medical condition called Neurofibromatosis Type 1, which has resulted in Samantha having an intellectual disability. This has not stopped Samantha from pursuing her sport of Ice Figure Skating which she commenced in 2001 and progressed through the Aussie Skate program. She currently trains at Canterbury Olympic Ice Rink skating for the Sydney Figure Skating Club in the Pre-Primary Ladies Division under Coaches Kylie Fennell, Gloria Pracey and Monica McDonald. In 2007 Samantha has achieved 1st place in the Sydney Figure Skating Club Championships, 8th place in the Hollins Trophy Competition Pre-Primary Ladies Division and 2nd place in the NSW State Figure Skating Championships Pre-Primary Ladies Division in 2007. In September she travelled to New Zealand to participate in Special Olympic Events at the New Zealand National Championships. Samantha placed 1st in the Ladies Level 5 Special Olympics Event and upon her return took out 1st place at the NSW Special Olympics Figure Skating Championships in the Level 5 Ladies event.

GABRIELLE KING

Gabrielle overcame the challenge of living remotely and training alone on the Clarence River in preparation for state and national Laser Radial sailing events. She was selected as Australia's only representative to compete in the Women's Laser Radial division at the Volvo Youth ISAF World Championship in Canada in July 2007. Gabrielle sails with Big River Sailing Club at Harwood, 700 km north of Sydney. Still completing her Year 12 while travelling overseas and training, she won the Youth World Championship!!! She also won the Yachting NSW's Youth Sailor of the Year Award 2007, was selected in to the NSW Institute of Sport sailing squad, and Yachting Australia Olympic development squad. Gabrielle is an emerging junior with a quiet determination who is extremely focused and an inspiration to all regionally based athletes. She maintains her academic commitment and has a strong ambition to continue and do better.

JAYME PARIS

Jayme was born with Cerebellar Ataxia after asphyxiation and not expected to live. As the years went by she was told she wouldn't walk properly or talk properly. She was never allowed to enter the sports or swimming carnivals at her original public school as they said it was too dangerous for her. But she transferred to a specialist public school where she was told everyone entered the carnivals; no exceptions. Jayme went on to represent her primary school and then her high school at state swimming carnivals for an S9 classification. Along the way, she broke many Australian Records. She represented NSW at many Junior National Games for the Disabled achieving many medals. In 2004, Jayme took up cycling after being told that she would have to ride a tricycle. Originally, Jayme said if I can't ride a bike and ride on the Velodrome, I won't ride at all. They relented and let her try a bicycle. Jayme has won several Gold Medals at the Australian Championship both road and track and has been selected to represent Australia at the UCI Para-Cycling World Championships in France in August 2007. She is on the Beijing Shadow Squad. Jayme goes back to her school that got her started in sport on a regular basis and speaks to the students about her achievements. She gives power point presentations at the CPSARA camps and is an outstanding role model to the younger members of the association. She has proven doctors and many others wrong and has achieved goals well beyond anyone's expectations.

VICKY WATSON

Vicky has been a member of AUSSI Masters since moving to Australia in 2005. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in December 2006. The first thing she did after the devastating diagnosis was to register for the FINA Masters World Championships to be held in Perth in April 2008. She was and remains determined that her cancer will not control her life and that she will remain in control by setting new goals and continuing to contribute to her chosen field of sporting endeavour. After completing chemotherapy and with so little time for recovery, she competed in NSW Masters Relay Championship and broke 2 long standing short course records held since 1998 by her team mate Ms Jenny Whiteley, the Australian Masters Athlete of the Year 2003. She has since broken other NSW and National swimming records. She also provides unreserved support, encouragement and generosity to swimmers in the team. Despite feeling unwell in the middle of chemotherapy cycle, she swam 3kms to raise money for the Multiple Sclerosis Swimathon to raise funds for this important cause.