Beattie wins sports star gympie sport in very safe hands

A "STOKED" Nick Beattie took out the 22nd Gympie Sports Star of the Year award in front of huge crowd at the Gympie Civic Centre on Saturday night.

Picture: Craig Warhurst

A “STOKED” Nick Beattie took out the 22nd Gympie Sports Star of the Year award in front of huge crowd at the Gympie Civic Centre on Saturday night.

The motocross star beat an elite field of 13 athletes to take the prestigious trophy.

Beattie and his wife Melissa were over the moon with his win - his second attempt at the title.

“I entered a couple of years ago but I thought making the Aussie team and touring Greece this year would help,” he said.

“I put my name in the hat and I'm stoked to win.”

But Beattie wasn't about to hit the night clubs to celebrate his achievement.

“I'm going straight home to bed,” he said.

“I'm full on into racing and need to look after myself.”

Gympie athlete Jack Curran returned home from boarding school in Brisbane to win the Junior Sports Star award, capping a meteoric career in 2008.

He is looking set to be an Olympic hopeful in the future.

Thanking his parents Jackie and Michael Curran, his Gympie coach Keith Brown and training partner David Beazley in his speech, Curran said he couldn't have reached his goals without their help.

Administrator/Coach of the Year went to hockey player Amanda Millard for her role in being able to resurrect the women's sport in Gympie.

MILLARD set about getting a women's competition off the ground in Gympie last year after nearly a ten year absence.

This year there are six teams in the competition.

A modest Millard thanked everyone at the Gympie Hockey Association who had helped get the competition on track.

Soccer player, swimmer and touch footballer Jared Healey took out the All Rounder of the Year award for the second year running.

Healy wasn't present at the night, and his award was collected by his mother Kerri.

The young sport star was competing at the Wide Bay Swimming Championships in Noosa over the weekend and was unable to attend the award ceremony.

Luckily for Healy, he decided to swim because he won two silver and two bronze medals at the swimming carnival.

Lawn bowler Bernard Christie showed age was no barrier at the Sports Awards when he took out the Master of the Year after a successful year on the greens around Gympie.

Christie sung the praises of bowls saying it was a sport for all ages and abilities.

Team of the Year was won by the Gympie State High School girls under 15 soccer side.

The side's coach Geoff Haig said he was proud of the girls' soccer achievements.

Another soccer player to excel was Jamie Paulsen. Paulsen's 2008 efforts saw him win the AWD Sport star of the Year for 2008 in a field of five.

President of the Sportsman's Association (the group that organisers the awards night), Trevor Kirk, spoke in glowing terms of the night saying it had been a huge success.

He thanked all sponsors, in particular the Apex Club, whose money helps young athletes all over the region.

Kirk also thanked athletes Josh Krogh and Jimmy Downey for their attendance and role on the night.

Krogh and Downey put up sports memorabilia for auction on the night. Krogh's signed swimming cap went for $105 while Downey's signed Perth glory jumper went for $500.

Money raised went to the Sportsman's Association.

Originally published as Beattie wins sports star gympie sport in very safe hands