Our top 30 greats: Trio thrive on city pride

AMY Kickbusch (nee Korner) epitomises everything exceptional about Ipswich's sporting talent.

Former Ipswich swimmer Jenny McMahon. Picture: QT file

AMY Kickbusch (nee Korner) epitomises everything exceptional about Ipswich's sporting talent.

She always loved her home city, was dedicated to her training demands and inspired others as a player and now as a school teacher.

The endless kilometres she clocked travelling from her Flinders View family home to Brisbane were unmeasurable.

She even relocated to Perth for a while to improve her prospects of securing a spot in the Australian Hockeyroos squad. But she never forgot about her city of birth.

Amy's lengthy stints training and playing for Queensland and Australia were with little financial reward.

While she missed out on a Commonwealth Games or Olympic opportunity she craved, Amy finished her international hockey career with her head held high.

Through injury setbacks like shin stress fractures and a bulging disc in her back, she kept on toiling after making her Australian debut in Argentina in 2005.

Ipswich's top 30 greatest from the past 30 years.

Typical of her work ethic, Amy studied to be a teacher while travelling extensively.

Amy was one of the youngest players selected in the Queensland senior team.

In many regards, Amy was a trailblazer for other young Ipswich players like Jordyn Holzberger, who shared in Australia's silver medal winning success at this year's Commonwealth Games.

Retired from national and international hockey, Amy continues to give back to her sport by playing for Wests in the Ipswich A-Grade competition.

She still scores goals and enjoys working with the younger players who can learn from her hockey journey.

Former Australian hockey player Amy Kickbusch (nee Korner) encourages young players. Picture: Rob Williams

Former swimmer Jenny McMahon was another young Ipswich achiever with a wonderful story.

As an inexperienced teenager, Jenny thrived internationally after receiving Ipswich letters of support as she prepared for her first Commonwealth Games adventure in 1990.

She didn't let her supporters down, winning an Australian freestyle relay gold and individual 200m silver medal in the Auckland pool.

"I wouldn't have done so well only for the lots of letters I received wishing me well,'' Jenny said. "The people of Ipswich really made me determined,'' she said.

Jenny was coached by the legendary John Carew and received tremendous support from her parents Peter and Lorraine, much like Amy appreciated her Ipswich parents Neville and Jan Korner.

Ipswich's Sheffield Shield-winning cricketer Dick Tazelaar. Picture: QT file

In today's list, history-making Queensland cricketer Dick Tazelaar was another fine ambassador for Ipswich.

Regularly nominated for sportstar awards and acknowledged for his service to sport, Dick was always humble and quick to praise his Ipswich sporting colleagues.

"It's fantastic for this city to have so many people going overseas and dominating while still living here,'' he said in 1996.

Originally published as Our top 30 greats: Trio thrive on city pride