Macey Sheridan, Alannah Joyce among future Northern Territory Olympic hopefuls
There’s less than 50 days until the 2024 Olympics, so we’ve taken a look at a few of the young up and coming Territory athletes who may well be in the picture for future Olympic selection.
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The Territory is known for punching above its weight in sport, and while there aren’t a ton of Olympians from the NT the ones who have gone the distance have made their mark.
Nova Peris made history when she became the first Territorian to win Olympic gold with the Hockeyroos in 1996.
These days Brooke Peris and Jeremy Hayward have flown the flag in hockey, with Hayward winning silver with the Kookaburras in Tokyo.
Tom O’Neill-Thorne has represented on the biggest stage of all with the Rollers, and Clarence McCarthy-Grogan is also in the picture to go to the Paralympics.
But who are our stars of the future?
There’s less than 50 days until the 2024 Olympics, so we’ve taken a look at a few of the young up and coming Territory athletes who may well be in the picture for future Olympic selection.
This is not an exhaustive list, let us what other Territorians are performing well in an Olympic sport.
LAUREN WINTER
Sport: BMX
Discipline: Cruiser Class
Winter’s ultimate dream is to one day represent Australia at the Olympics, and with the results she’s getting there’s no reason that isn’t a possibility.
The Nhulunbuy local has already got an Australian title to her name and represented the country at the World BMX Championships in France.
ROMONE LEWIN
Sport: Para Athletics
Discipline: 24
Lewin is a talented all-rounder with his sights set on the top of the sport.
He recently participated in the Territory Sports Futures Academy and is regarded as someone who trains the house down whenever he gets the chance.
The para athlete showed what he could when he got his chance to represent the country at the recent Oceania Championships in Fiji.
AVIVA DAMJANOVIC
Sport: Athletics
Discipline: 100m, 200m, and 100m Hurdles
Damjanovic is the current holder of multiple Territory junior records and has competed on the national stage to prove her credentials.
She has been into athletics since she was a child and is the only hurdler in the Northern Territory.
She recently competed at the 2024 Australian Nationals and represented Australia at the 2024 Oceania Championships.
LALWA MAY
Sport: Equestrian
May made headlines across the country when she became just the first Indigenous person to represent Australia in show jumping internationally.
She was one of only four Australians to compete in the prestigious World Clubs championships in France in 2023.
Her achievements were well recognised in the Territory as she won the young Indigenous sportswoman of the year.
MACEY SHERIDAN
Sport: Swimming
Sheridan is one of the brightest starlets in Australian swimming with a mass of national medals already to show for her speed in the water.
The 14-year-old recently won five goals at the Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast, dominating the shorter freestyle events as well as the backstroke lengths.
It backed up a similarly successful outing in the 2023 championships and points to a strong future in the pool.
Sheridan was awarded the NT Junior Sportsperson of the Year for the 2023 outing where she won six golds, the best ever performance by an NT swimmer.
ZACH RAKKAS
Sport: Field Hockey
The hockey player is easily one of the top players in line to take up a spot in the sport the Territory has long held a strong connection with.
Rakkas has played in the Hockey One competition with the Adelaide Fire and dominated for Waratah in their fairy-tale NT premiership in 2023.
He has also starred at age grade levels whenever he’s earned selection for the NT rep side and will be one of the focus points of the Territory Stingers in this year’s Festival of Hockey.
MACENZEE DIXON
Sport: Field Hockey
Macenzee Dixon is recognised as one of the top young talents in NT hockey, and has been earmarked as a star of the future for a long time.
She was selected into the 2023 Australian Futures Squads alongside Amy Striping and Tobias Jenner, who both have national chances themselves.
The Commerce Pints player got her first ever taste of A-Grade action in the 2022 season and quickly impressed winning the best and fairest award that same year.
Dixon has been selected for the 2024 Territory Stingers squad, her second time in the Festival of Hockey and will be one to watch going forward.
NIESHA CASIMIRO
Sport: Field Hockey/Basketball
At 16, Neisha Caismiro is one of the youngest players selected in this year’s Territory Stingers squad for the NT Festival of Hockey.
She’s already had her taste of national’s action and was playing in senior B-Grade finals as early as 2020, proving she was a natural talent from an early age.
Casimiro is from a line of Territory hockey players so the sport in her blood.
WESTON TEDCASTLE
Sport: Wheelchair Basketeball
Tedcastle is a real rising star in the wheelchair basketball space and with some excellent role models has the chance to go the distance.
He already has a NWBL championship win to his name with the Darwin Salties and also aided Western Australia to victory in the national champs earlier in 2024.
And with mentors in Territorians Clarence McCarthy-Grogan and Tom O’Neill-Thorne, who have both represented at the highest level, he is in a good spot to keep progressing.
SKYE LAMPTON
Sport: Golf
The Katherine-born Lampton pulled off a bit of history when she became the first Indigenous woman to represent the NT at the Australian Amateurs tournament.
In 2022, she was the overall women’s champion at the 2022 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Championships and has won just about every tournament in the NT.
Lampton picked up golf as a 19-year-old and has improved exponentially year on year with her natural skill and ability to hit the ball a mile if needed.
Alannah Joyce
Sport: Judo
It’s easy to see why Joyce is one of the brightest hopes in Territory sport with her multitude of medals representing her region and the country.
The judo star won gold at the Australian juniors for her age and weight class prompting a move to Melbourne to get closer to the national training group.
She went on to win gold at both the Oceania and Pacific Games as part of Team Australia and was recognised further as the NT Sportsperson of 2023.
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