25 uplifting sporting stories you won’t forget in a hurry
From a schoolgirl cheating death and a Logan boy coming back from a near broken neck, to a private school girl swim side breaking one of sports great winning streaks, here are 25 uplifting sporting stories from 2023 you won’t forget in a hurry.
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Our story highlights some of the uplifting, heroic and heart breaking moments we witnessed in 2023 including:
+ Marsden SHS rugby league player, Javon Andrews, signing with the Titans after cheating the prospect of life in a wheelchair
+ Brian Pounia’s courage to play on at the Redcliffe Dolphins despite a shocking neck injury to his brother, Joseph.
+ how an African refugee cheated death and disability to play at water polo and break a record at the Australian Age Championships
+ St Rita’s breaking one of the great winning streaks in Australian sport
+ the heartbreak and euphoria of dramatic team sporting wins and loss across water polo, athletics, swimming, Australian football, soccer, cricket and more.
Here’s our uplifting sporting highlights from across the Brisbane-bayside, Logan and Ipswich regions which we loved most in 2023.
Name: Torrie Lewis
Club: Mayne Harriers
Torrie Lewis came back from a career threatening hamstring injury to debut aged just 18 for Australia at the world track and field championships staged in Budapest during August.
The St Peters Lutheran College alumni has been blazing brightly on the world sporting horizon.
Lewis, 18, coached by Andrew Iselin at Mayne Harriers, entered rare air earlier in April at the Australian track and field championships when she won both the open 100m and 200m double.
Her 200m time (23.02 seconds) was just 0.03 seconds off an under 20 Australian record set by three-time silver medal winning Olympian Raelene Boyle 53 years ago.
Her 100m was also a personal best time of 11.23.
All this after recovering from a serious hamstring injury.
Last year Lewis saw her career flash before her eyes after sustaining a 13cm hamstring tear.
“I heard people say: ‘Is she going to be able to come back, is she going to be the athlete she was’.’’ said Lewis.
“This could have been a career ending injury.
“I am just glad I was able to overcome that hamstring injury and improve.’’
Name: Brian Pounia
Club: Redcliffe
Caboolture schoolboy Brian Pounia, an edge forward signed by the Dolphins NRL club, endured the grief of playing after his older brother Joseph suffered a serious spinal cord injury during a junior trial with the Gold Coast Titans in February.
It was an incident which shook those involved in junior league to the core, and shattered the Peninsula, North Lakes and Caboolture communities.
And even Brian considered not playing this season, until his uncle urged him to play for his brother.
But Brian Pounia played on, captaining an unbeaten Redcliffe to its unofficial premiership as the Chris Little coached Dolphins swept all before them.
“I couldn’t be more proud of him,’’ Little said.
“It’s probably his first leadership role and he took it on board right from the beginning. He grew with the team and bought into the process and he relays that message like a second coach.
“For a young fella to be able to deal with everything which would be rather traumatic for the family.
“To be able to separate that at training and come game day is just a massive credit to him.
“There was a time there when he wasn’t going to play and it was his uncle who got him around and said play for your brother. And that’s what he’s done.
“You can’t be much prouder.’’
Name: Javon Andrews
School: Marsden SHS
Javon Andrews, 16, was “millimetres” from never walking again after fracturing his C4 and C5 vertebrae during a football accident in 2021.
He was playing club league for Logan Brothers against Souths Acacia at the Magpies ground when he was tackled into the goalpost while attempting to score a try.
At first a dazed and blooded Andrews did not realise the serious nature of his injury and actually walked from the field.
“I broke through the line, stepped the fullback and got tackled into the goalposts,’’ Andrews said.
“I saw blood coming out, so I walked off but once I got to the sideline my neck started feeling worse. At first I thought it was just a cut head.
“All the medical people told me to sit down, then the ambulance came.’’
He spent three weeks in hospital, then wore a halo for months after he was released.
Andrews was initially told he would never play again, and last year played touch football to keep fit.
But his desire to play rugby league never wavered and he sought more medical advice, and was eventually cleared to return this year, earning a Titans contract.
Name: The Victoria Point
Competition: SEQ under 17 premiers
The Sharks surged past big guns Burleigh, Surfers Paradise, Broadbeach and a gutsy Tweed Coolangatta in the final to claim the premiership.
Victoria Point won by just three points, with a couple of cracking goals from Aleah Stringer (Tweed Cooly) setting up a nerve racking final five minutes.
It was very much a team performance, but special mention needs to be made of half back flanker: Annie Wallace, Chloe Campbell at centre, Ebony Milne who made our team of the season on the wing, and Tiffany O’Keefe (Victoria Point), Georgia Hunt (Victoria Point), Harriet Knijiff (Victoria Point) and Mia Tempest (Victoria Point).
In addition, Nakita Irvine Victoria Point, Tyra Bell Brooks (Victoria Point) and Clara Cooke were outstanding for Victoria Point.
Name: Bailey McConnell
School: Palm Beach Currumbin SHS
Palm Beach Currumbin SHS won the Langer Trophy and the Phil Hall Cup grand finals without an Australian schoolboy, just one Queensland representative schoolboy (Sam Stephenson) and with most of the in the squad unsigned by NRL clubs.
At the time, the unsigned players included five-eight Bailey McConnell who won our votes in the Justin Hodges Medal for Player of the Years.
That PBC SHS was not riddled with representative and NRL players made the success of 2023 even more special for master coach Tim Maccan and his players.
Name: Vicky Belando Nicholson
Sport: Water polo and swimming
Plucked lifeless from the Mediterranean Sea off Malta only to be resuscitated by an army medic and then adopted by an Australian-Spanish couple – Vicky Belando Nicholson, 15, has a remarkable story to tell.
A member of the crack Brisbane’s Mermaids Water Polo Club, this year she also won two gold, silver and bronze medals at the Australian All Ages Swimming Championships, including breaking a 29 year old Australian age record in the 200m freestyle.
All this from a young woman who, in 2008 when aged six months, she was found in the ocean by the Malta army after a refugee boat from an unknown African destination had capsized, drowning their mother.
Described by the rescuing army medic as “being like a ragdoll’’, Belando Nicholson was face down in the water and had no pulse, but was revived, and two years later adopted alongside her sister by Brisbane’s Ewen Nicholson and his Spanish wife, Susana, who were living in Malta at the time.
Asked what it feels like to have her father recount her story of survival, Belando Nicholson said: “It (the story) is something different, but I feel it is normal because I have lived with it all of my life. I don’t know any different.’’
Dad Ewen added: “It is extraordinary that out of such a profound tragedy something positive came of it.’’
Names: Tian Markart and Taoso Taoso
Competition: Australian Youth Water Polo Championships
UQ Barras won its youth boys national title with goalkeeper Tian Markart the hero in a nerve tingling shoot out.
Young gun Taoso Taoso also showed nerves of steel to put away the final goal of the shootout and claim the gold medal.
Name: Lily Vaitolo
School: Mabel Park SHS
In a year full of grand final classics, Mabel Park SHS’s glorious run to claim the NRL national schoolgirl championship all started with a premiership decider they almost lost.
The girls from working class Logan City were basically beaten in the Titans Schools Cup grand final against Ipswich SHS, but surged from a 26-nil deficit at halftime to somehow beat 28-26.
And in a match brimming with stars, Mabel Park’s hooker Lily Vaitolo was a match winner. Her ability to dictate the tempo in the second half and steer the ship was key to Mabel’s amazing recovery.
From there Vaitolo won the Karyn Murphy Shield for state champions, and won the national championship as well.
Name: St Rita’s College
Sport: Swimming
St Rita’s College broke an almost two decade old winning streak by All Hallows’ School to claim a sensational CaSSSA Cup swimming championship.
Just 12.50 points separated the schools as St Rita’s College held on during a tense series of 4x50m freestyle relays which closed out the meet.
St Rita’s captains Sienna Bressington and Jemima Irvine jumped for joy in celebration of their achievement when it was confirmed.
A war cry then echoed around the swimming complex as the St Rita’s community absorbed an extraordinary victory, including head coach Tim Diliger and assistant Matt Nguyen.
All Hallows’ School, coached by Steve Miller, had not lost a CaSSSA championship since the association was formed in 2014.
But All Hallows’ streak was actually longer than that, stretching to the mid-2000s when the competition was under a different name.
St Rita’s College’s large surge to hold off All Hallows was helped by a 4x50m freestyle relay record (Div 1, 14 Years) secured by Azaria Minhinnick, Abbey Crowe, Eliza O’Harra and Ashby-Cliffe Madison.
Name: Ipswich Grammar School
Sport: GPS senior track and field championship
Ipswich Grammar School were forced to walk up heartbreak hill after losing the GPS track and field senior championship by just five and a half points to Nudgee College.
In a remarkable sporting highlight of the year, Nudgee did enough in the relays to keep marginally ahead of IGS.
The gripping meet also saw two 40-year-old records tumble as:
+ BBC’s Seth Mahony’s 1500m record beat a 44-year-old high water mark set by 1982 Commonwealth Games finalist Brett Crew. Crew had set the GPS record running for Churchie in 1979.
+ IGS’s sprint sensation Gout Gout beat a 42-year-old record in his 200m dash (21.09secs) previously held by S Glover (TSS).
School: Nudgee College
Sport: GPS junior track and field championship
Nudgee College did everything but win its junior championship meet.
Remarkably, Brisbane Grammar School won its first junior championships by a mere one and a half points – BGS (620) and Nudgee (618.50) finished one-two.
Hours later the senior championship was just as close, with Nudgee College (489) inching ahead of Ipswich Grammar School (483.50)
Team: Nudgee College
Sport: Swimming
St Joseph’s Nudgee College won a last-event thriller at the GPS swimming senior championship after earlier claiming the junior title.
And Nudgee College went toe-to-toe in the senior championships with the 2022 winners, BGS. The result came down to the last event of the night. It was that close.
Final placings for the seniors were Nudgee College 303, BGS 296.
Adding to the drama in the juniors was a series of records, including by Nudgee College’s Levi Thorley (100m under 11 freestyle) and IGS’s Zacharias Carvolth (12 years 50m breaststroke).
Name: LJ Nonu
School: Ipswich SHS
Ipswich SHS played its part in a thrilling langer Trophy climax to the season, with centre LJ Nonu to the fore after fighting back from the disappointment of playing reserves in 2022.
After an early defensive mishap against PBC SHS centre ace Sam Stephenson, Nonu kept Stephenson quiet for the rest of the match.
Then in the final few minutes Nonu managed to wriggle free of his rival’s vice-like grip by creating a try for his captain Oliva Iaulualo which cut the deficit to just four points.
Then a one-on-one steal on the final hooter gave the reigning champions one final shot at pulling off the unthinkable, but Palm Beach held on, including with Zane Harrison making a try saving tackle.
Name: Marist College Ashgrove
Sport: AIC swimming championship
Marist College Ashgrove threw the kitchen sink at St Peters Lutheran College – but still lost 661.50 to 621.75.
St Peters Lutheran College now have seven successive AIC swimming championships, and victory was a triumph for Olympic and St Peters coach Dean Boxall and his team, along with St Peters captains Hunter Milgate and Sam Thorpe.
Ashgrove believed this was going to be its year under head coach James Boyce, who was supported by Eoin Paznikov, Spencer Mahoney and Matthew O’Keefe as team captains. But it was not to be.
Name: Fergus Gillan
School: The Southport School
TSS did not win the GPS First XV rugby premiership – Nudgee College earned that title in a thrilling season which saw a race in four alongside Churchie, TGS and TSS.
Indeed entering the final round, TSS could have drawn for the premiership had they beaten Nudgee.
That The Southport School were even in the picture was remarkable, given they were lacking the backline star power of previous campaigns.
The TSS community can be mighty proud of the team’s season which was a credit to coaches Tye McIsaac (head) and Mike Wallace (assistant), and captain Fergus Gillan, a lock who is made of the right stuff. Gosh Gillan had a big season and we really grew to appreciate him more given his side lacked x-factor players.
Name: Nathan Phelps
School: Alexandra Hills SHS.
Nathan Phelps kicked the winning field goal in extra time to hand Alexandra Hills SHS a dramatic 7-6 win over Mountain Creek SHS in Struddy’s Cup action.
It was redemption for Phelps who lost last season’s Year 8 grand final with Alexandra Hills.
It was a battle of wills as Alexandra Hills SHS drew level 6-all, seven minutes from full-time after winger Jack McKenzie crossed and halfback Kai Thomas kicked the sideline conversion.
What a final it was, and what a performance under pressure from five-eight ace Phelps who was outstanding before his winning field goal.
Tweed Coast’s dramatic Div 2 premiership win, Australian football
Could it have been any closer? In the Div 2 under 17 girls grand final, Tweed Coast Northern Rivers Tigers 3.3-21 defeated Morningside Panthers 2.6-18.
The difference was the lethal left foot of Jade Rettennaier at centre half forward, who kept her side marginally ahead of the Panthers.
“It was a truly outstanding game played in great spirits by two even, tough and proud teams,’’ said Tigers coach Steve Foreman.
Name: Jaidia Faleono
Sport: rugby union
The women’s 2023 grand final win was extra sweet for Bond hooker Jaida Faleono.
After missing last year’s decider due to concussion, Faleono made it onto the field for Bond’s 17-14 thriller over a fast finishing Sunnybank.
Ironically she was injured again, with a knee injury midway into the first half cutting short her time on the field. But at least she got onto the field this time.
For the record Zoe Hanna was an intercept hero and Amahi Hala the toast of the coast as Bond University claimed the Premier Women’s premiership 17-14.
With three minutes remaining, and Sunnybank locking and loading their armoury trying to run down a 10-7 deficit, No. 8 Hanna burst out of the defensive line and extended her arm to snatch possession from Sunnybank.
Name: Hailey Paxevanos
Sport: Football
Kawana Waters State College claimed a stunning penalty shootout grand final win over Kelvin Grove State College in the Schools Premier League Junior Girls A decider after the scores were locked 0-0 at full-time.
Goalkeeper and the Global Players Pathways official Player of the Match Hailey Paxevanos, was part of an awesome foursome, which included Olivia Clarke, Peyton Murray and Kiah Cox who all nailed their penalty shootout set shots, while Kelvin Grovemissed two shots.
Names: Connor Moloney and Cameron Bukowski
Sport: Cricket
What a fairytale finale for these great mates.
After growing up playing so much sport together at Villa, including to three seasons in the First XI, Connor Moloney and Cameron Bukowski who both hit 102 not out in their final cricket game for the school.
You’d know the names of both boys for their football code deeds (Bukowski is Broncos signed), but they were outstanding cricketers as well.
To score his hundred Moloney faced just 63 balls and Bukowski 75 balls in an extraordinary wag of the tail of Villa’s summer.
Names: Stirling and Baxter Schmidt
Sport: Rowing
Baxter and Stirling Schmidt represented their grandfather Bruce at a reunion of the 1963 Churchie First VIII crew held at the Graham Fowles Boathouse.
Captain of Rowing Peter Fry, a driving force in the reunion, joined Peter Burton, Peter Richards, Wally Noble, Peter Nevileand Peter Watson in attendance.
Absent were four seat and two-time Olympian Peter Shakespear and three seat Bruce Schmidt, but Shakespear was represented by his daughter Susan and Schmidt by his son, Simon, and two grandsons, Stirling and Baxter.
It was a touch moment to see both Schmidt boys attending.
Name: Lachlan Buchbach
School: Marsden SHS
In a rags to riches story, Buchbach went from playing B division at Marsden SHS to being one of the Langer Trophy’s players of the year, earning a Dolphins NRL academy contract and making the Queensland under 17s.
Bachbach, a half, moved out of the shadow of Marsden SHS’s play-making ace by switching schools.
The Logan Brothers junior then led Mabel Park SHS on a giant-killing run through the home and away story.
Buchbach’s rise was one of the feel good stories of the competition.
Club: Mermaids
Competition: Australian Youth Water Polo Championships
The dramatic national titles saw Queensland club Mermaids retain its mantle as the girls top junior club in Australia.
Started just 10 years ago by Nicola and Lance Johnson Mermaids claimed four gold medals up for grabs in the girls’ under 14 and 18 green and gold divisions.
Name: Joe Liddy
Sport: Rugby
The Easts Tigers ace and Terrace old boy rose from the ashes to captain the Queensland Reds under 19s across November – after missing the entire season with a back injury.
Name: Arienna Hobbler
Club: Mareeba Gladiators and Northern Pride
We loved the courage of Hobbler to push on in her sporting life after the devastation of losing her mother to illness in February 2022.
Last year she rallied in memory of mum Cindy to take her place in the historic Queensland 16-18 years schoolgirls which beat NSW.
Then this year she backed up to make our Harvey Norman under 19 women’s rugby league Team of the Season despite playing in a side which was roundly beaten each week.
You have to doff your hat to her.
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