The 2024 Orienteering ACT Annual Awards Presentation was held at the conclusion of the final Runners Shop Twilight Series event at Commonwealth Park on Wednesday 12 March.
Thank you to Valerie Barker and Susanne Harrysson for organising and hosting the awards, and to John Harding for providing the photos accompanying this story.
Audun Fristad Junior Encouragement Awards
- Gregor Dowe, Leo Dunbar, Oliver Gladwin, Rajeev Tamhane, Susannah White.
Absent: Susannah White
A list of prior recipients can be found here.
Wehner Cup
Grace Crane won the Wehner Cup for ACT orienteer of the year, for the second consecutive year.
The top ten points placings for 2024 were:
| 1 | Grace Crane | 945 |
| 2 | Grant Bluett | 924 |
| 3 | Martin Dent | 922 |
| 4 | Geoff Lawford | 907 |
| 5 | Jenny Bourne | 901 |
| 6 | Natalie Miller | 900 |
| 6 | Andy Hogg | 897 |
| 8 | Shannon Jones | 893 |
| 9 | Paul de Jongh | 891 |
| 10 | Ryan Stocks | 889 |
Services to Coaching Award
David Stocks
David was the coach of the ACT ASOC team in 2024 and his effort and commitment was amazing. He was always positive, always inspiring team members to improve; at the same time he was not focused on individual results but was always focused on team members as people. Even the other states were somewhat jealous of our amazing coach. He was always available and prepared team members so that all were confidently and eagerly ready for all the events. The whole team were very lucky to have him as our coach.
A list of prior recipients can be found here.
Jim Sawkins Award for Event Management
Michael Radajewski
Mike is nominated for the 2024 OACT Jim Sawkins Award for Event Management as the co-ordinator for the OA National Junior Development Camp held in Canberra in December 2024. This role required Mike to put together a team, which ended up to be 47 volunteers, to provide the coaching, organising and assisting over five days for 70 of Australia’s best and promising junior orienteers.
Despite the hot weather, the junior orienteers got to experience a variety of event types and locations from urban sprints in the Parliamentary Triangle, to complex technical rock navigation in areas of Canberra Nature Parks, and venturing into Namadgi National Park for longer courses.
Mike oversaw the coaching and social programs, arranged accommodation, produced the budget and managed the finances. The camp was a tremendous success, achieved through the time and energy that Mike put into managing the camp.
A list of prior recipients can be found here.
Mike Cassells Award for Services to Orienteering
Deidre Sharkey and Michael Radajewski
Deirdre and Mike have contributed to orienteering in ACT through their leadership and contributions to a range of activities, primarily over the past 5 years. At the forefront of these activities has been their management of the ACT Blue Lightning squad, in particular managing the fund raising and co-ordinating the work of other volunteers to support junior development. The outcome of the fund raising has been to reduce the cost for participants attending the Australian School Orienteering Championships and at the same time enhancing the social aspects and participants’ experience at events through the cake stalls. Further fund-raising has included the presentation of special, indeed novel, Sprint events.
Deirdre and Mike are strong contributors to the organising and course setting of events run by the Parawanga Club for OACT. Mike has recently attained accreditation as an event controller, furthering his contribution to OACT. When not organising the Blue Lightning fund raising or organising and course setting events, Deirdre and Mike are regular and competitive participants at events locally, nationally and internationally.
A list of prior recipients can be found here.
President’s Awards
Mary Ann Kuhl
For abandoning her course to apply critical first responder care for a competitor in the King’s Birthday Weekend 2024 event, Golden Bay, New Zealand. She demonstrated selflessness, concern and care throughout the incident.
John Harding
For his long-term and sustained commitment to managing the Street-Orienteering program, and for his consistent and comprehensive photographic recording of all OACT orienteering events.
