Golden girl Emma McKeon unveils new names for Illawarra’s Olympic Tribute Wall
Australia’s most successful Olympian, and the Illawarra’s golden girl, Emma McKeon, was back in her hometown on Wednesday for a very special event.
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Australia‘s most successful Olympian, and the Illawarra’s golden girl, Emma McKeon, was back in her hometown on Wednesday.
The champion swimmer helped unveil the Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022 Olympic tiles added to the Illawarra Olympic and Paralympic Tribute Wall at Wollongong’s Lang Park.
The tribute wall - which is around 70m long and 2.4m high in the centre - was created in 2000 and pays tribute to elite athletes from the local government areas of Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, the Shoalhaven and Wingecarribee.
A total of 146 Olympians and nine Paralympians have had their names engraved on the wall - 99 male and 56 female and 146 from Summer games and nine from Winter games.
McKeon was joined by two other Olympians, hurdler Sarah Carli and snowboarder Matthew Cox, as well as eight Paralympians from the region - Victoria Davies, Jonathan Goerlach, Jasmine Greenwood, Amanda Reid, Dave Mainwaring, Brett Stibners, Melissa Perrine and Sam Tait.
She said she was thrilled that, for the first time, the names of the region’s Paralympians were being added to the tribute wall.
“It’s so nice to come together, for Olympians and Paralympians to join together and to be recognised for their efforts and achievements,” she said.
“We’re all from the region and it’s a very special place for us. We all travel a lot so to come back to the place you call home, and celebrate together, is fantastic.”
After a well deserved break with her family in Wollongong over Christmas, McKeon said she was back in training for the Commonwealth Games in August, and she also has her sights firmly set on Paris 2024.
Joining McKeon at the event was visually impaired Para-alpine skiing star Melissa Perrine. The recently-retired skier has competed at the four Winter Paralympics from 2010 to 2022 and has won three gold, one silver and one bronze medals.
Perrine was thrilled that Paralympians will be added to the tribute wall, with former Paralympians to also be added following a community project to collate all the names.
“It’s a fantastic initiative and it’s so great to see so many high achieving Paralympians here today who will get their names immortalised on the wall alongside Olympians,” she said.
“It’s a joyous occasion and there’s a vibe of mass positivity and progress.”
Perrine, originally from Mittagong and now living in Wollongong, said she’d retired from international competition and would be working as a physiotherapist.
“The 2022 Winter Paralympics was a great swansong for me, I carried the flag at the opening ceremony with Mitchell Gourley which was a surreal moment,” she said.
“I want to stay involved in the sporting world by helping develop elite athletes in the future.”
Simon Kersten, Chair of the Illawarra Olympic Fundraising Committee, said the tribute wall was important recognition of the athletes and locals and visitors alike could often be seen reading the names of those who had achieved so much in their chosen sport.
“It’s something that is there for all to see, literally carved in stone,” he said. “We are so glad that the names of Paralympians from the region, going back to the 1960s, will now be added to the wall.”
The additions to the Illawarra Olympic and Paralympic Tribute Wall
2020 Tokyo Olympics
- Sarah Carli Athletics Wollongong
- Jye Edwards Athletics Shellharbour
- Sally Fitzgibbons Surfing Kiama
- Caitlin Foord Football Shellharbour
- Blake Govers Hockey Shellharbour
- Jessica Hull Athletics Shellharbour
- Joel King Football Wollongong
- Emma McKeon Swimming Wollongong
- Flynn Ogilvie Hockey Wollongong
- Ellen Perez Tennis Shellharbour
- Kye Rowles Football Shellharbour
- Saya Sakakibara Cycling - BMX Wollongong
- Grace Stewart Hockey Kiama
- Emma Tonegato Rugby Sevens Wollongong
- Kieran Woolley Skateboarding Kiama
- Owen Wright Surfing Shoalhaven
2022 Beijing Winter Olympian
- Matthew Cox Snowboard Wollongong
2020 Tokyo Paralympians
- Victoria Davies Para-equestrian Shoalhaven
- Jonathan Goerlach Para-triathlon Wollongong
- Jasmine Greenwood Para-swimming Shoalhaven
- Tristan Knowles Wheelchair Basketball Wollongong
- Dave Mainwaring Para-triathlon (guide) Wollongong
- Amanda Reid Para-cycling Shoalhaven
- Brett Stibners Wheelchair Basketball Shellharbour
2022 Beijing Winter Paralympians
- Melissa Perrine Para-alpine skiing Wingecarribee
- Sam Tait Para-alpine skiing Wingecarribee
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