There were some spectacular sporting feats in the Yarra Valley in 2023.
Let’s look back on how our keen sportspeople reached the pinnacle of their sports this year.
Young Yering archer represents Australia
17-year-old Sophie Southall from Yering District Archers was selected by Archery Australia as part of a team of three junior females to compete in the compound division’s team events at the World Youth Archery Championships in Ireland in July.
Yering District Archer member and coaching coordinator Bill Mackieson OAM said it was an exciting time and the club was very proud of Sophie.
“I’m really excited, it’s also nice because I talked them into joining the club originally,” he said.
Mr Mackieson said he asked Mark Southall (Sophie’s father) along to archery a number of years ago when Sophie was 12.
Mr Southall in turn asked if he could bring along his daughter.
“I didn’t want to go by myself and so I asked them along, and here we are some years later and Sophie is representing Australia at a world event,” he said.
Sophie’s team, competing in the Under 12 Compound Division team event unfortunately finished at the foot of the results table, equal ninth alongside the teams from Canada and Ecuador.
Yarra Glen team claim second at National Drag Racing Series
The Middy’s Electrical Funny Car Team had an extremely tough final round at the National Hot Rod Association Winternationals in Ipswich, Queensland but managed to finish second in the series.
Chris Hargrave and the team were absolutely delighted with this major achievement, beating home several previous champions to claim the runner-up position.
Mr Hargraves said they destroyed their favourite race engine in the first Qualifying Round and this set them back as they had to put the old engine in the race car and try to compete on an equal basis.
“Unfortunately, that engine let go as well before racing commenced and we had to go into the race on a bits and pieces engine, but full credit to my father and the pit crew, we still went down the track grabbing good race times and did the team proud,” he said.
Chris’ father Stephen Hargrave said that seeing drag racing champion Steve Reed take the number 2 from his car and place it on their car was a very telling and emotional moment.
“Watching a true champion of the sport acknowledge Chris as a racer has made the last 10 years of hard work and effort worth it, we are all so proud of Chris,” he said.
Another call-up for Healesville basketball star
Healesville basketballer Brylee Anderson was selected for the Basketball Victoria Under 16 Victorian Country women’s team for the second year in a row and went to play in the Australian Championships in Perth.
Before the championships, Brylee said was very excited to make the team again.
“Last year was one of the best experiences I have ever had and I can’t wait to have the opportunity again this year,” she said.
The travel commitments are taxing, as going to training each week all around Victoria takes up a lot of time and effort from both Brylee and her family, averaging around 500km a week travelling to training, but according to Brylee, ‘is all worth it.’
Basketball Victoria High Performance Hub Lead Coach Mat Holmes said Brylee had shown a real ability on the basketball court in her ability to get into the paint.
“She is hard to guard because of her speed and skillset,” he said.
“As a player her athleticism and coachability is a real plus, she takes everything on board and tries everything.”
Tip to Toe triumph
The year began with the immense endurance of Erchana Murray-Bartlett and her Tip to Toe campaign.
Ms Murray-Bartlett passed through the Yarra Ranges, returning to the Lilydale to Warburton Rail Trail she knows so well having grown up in Seville, in her journey from Cape York to Port Melbourne.
Ms Murray-Bartlett ran a marathon every day for 155 days, a total of over 6200 kilometres, to raise funds for the Wilderness Society.
Speaking to the Star Mail in the days before the Yarra Valley leg of her journey, Ms Murray-Bartlett said the whole experience was life-changing.
“I’ve had such an incredible time. it definitely hasn’t been without its lows, when you’re running a marathon every single day there’s a component of it that hurts a lot but it’s funny that my body has adapted at a distance but I think I’m running on fumes now,” she said.
“But I can see the finish line now, and I’m feeling very happy being only six marathons away now.”
Focused on helping save the over 500 endangered Australian animals, the initial fundraising goal of $10 for every kilometre ran was smashed out of the park with a final total of $133,180.
Rally raid win for Daniel Sanders
Three Bridges rally rider Daniel Sanders picked up his first win in the FIM World Rally-Raid Championships, claiming victory in the Sonora Rally in Mexico in April.
The race was the third round of the championships and a strong way to bounce back for Sanders, who had an interrupted Dakar Rally and opted out of the Abu Dhabi Desert Challenge.
Sanders said he got back into his groove and rhythm by training back home in Three Bridges.
“I flew out two weeks ago and to America for a week testing just before the race in Mexico, it was a five-day rally covering about 2500km starting in Hermosillo and finishing in San Luis [Río Colorado] near the border,” he said.
“It was pretty hot and hot and dusty, about 37 degrees the first couple of days and got up to 41 on the last day up near Arizona.”
Despite not competing in the fourth and fifth races in Argentina and Morocco, Sanders finished eighth in the overall rankings and is sure to be keen to race again in 2024.
Launching Place’s great goaltender breaking down barriers in the women’s game
Launching Place’s Makayla Peers is the current holder of the Best Goaltender award in the Australian Women’s Ice Hockey League heading into this season, aged only 19.
Balancing her university studies and two part-time jobs is all part of the parcel for Peers, with ice hockey a pay-to-play sport, even at the state level, for women.
Peers said reducing the cost barrier for aspiring young players over time is really important.
“Passion is something you can’t buy, but it’s the money factor that does deter people and I think in order to continue growing the sport, with ice hockey being a niche sport in this country, it’s really important to help reduce the gap between the men and the women playing the sport,” she said.
Peers was shutting out the opposition last summer, averaging a miserly 1.56 goals against per game while maintaining a 93.6 per cent save percentage, both the best figures league-wide.
But it all came at a cost of $3500 to compete, which doesn’t even cover the cost of travelling to train or purchase new gear, with Peers having had to spend $1500 on two custom gloves to fit her hands, $900 at the start of the year on two hockey sticks and a further $450 on some new middle-quality skates.
