She inspired Australia with her epic feats over the past 12 months.
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Now Culburra Beach’s Tyler Wright, along with six other elite Aussie athletes, will battle it out for one of Australia’s most coveted sports awards – 'The Don' – at this year’s Sport Australia Hall of Fame Induction and Awards Gala Dinner.
Drawing from a long-list of over 20 potential candidates, seven finalists have been shortlisted for ‘The Don’ to mark one month to go to this year’s ceremony. And the list includes a stellar cast of Australia’s best performers over the past year.
It features Sally Pearson’s comeback world title, Jeff Horn’s stunning defeat of Manny Pacquiao and Matildas demolition of Brazil in the Tournament of Nations.
Olympic basketballer Erin Phillip’s domination of the inaugural AFLW, Emily Seebohm’s world title in the pool after Olympic disappointment and Johnathan Thurston’s incredible State of Origin effort with an injured shoulder, are all also finalists.
Wright became the latest in a long line of Australian surfing champions when she won the 2016 women’s world championship with a record score.
Wright almost retired in 2015 after her brother Owen suffered a serious head injury during a competition warm‐up in Hawaii.
The 23-year-old became his primary carer, but returned to the world series in 2016 to take out her maiden world title.
The Don Award is widely regarded as Australia’s leading contemporary sporting award and is named in honour of the late Sir Donald Bradman AC.