Able and para athletes recognised together for first time at 2023 AIS Sport Performance Awards

For the first time, able and para athletes of the year will be receiving their awards together at the 2023 AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs) with Australia’s most decorated female Paralympian Ellie Cole and Olympian Matthew Denny having been announced as co-hosts for the celebration.

The AIS Sport Performance Awards (ASPAs), which will be held in Melbourne this November, is a celebration of the outstanding achievements of athletes, teams, coaches, volunteers, and leaders in Australian sport. 

Denny noted “The Australian Institute of Sport is really leading the way in holding an awards event that not only celebrates when we win but also how we win.

“I’m also really proud that for the first time, the able and para athletes of the year will receive their awards together. Olympians and Paralympians both make huge sacrifices and work so hard to represent Australia so it’s great to see the AIS celebrating us both equally.”

With the 2023 awards to be held less than a year out from the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Cole - who finished her career in the pool with 17 Paralympic and four Commonwealth medals – said this year’s ASPAs will be one to remember.

Cole shared “The ASPAs is always a great night for everyone in both para and able-bodied sports to come together and take stock of what an amazing year it has been in Australian sport.

“We are at such an exciting point in the Paralympic and Olympic cycle, and we have seen so many incredible performances this year as athletes push for a place in the Paris team.”

To reflect the Australian high performance sport system’s commitment to Win Well, the criteria for all 13 ASPAs is based not only on podium results and world records, but the values that epitomise Win Well - sportsmanship, fair play, integrity, and a commitment to prioritising emotional, mental, and physical wellbeing.

Co-hosting the ASPAs will be the perfect end to what has been a year to remember for Denny, with the Queenslander making a big statement ahead of Paris by clinching the Diamond League Championship last month with an Australian record discus throw.

Denny and Cole will announce the ASPAs finalists in early November, with voting currently underway. 

2023 Australian Sport Performance Award Categories: 

• Performance of the Year

• Female Athlete of the Year (Able)

• Male Athlete of the Year (Able)

• Female Athlete of the Year (Para)

• Male Athlete of the Year (Para)

• Emerging Athlete of the Year

• Coach of the Year

• Team of the Year

• High Performance Program of the Year

• Award for Leadership

• Community Engagement Award

• Sport Volunteer of the Year

• Win Well Award

To learn more about the ASPAS, visit the Australian Sports Commission website