Darwin woman Bianca Scrymgour wins spirit category in Shine awards
Presented by the Weekly Times and Harvey Norman, the awards cast a light on the often unsung efforts of women across regional Australia, across seven categories.
Darwin’s own Bianca Scrymgour has been honoured in the nation’s most prestigious awards recognising the efforts of rural and regional women.
The Darwin Brothers captain - who led the team to a three-peat victory in September - was named winner of the Spirit category in this year’s Shine Awards.
Presented by the Weekly Times and Harvey Norman, the awards cast a light on the often unsung efforts of women across regional Australia, across seven categories.
Bianca was nominated for her efforts coaching and mentoring younger rugby league players both on and off the field, proving herself an inspiring sporting role model.
“As a player there’s a lot of times where it can get a bit much, not just physically but mentally,” she said.
“But then in the coaching space, I’ve found that love and passion to have a bit of an influence on a young person’s life.”
Bianca was also recognised for the way she has championed women’s rugby league, and the “mind blowing” growth in women’s sport in general.
“I enjoy the camaraderie that it brings, the friendships, the challenges, and the impact that it makes on the young women that play,” she said.
Other Shine category winners were Queensland cattle farmer and regional health advocate Felicity Burton, South Australian food waste entrepreneur and Woodlane Orchard founder Kelly Johnson, NSW agricultural researcher and innovator Tegan Nock, Victorian sheep farmer and community fundraiser Katrina Ogden, and NSW horsewoman Sarah Wheeler.
The overall Shine award winner was Danny Mayson-Kinder, of Tasmania, who founded a charity - the b kinder foundation - focused on delivering anti-bullying and emotional wellbeing programs to schoolkids, in honour of her 12-year-old daughter, who died in a horse accident in 2016.
Herald and Weekly Times chairman Penny Fowler said the Shine Awards reflected the company’s belief in creating positive change through news and advocacy.
“For eight years now we have worked in partnership with Harvey Norman to shine a light on well over a thousand outstanding, resilient, generous women across rural and regional Australia who often overcome adversity to become beacons of their communities,” she said.
Harvey Norman Chief Executive Katie Page said “entrepreneurial drive and groundbreaking innovation” were the constants for this year’s Shine finalists.
“The stories are of women solving contemporary challenges, often with answers of national and international relevance,” she said.
For more details, visit shineawards.com.au
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Originally published as Darwin woman Bianca Scrymgour wins spirit category in Shine awards
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