Bowls legend Karen Murphy’s tragic reveal as she’s inducted into Australian sport’s Hall of Fame

Mick Fanning and Mark Skaife are among Australian Sport’s latest Hall of Fame inductees but another legend had tears flowing for a different reason. Plus, Sally Pearson and Mark Knowles share what it means to take their place among our legends.

A sporting great has revealed how her elevation to Australian Sport’s Hall of Fame has come just five hours after the tragic death of her mother.

Australia has announced its latest batch of Hall of Fame inductees including motorsports’ Mark Skaife, Olympic athletics champion Sally Pearson, surfer Mick Fanning, hockey’s Mark Knowles and dual sport Paralympic star Leisl Tesh.

But the most touching story came from lawn bowls great Karen Murphy who was grieving for her lost mother when the call came to notify her she had been included in the above group.

“I lost my mum (Lorraine, aged 82), only hours before John (Bertrand) called me to tell me the news,’’ Murphy said.

“Mum had battled brain cancer and I’d been looking after her for a few years and she passed away at 5.57am that day and then John called me at about 11am and told me, and I

just burst into tears.

“I was extremely honoured when I heard the news, to be joining such a wonderful list of athletes across all sports is truly special. I feel incredibly grateful to all those who have been on my journey with me. This award is one which I share with our whole bowls community.”

Karen Murphy is considered one of the sport’s greatest female bowlers.

Murphy, a two time singles world champion and 2006 Commonwealth Games Gold medallist in Melbourne, is regarded as one of the sport’s greatest female bowlers.

The group, who join such legends at Sir Donald Bradman and Cathy Freeman, will be inducted in a ceremony in Melbourne next month.

Businessman and philanthropist Gerry Ryan, who has made major contributions to five sports including rugby league and cycling over three decades, was included in the general division along with basketball administrator Betty Watson, known as the “founding mother of women’s basketball in Australia.’’

Four-time Olympian Mark Knowles. Picture: Michael Willson

Three time world champion Fanning said he was taken aback by the honour.

“Australia produces so many incredible sporting stars and to be honoured as one of

those, among the greats, I’m pretty flabbergasted, to be honest,’’ Fanning said.

“It’s not something that we ever look for when we’re doing our sport, but to be acknowledged later in life is very special and

I’m very honoured to be able to share it with people who have supported me.

“I wasn’t the most talented person, I wasn’t the most gifted, I didn’t have the most money or anything like that, but

I just gave it my all.’’

Olympic champion Sally Pearson. Picture: Dave Hunt/AAP Image

Four time Olympian Knowles said he was “shocked’’ by the recognition.

“It’s just an amazing honour for me. I was certainly in a little bit of shock early,’’ Knowles said.

“I kind of went back to ‘how does a boy from Rockhampton get an honour like this?’. It is the highest accolade that I could possibly achieve as a sportsperson.’’

“You’re striving for greatness on the field and you’re trying to always represent yourself and your family in the right way, and I guess this is a reward for all that hard work. It’s a bit of a reward for the sport of hockey as well. I kind of always reflect on myself as a team player and as a team person, and if I’m honest, if you don’t play in great teams and have some success I don’t think I would have got these honours.’’

Sally Pearson was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame. Picture: Getty Images

HOCKEY LEGEND STILL SETTING THE PACE

– Robert Craddock

HIS parents played it. His kids play it. And even at age 40, Mark Knowles’ work and play is hockey. And plenty of it.

Olympic gold medallist Knowles’ endless passion and commitment to his sport has been rewarded with admission to Australia’s Sporting Hall of Fame.

Knowles career had a turbo-charged start when he was the youngest member of the Australian team which won gold at the Athens Olympics and he was in his element when the group had its 20 year reunion on the Gold Coast recently.

Sports Australia Hall of Fame inductee Mark Knowles, Hockey pictured at an event in Melbourne. Picture: Supplied

“Every player in the squad came,’’ said Knowles, who made 365 appearances (scoring 243 goals) for Australia in an international career spanning 16 years.

“One from Austria, one from London and seven or so from Perth. It was amazing. There was certainly plenty of passion. Still. There was outstanding storytelling.

“But what it reinforced to me was that it wasn’t a fluke. I came into that squad in 2003 and I could feel how special it was.’’

Hockey continues to be at the forefront of Knowles life in that he is employed as the head of Australian men’s pathway program and his still plays with and coaches the Easts first grade team in Brisbane.

Veteran Kookaburras captain Mark Knowles.

“I still love it. I say to the boys when you can beat me in fitness testing in preseason, you can take my spot. People laugh at me and say why take it so seriously? I tell them, ‘this is my Olympics every Saturday.’’

Knowles said he was shocked to be included in the Hall of Fame.

“I just keep reflecting and going back to this country boy from Rockhampton. I grew up on a small property, had a tennis court, had a dream and would just constantly do more. I challenged myself and just loved the pursuit of excellence.’’

‘HUGE HONOUR’: PEARSON’S SAHOF INDUCTION

– Rebecca Williams

Athletics great Sally Pearson hopes Australia’s track and field team could be on the cusp of a “golden era” leading into the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games as she celebrated the acknowledgment of her own place among the nation’s sporting icons.

Entering one of the country’s most exclusive sporting clubs, Pearson was on Thursday announced as one of eight new inductees to the prestigious Sport Australia Hall of Fame.

The London Olympic hurdles gold medallist joined surfing champion Mick Fanning, former Kookaburras’ captain Mark Knowles, lawn bowls trailblazer Karen Murphy, motorsport great Mark Skaife and dual-sport Paralympics champion Liesl Tesch among the athlete members inducted

Leading businessman and administrator Gerry Ryan was also inducted for his extensive contribution across multiple sports,alongside visionary hoops administrator Betty Watson.

Pearson’s Hall of Fame induction comes just five years after she announced her retirement from track and field after a spate of injuries curtailed her push for a third Olympics in Tokyo.

A two-time world 100m hurdles champion, Pearson felt her induction closed the chapter on her athletics career, which she admitted she took some time to grieve after it was over.

Sally Pearson dips on the line to win gold ahead of Dawn Harper during the 100 metre hurdles final in London. Picture: Dave Thompson/PA Wire

“It’s a strange feeling really, one that really closes the book on that chapter of your life, which isn’t a bad thing, it’s just very final,” Pearson said.

“I feel like I’ve only just come to terms with not being an elite athlete anymore, even though it was five years ago, but it still takes time to grieve that process.

“It’s obviously a huge honour first and foremost, but almost a time for real reflection and knowing that is who I was and now I’m a different person and I now have to move on from that and find another path.

“I think it has just allowed myself to be really proud of what I achieved.”

Pearson is now taking pride in watching the next generation of Australian track and field stars, who she believes could be capable of big things at a home Games in Brisbane.

Australia’s track and field team enjoyed their most successful Olympic campaign since the 1956 Melbourne Olympics with seven medals this year in Paris, including pole vaulter Nina Kennedy’s gold and Jessica Hull’s silver medal in the 1500m.

Sally Pearson celebrating gold.

“They performed amazingly in Paris, which is very exciting leading into Brisbane,” Pearson said.

“Although some of those athletes may not be around in Brisbane, they have certainly inspired that next generation coming through.

“We had a lot of our younger athletes who competed on that team who did exceptionally well as well, doing PBs or making it through the rounds which was very exciting.

“There are a lot of younger athletes on that team that will be in their late 20s, early 30s in Brisbane, which is like the prime age for athletics, so if they can keep their progression going really well then we might be seeing the new-age or golden era of athletics which would be very exciting.

“But we do have to keep that progression going over the next eight years or so.”

Pearson has been vocal on Brisbane’s need for a showpiece stadium for the 2032 Games and she hoped the spectacle of the Paris Olympics would spark organisers into action.

“The good thing was Paris put on an exceptional show and LA (2028) are not going to do anything less, they are going to goal out as well,” Pearson said.

Sally Pearson insists Brisbane needs a showpiece stadium for the 2032 Olympics.

“So I think what Brisbane is going to do is they are going to see that and they are going to compare their notes, I would think – that’s what I would do – and say ‘OK, where should we improve and what do we need to improve on and how are we going to make this the best Games ever?’

“We don’t have a lot of time, it’s only eight years away in the big scheme of things, and just really decide on how we are going to show these Olympics to the rest of the world and what it is going to look like.

“If they are going to use what they’ve got then they’ve got to really pretty it up, don’t they?

“You had a stadium full of 75,000 in Paris for the athletics, so I would love to be able to see if we can match that.”

Pearson said her Olympic gold in London was the “icing on the cake” of her track career, but she was just as proud of her comeback after missing the Rio Games through injury.

“I had a hard time for a couple of years in 2015 and 2016, not being able to go to the Rio Olympics and then people doubting whether I would be able to come back or if my career was over,” Pearson said.

“Then I came back in 2017 and won my second world title coaching myself. That was a moment and time where I just felt immensely proud of what I had achieved.”

Originally published as Bowls legend Karen Murphy’s tragic reveal as she’s inducted into Australian sport’s Hall of Fame